3: Anna Strasser

Keith talks to Berlin-based philosopher Anna Strasser about artificial agents, large language models, her creation of a digital version of Daniel Dennett, and the pollution of our digital environment. Recording date: 20/09/23.Anna's websiteAnna's AI anthology Track: Schubert - Piano Quintet in A major 'The Trout', D. 667- IV. Andantino – Allegretto - Clifford Curzon, piano; Amadeus Quartet members. Source

Pete Mandik is professor of philosophy at William Paterson University of New Jersey. He works on topics at the intersection between philosophy of mind and the cognitive sciences and is particularly interested in naturalistic accounts of consciousness and intentionality.We began by talking about Pete’s background and influences, then dived deep into his views about consciousness, representation, and consciousness. Join us to learn why ‘what it is like’ talk is empty, why colour sensations are a myth, and why introspection is more like recalibration than self-monitoring. Recording date: 11/04/22Timings0:00:24: Introduction0:01:46 Why Pete became a philosopher0:12:00 Experiences with LSD0:24:24 Quine and anti-foundationalism0:30:25 The relation between philosophy and science0:38:45 Introduction to Pete’s view of consciousness0:40:43 Three views of the data for a theory of consciousness0:46:36 A third-person approach to consciousness0:50:56 ‘What it is like’ to be a bat0:54:26 Against phenomenal consciousness0:58:11 The emptiness of what-it-is-like talk1:06:21 A problem for representational theories of consciousness1:13:59 A sense in which consciousness is intrinsic1:18:30 Can consciousness be indeterminate?1:21:37 Is there anything special about the first-person perspective?1:26:32 The case against nonconceptual content1:41:10 The myth of colour sensations1:51:39 The nature of introspection2:09:52 Concerns about illusionism2:24:42: The future of consciousness studies and what to expect from Pete MandikFurther readingIf you would like to explore Pete’s views in more detail, you could start with these three papers, which deal with topics covered in the interview:Pete Mandik (2009) ‘Beware of the Unicorn: Consciousness as being represented and other things that don’t exist’. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 16(1): 5–36.Pete Mandik (2017) ‘The myth of color sensations, or How not to see a yellow banana’. Topics in Cognitive Science, 9(1): 228–40.Pete Mandik (2005) ‘The introspectibility of brain states as such’. In Brian L. Keeley (ed.), Paul Churchland (pp. 66–87). Cambridge University Press.For more, see Pete's website and blog Track: Schubert - Piano Quintet in A major 'The Trout', D. 667- IV. Andantino – Allegretto - Clifford Curzon, piano; Amadeus Quartet members. ⁠Source

Keith talks to neuropsychologist Nicholas Humphrey about the theory of consciousness presented in his books Seeing Red (2006), Soul Dust (2011), and Sentience (2022). The conversation ranges over many topics, including blindsight, the difference between sensation and perception, the function of consciousness, whether phenomenal consciousness is an illusion, artificial consciousness, suicide, spirituality, and evolutionary psychology.Recording date: 12/10/17Timings00:25 Introduction to Nicholas Humphrey02:56 Taking consciousness seriously05:18 NH’s work with the monkey Helen and his discovery of blindsight13:24 The discovery of blindsight in humans15:56 Monkey aesthetics and colour preferences18:13 The distinction between sensation and perception22:40 The story of HD and the meaning of sensation27:53 Sentition and the evolution of sensation34:52 The evolution of NH’s thinking about consciousness38:44 NH’s account of adaptive function of consciousness48:40 Is phenomenal consciousness an illusion?1:00:24 Phenomenal surrealism1:03:45 The ipsundrum and the gregundrum1:08:36 Artificial consciousness1:14:30 Sentience in non-human animals, with discussion of octopuses1:20:36 Reflexive consciousness and phenomenal consciousness1:25:02 Suicide and depression1:38:02 Materialism, religion, and spirituality1:42:04 Evolutionary psychologyTrack: Schubert - Piano Quintet in A major 'The Trout', D. 667- IV. Andantino – Allegretto - Clifford Curzon, piano; Amadeus Quartet members. ⁠⁠Source