Show for Nov. 6, 2011: Peter Singer on Ethics in Theory and Practice
Peter Singer may be the world’s best-known ethicist. He’s regarded as the intellectual father of the animal liberation movement and has staked out prominent positions on euthanasia, abortion, the use of military force and economic inequality. We talked about those and other sticky moral questions, as well as Peter’s brand of utilitarianism, which aims to provide a single logical framework for all ethical decision making. Originally broadcast in 2006.
You can download the MP3 here (if using a Mac, control-click the link and choose “Save Link As…” If using a PC, right-click and choose Save Target As…”)
Show for Aug 7, 2011. How Pleasure Works.
In this re-run from June 2010, psychologist Paul Bloom describes the meaning of pleasure and the pleasure of meaning. More here.
Show for May 8, 2011. Nora Bateson on the Philosopher Gregory Bateson; Actresses Rivera Sun Cook and Robin Aronson on Getting into Character
Part 1: The late philosopher, anthropologist and environmentalist Gregory Bateson wanted to change the way we think, attending less to things in themselves and more to the connections between them. I talked to his daughter Nora Bateson, whose new documentary An Ecology of Mind offers her perspective on her father’s work. The film screens Saturday, May 14 at the Santa Cruz Film Festival. More on Gregory Bateson at edge.org.
Part 2: I’ve long been curious how stories and characters enter the heads of authors and actors. A new trio of plays from Rivera Sun Cook gave me a chance to inquire further. Rivera plays all 30 roles—characters young, old, black, white, Asian and Latino. I spoke to her and Robin Aronson, the plays’ director and an actress herself. More on the performance and showtimes.
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Show for Sept. 5, 2010. It’s Not All In Our Heads: Alva Noë on Consciousness.
Philosopher Alva Noë says neuroscientists are looking for consciousness in all the wrong places: it’s not in our brains after all.
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Show for Aug 22, 2010. Planetwalker: The Pilgrimage of John Francis
For two decades, environmental activist John Francis wandered America on foot while keeping a vow of silence. Along the way, he got to know a side of himself and this country that few experience. An extraordinary travel story and a remarkable person. Interview originally broadcast August, 2009.
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Show for June 27, 2010. On Being Wrong: Kathryn Schulz on “Wrongology”
Writer Kathryn Schulz considers what it means to be wrong, how we feel about it and how we deal with it. In her new book “On Being Wrong,” Schulz examines the sources of human error, and says that rather than try to perfect ourselves, we need to embrace our fallibility.
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Show for June 20, 2010. The Computer As Creator: David Cope’s Algorithmic Music
It’s been almost 30 years since composer David Cope began teaching computers to write music. His experiments remain some of most startling examples of machine intelligence treading on traditional human turf. Cope’s programs can analyze and replicate the styles of actual composers, from Bach to Rachmaninoff, and also create original modernist pieces. His experiments have delighted some listeners and enraged others, who say he is mechanizing music. In any case, his work raises serious questions about creativity, inspiration and human uniqueness. In this interview, Dave Cope shares his music (including his latest CD), describes his methods and aims, and speculates on why some people find it all so very unsettling.
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Show for June 13, 2010. Psychologist Paul Bloom: How Pleasure Works
Developmental psychologist Paul Bloom investigates the nature of human pleasures, from sex and food to art, music and fantasies. He says that what we like depends on what we think, and there may be no such thing as purely physical pleasure. He discusses his new book, How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like.
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Show for May 23, 2010. The Moral Life of Babies: Interview with Psychologist Paul Bloom; Aging and Happiness: Psychologist Arthur Stone
Yale University psychologist Paul Bloom discusses recent research on infant morality. He says babies may not be saints, but they’ve got a much more developed sense of right and wrong than previously thought. Then, is youth wasted on the young? A large-scale study indicates that people get happier as they age, especially after 50. Psychologist Arthur Stone of Stoney Brook U. describes the findings.
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Show for May 9, 2010. The Philosophical Baby: an Interview with Alison Gopnik
Well, we wanted to dish up something new on Mother’s Day this
year, but stuff happened. So instead: a second helping of a show from last year—one we’re pretty sure moms will like. Developmental psychologist Alison Gopnik has spent decades studying the minds of infants and young children. Her conclusion: babies are smarter, more aware and more caring than scientists previously realized. Also, inventor Joshua Klein on the surprising intelligence of crows.
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Show for Jan 31, 2010. Rebecca Goldstein V. God
Rebecca Goldstein is both a philosopher and novelist, and she brings the two vocations to bear in her latest book, “36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction.” It examines divinity as a proposition, but also religion as an experience. Set in and around a fictional university, the book’s part theological inquiry, part academic comedy of manners.
