TrueSciPhi

Podcast Profile: Philosophical Trials

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15 episodes
2020 to 2023
Median: 53 minutes
Collection: Philosophy

Description (podcaster-provided):

My name is Tedy Nenu and I am the host of the 'Philosophical Trials' podcast. This is a place where philosophers, mathematicians, linguists and other bright individuals share with us fascinating aspects of their work. Whether you are interested in the nature of mathematical reality or how language works, there will be an episode here that caters to your interests.

Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

➤ philosophy, logic, and philosophy of mind • language evolution, semantics, possible worlds • free will debates in neuroscience • religion: atheism, Christianity • mathematics foundations, infinity, Gödel, set theory • computational complexity, algorithms, P vs NP, quantum computing • memory and attention

This podcast features long-form conversations with prominent thinkers in philosophy and adjacent disciplines, with a particular emphasis on areas where philosophy intersects with mathematics, logic, language, and cognitive science. Across the episodes, the host speaks with philosophers, mathematicians, linguists, computer scientists, and neuroscientists about foundational questions: how to understand truth and morality, what kinds of knowledge we can have, and what metaphysics and philosophical logic contribute to contemporary inquiry.

A recurring theme is the nature of mind and agency. Discussions approach free will through biology and neuroscience, and examine consciousness, artificial intelligence, and whether aspects of thought might resist mechanization. Related to this are topics in computation and formal theory, including algorithmic thinking, computational complexity, quantum computing, and classic open problems and arguments about the limits of computation.

Another core strand centers on language and meaning. Conversations explore semantics and the structure of linguistic theory, including how language might have evolved and how meaning relates to internal mental representations and to possible-worlds frameworks. The show also returns frequently to questions in logic and the philosophy of mathematics, touching on infinity, set theory, incompleteness results, vagueness, relativism about truth, and historical perspectives such as medieval logic.

Religious belief and atheism also appear as subjects of philosophical examination, placed alongside broader debates about the frontiers and limits of human knowledge. Overall, the content aims to introduce and clarify current intellectual debates while drawing connections between technical work in formal fields and traditional philosophical problems.

Episodes:

Robert Sapolsky vs Kevin Mitchell: The Biology of Free Will | Episode 15
2023-Nov-18
73 minutes

Noam Chomsky on Language Evolution and Semantic Internalism | Episode 14
2023-May-09
52 minutes

A.C. Grayling on Atheism and The Frontiers of Knowledge | Episode 13
2022-Jul-02
66 minutes

William Lane Craig on Christianity and Philosophy of Religion | Episode 12
2022-May-28
53 minutes

Vicky Neale on 'Why Study Mathematics?' and the Twin Prime Conjecture | Episode 11
2021-Jun-08
42 minutes

Peter Koellner on Penrose's New Argument concerning Minds and Machines | Episode 10
2021-Feb-03
47 minutes

Sara L. Uckelman on Medieval Logic, Onomastics and Teaching | Episode 9
2020-Oct-12
48 minutes

Timothy Williamson on Relativism and Vagueness | Episode 8
2020-Jul-29
70 minutes

Thomas Cormen on The CLRS Textbook, P=NP and Computer Algorithms | Episode 7
2020-Jun-24
43 minutes

Scott Aaronson on Computational Complexity, Philosophy & Quantum Computing | Episode 6
2020-Jun-19
85 minutes

Kai von Fintel on Language, Semantics and Possible Worlds | Episode 5
2020-Jun-16
74 minutes

Ed Cooke on Memory Competitions, The Art of Remembering and Attention | Episode 4
2020-May-29
35 minutes

Tim Crane on Minds, Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness | Episode 3
2020-May-16
63 minutes

Simon Blackburn on Philosophy, Truth and Morality | Episode 2
2020-May-16
52 minutes

Joel David Hamkins on Infinity, Gödel's Theorems and Set Theory | Episode 1
2020-May-16
76 minutes