Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman

Nicole Rust, neuroscientist and author of Elusive Cures, argues for reframing the brain as a complex, feedback-driven system. She compares brains to weather systems and explores why linear, single-target approaches fail for psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. They discuss serendipity in drug discovery, landscape models of neural activity, and how large-scale recordings plus AI could reshape neuroscience research.

Sam Harris, public intellectual and neuroscientist known for writing on rationality and consciousness, joins to probe why beliefs stick. He discusses belief as brain-driven action, the social roots of truth, why debunking fails, identity’s role in stubbornness, and how science and politics shape disagreement. Short, sharp takes on belief formation and its societal stakes.

Danielle Perszyk, a cognitive scientist who leads human-computer interaction at Amazon’s AGI Lab. She explores intelligence as social alignment. They discuss communicative drive, neural synchrony, and how conversation stabilizes shared concepts. She outlines building agents that model minds, coordinate with one another, and support personalized learning while avoiding human flaws.

Kaizen Asiedu, a philosopher-turned-political commentator who runs Clear Thinker, discusses why certainty in politics often feels truer than it is. He explores why conspiracies thrive, how social identity and outrage entrench beliefs, and why simple, emotional narratives beat complex truth. Conversation covers teaching clearer reasoning, social media’s amplification, and using AI and debate training to raise the rhetorical bar.

In this discussion, Thomas Goetz, a science journalist and author focused on medicine, dives into the complex reality of medications. He explores how modern diseases, like obesity and anxiety, may be products of our environment rather than just individual flaws. With a fascinating look at GLP-1 drugs, Goetz debates the societal implications of dependency on pills versus structural influences on health. He emphasizes the unintended consequences of medications and the evolving relationship between society and pharmaceutical solutions.

In this engaging discussion, philosopher and author Rebecca Goldstein dives into the concept of 'mattering'—the fundamental human need to feel significant. She explores how mattering underpins happiness, ambition, and even depression, linking unmet desires for significance to broader societal issues like polarization and extremism. Goldstein presents strategies for realizing one's mattering, illustrates with stories like that of Scott Joplin, and offers advice for individuals struggling to find their sense of worth. A thought-provoking conversation on what it truly means to matter!

David Spiegel, a Stanford psychiatrist and hypnosis expert, dives into the fascinating world of hypnosis, demystifying its clinical applications for pain, anxiety, and habit change. He explains how attention and expectation can reshape our experiences, revealing the brain’s pathways. Hypnosis is contrasted with meditation and flow states, emphasizing its intentionality. Spiegel discusses its proven effectiveness in medical settings, barriers to broader acceptance, and the potential of his Reverie app for accessibility in therapeutic hypnosis.

Explore the fascinating puzzle of selfhood and continuity in a constantly changing body. The ship of Theseus sparks a debate on identity amidst cellular turnover. Delve into how memories can shift our perception of self, revealing the instability of personal recollections. Consider thought experiments about age in an afterlife and the peculiar End-of-History illusion that leads us to underestimate future changes in beliefs and preferences. Join a journey through the fluid nature of identity and how we navigate our future selves.

Explore how medieval artwork misrepresented lions, revealing insights about memory construction. David Eagleman discusses the 'telephone game' analogy, illustrating how memories distort over time. Discover the impact of cultural schemas on narrative recall and the role of interference from new memories in memory fading. Hear about studies on eyewitness suggestibility and the surprising reliability of flashbulb memories like those from 9/11. The conversation dives into how these memory drifts affect our identities and personal narratives.

Joshua Greene, a Harvard psychologist and philosopher, dives into the intricacies of moral judgment. He explores why our instincts clash with modern dilemmas like pandemics and AI, shedding light on moral decision-making. Greene discusses how emotional impulses often override rational choices, using examples like trolley problems. He introduces 'moral technologies' designed to enhance charitable giving and discusses Tango, a game intended to reduce political polarization. This conversation reveals how understanding our moral brains can lead to more effective collective actions.