Sean Illing talks with philosopher David Chalmers about virtual worlds and the nature of reality, and other topics that stem from Chalmers's new book Reality+. In this far-reaching discussion, Sean and Prof. Chalmers get into the makeup of human consciousness, the question of whether we're living in a computer simulation, and — of course — The Matrix. Are digital worlds genuine realities, or will their proliferation lead to a troublesome turning away from the physical world?
Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox
Guest: David Chalmers, University Professor of Philosophy and Neural Science, NYU; co-director, Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness
References:
Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy by David J. Chalmers (Norton; 2022)
Meditations on First Philosophy by René Descartes (1641)
"Are You Living In a Computer Simulation?" by Nick Bostrom (Philosophical Quarterly vol. 53 (211); 2003)
The Matrix (1999), dir. by The Wachowskis; The Matrix Resurrections (2021), dir. by Lana Wachowski
Free Guy (2021), dir. by Shawn Levy
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (1992)
Anarchy, State, and Utopia by Robert Nozick (1974)
Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.
Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts
This episode was made by:
Producer: Erikk Geannikis
Editor: Amy Drozdowska
Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey
Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Are we living in a simulation? | Recode Daily podcast - Listen or read transcript on Metacast
