Everything Everywhere All at Once is a magnificent mess. The film raises questions around the meaning of life, the nature of the multiverse, and how we should understand free will in a world filled with counterfactuals. Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop
Jul 03, 2022•52 min•Season 3Ep. 25
When is death preferable to living? Are there fates worse than death? And what sort of future society should we build? Lionel Shriver discusses her latest novel, Should We Stay or Should We Go Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Edited and Produced by James Mullen
Jun 26, 2022•56 min•Season 3Ep. 24
Ben Stiller's superb series, Severance, raises fascinating questions about the nature of personal identity. Are we minds or brains? Is it possible for two persons to inhabit the same body? And can a person survive gaps in their existence? Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Edited and Produced by James Mullen
Jun 19, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 23
As Russia wages an unjust war against Ukraine, questions around the ethics of war abound. Are soldiers fighting for the wrong side ever justified in killing? Should we punish these soldiers even if they were coerced by their State to fight? And is it ever justified to kill civilians? Read Jeff's book here: amazon.com/Killing-War-Uehiro-Practical-Ethics/dp/019960357X Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Edited and Produced by James Mullen...
Jun 12, 2022•58 min•Season 3Ep. 22
What is an "Aha" moment, and why does it matter for our lives? Sophie Grace Chappel argues that our ethics and value system should be formed around our epiphanies. Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Edited and Produced by James Mullen Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop Podcast: https://anchor.fm/braininavat Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail...
Jun 05, 2022•58 min•Season 3Ep. 21
Could you be a brain in a vat, or be living in a simulated or virtual reality? Could you live a meaningful, valuable existence even if you were? Presenters: Mark Oppenheimer and Jason Werbeloff Editor and Producer: Jimmy Mullen
May 29, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 20
Why is the truth important? Who decides what the truth is? Is there such a thing as objective, eternal truth, or is truth simply a matter of perspective, of linguistic or cultural vantage point? Simon's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Simon-Blackburn/dp/0190867213 Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail
May 22, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 3Ep. 19
What is creativity and how does it work? Is all creativity valuable? What are the pre-conditions for creativity, and how should Jason overcome his writer's block?
May 15, 2022•45 min•Season 3Ep. 18
If everything was created by a cause, is God the creator of the Universe? Is God an uncaused cause? Could God have abandoned his creation? Majesty of Reason: https://www.youtube.com/c/MajestyofReason Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop
May 09, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 17
Lia Thomas, a trans woman, has sparked controversy by competing in and winning women’s collegiate swimming events. Should Thomas and other trans athletes be allowed to compete in the gendered competition of their choice?
May 01, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 3Ep. 16
Is evolution the root cause of racism, rape, and disgust? Are differences between men and women a result of both nature and nurture? Are some forms of scientific inquiry too dangerous to allow? Justin's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Biological-Mind-Philosophical-Introduction/dp/0367466317 Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop
Apr 24, 2022•54 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Dune contains a sophisticated moral dilemma - should Paul Atreides sacrifice billions of lives to avoid humanity's extinction? The answer echoes through the way we should deal with global climate change today. Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail
Apr 17, 2022•48 min•Season 3Ep. 14
Some of the world's greatest discoveries were made by those on the fringe. Should scientists be encouraged to explore crazy ideas? Does the search for truth depend more on geniuses or a social butterflies? Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop Contact us: Mark.Oppenheimer[at]gmail and Jwerbe[at]gmail
Apr 10, 2022•47 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Is your sexual orientation determined by the sex or the gender of the person you’re attracted to? How does gender fluidity impact sexual orientation? Are there other sexual orientations like demisexuality, sapiosexuality and more?
Apr 03, 2022•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 12
Are Jean Jacques Rousseau's confessions trustworthy? Can we consciously decide to forget our sins? Should we be held accountable for all of our actions, including the ones we don't intend?
Mar 20, 2022•43 min•Season 3Ep. 11
How important is it to treat people with dignity, or respect? Do institutions and groups, rather than individuals, owe us dignity? And if we have to choose, should we strive for a society that is dignified or a society that is happy? Colin’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Human-Dignity-Political-Criticism-Colin/dp/1108832024
Mar 20, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Should citizens have the right to bear arms? Are guns necessary to defend yourself from criminals, invading militants, and your own government? Should guns be banned because of school shootings, suicides, and accidental deaths?
Mar 13, 2022•54 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Should we sacrifice our time and convenience to save animals? Jeff Sebo argues we must, but more than that, it's in our self-interest to do so. Jeff's book: https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Animals-Ourselves-Pandemics-Catastrophes-ebook/dp/B09RKHL8QB Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop
Mar 06, 2022•58 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Is there life after death? Are near-death experiences meaningful? Are they similar to other altered states like meditation and drug induced hallucinations? Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop
Feb 27, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Travis Timmerman shows us what can we learn about morality, democracy, and exploitation from Squid Game. Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop...
Feb 20, 2022•57 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Is it possible to be morally responsible for a choice even if you could not have chosen otherwise? Can you have free will even if God knows ahead of time what you are about to choose? John Fischer argues the answer is yes.
Feb 13, 2022•54 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Does a fetus have a right to its mother's womb? Are we obligated to have as many children as possible? And must pro-lifers assassinate abortion doctors?
Feb 06, 2022•59 min•Season 3Ep. 5
We recently aired an episode with Stephen Kershnar on sexual taboos. A clip from that episode has been viewed over a million times on Twitter, and on many news channels. We address the controversy surrounding Stephen's position.
Feb 03, 2022•7 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Should there be an age of consent? Is it wrong to fantasize about someone against their will? Is it wrong to lust after someone because of their race? Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop
Jan 30, 2022•58 min•Season 3Ep. 3
What makes the 'you' of yesterday the same 'you' today? Should we care about future people who don't yet exist, and should we prevent climate change if it means preventing people from coming into existence?
Jan 25, 2022•59 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Is there a core to who we are that is unchanging or unique? Do people have characters, personalities, or neither? Brain in a Vat bookshop (Shopify): https://smarturl.it/BrainShop Brain in a Vat bookshop (Amazon): https://smarturl.it/BrainAmazonShop
Jan 16, 2022•57 min
In our final episode for 2021, we reveal a surprise we've been working on all year, and tell you about the exciting episodes planned for 2022.
Dec 13, 2021•7 min
Destructive forces have been eroding the University of Cape Town, Africa’s leading university. David Benatar tells the sad, true tale of what has been transpiring. It is a saga of lunacy, criminality, pandering, and identity politics. The mad and the bad – the deranged, deluded, the depraved – have been granted endless latitude in bullying and abusing others.
Dec 05, 2021•54 min•Season 2Ep. 49
What are possible worlds? Could you have been born to different parents, and could the laws of physics be different? Barry Lam explains how David Lewis’s views on possible worlds can help us understand everything from the nature of time to free will. Listen to more of Barry’s episodes on David Lewis on Hi-Phi nation here: https://hiphination.org/season-5/
Nov 28, 2021•52 min
Is it possible to hope for something good, but feel despair that it won't happen? Is it virtuous to feel hopeful? Can hoping make you act recklessly?
Nov 21, 2021•38 min•Season 2Ep. 48
