Donald Hoffman On Free Will, Positive Geometries of Consciousness & Spacetime [Ep. 455]

Will physics ever be able to explain consciousness? What if our entire understanding of reality is just an illusion shaped by evolution? Could the universe be a sophisticated virtual reality created by our own minds for our own good? And does free will exist after all?  Joining me today to explore these profound questions is none other than Donald Hoffman! Donald Hoffman is a renowned philosopher, famous TED talk speaker, cognitive scientist, and deep thinker.  He is a professor in the Department of Cognitive Science at the University of California, Irvine, and the author of the provocative book The Case Against Reality. This is his third time on my show because we simply never run out of topics, and it’s always refreshing to hear his thoughts and ideas!  So, without further ado, let’s jump right in! — Key Takeaways:  00:00:00 Intro  00:01:11 Sam Harris, Robert Sapolsky, and free will  00:07:59 Positive geometries of consciousness  00:17:17 Will physics ever be able to explain consciousness? 00:26:05 Stepping outside of spacetime  00:36:51 Markovian dynamics  00:48:10 Theory of perception  00:52:37 Audience questions  01:05:44 The future of academia  01:13:24 Outro — Additional resources:  ➡️ Learn more about Don Hoffman:  📚 The Case Against Reality: https://a.co/d/dy3tfCc — ➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms: ✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating  🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1  📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list  ✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/  🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast  — Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known. Make sure to follow/subscribe so you never miss an episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices