Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Within Reason
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #166 Are Plants Conscious? - Michael Pollan | 27 sept. 2026 | 01:29:13 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. Come to my North American tour this November: https://www.alexoconnor.com/p/tour. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Michael Pollan is an American journalist and the first Lewis K. Chan Arts Lecturer at Harvard University. Get A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness. TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) North America Tour (0:20) The Solar Eclipse (2:56) What Is It Like To Be A Plant? (14:52) Are Neurons Overrated? (19:15) Is This All Complete Nonsense? (20:59) The Strange Behaviour of Plants (26:37) Consciousness by Negation (37:31) Does Matter Or Consciousness Come First? (44:09) What Do Humans Have That Plants Don’t? (54:25) Do Plants Feel Pain? (56:52) Is Feeling the Basis of Consciousness? (01:06:45) Is Consciousness Falsifiable? (01:17:41) Where Does Awareness Come From? (01:22:15) Are Psychedelic Experiences Real? (01:24:59) What is Everybody Getting Wrong About Consciousness? CONNECT: CONTACT: Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #165 Buddhist Emptiness Explained - Jan Westerhoff | 31 août 2026 | 01:44:20 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.Come to my North American tour this November: https://www.alexoconnor.com/p/tour.Jan Westerhoff is a German philosopher and orientalist with specific interests in metaphysics and the philosophy of language. He is currently Professor of Buddhist Philosophy in the Faculty of Theology and Religion of the University of Oxford.Get Jan Westerhoff's books here.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Nāgārjuna, The “Second Buddha”6:03 The Middle Way9:16 Ontological Nihilism20:00 Are Madhyamaka Buddhists Nihilists?38:56 How Emptiness Escapes Causal Arguments for God45:40 Preempting Immanuel Kant?50:37 Emptiness1:10:07 How to Escape Suffering1:16:54 Visualising Emptiness1:20:30 Is Consciousness Empty?1:34:28 Reality Without SubstanceCONNECT:My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskepticFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskepticInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskepticTikTok: @CosmicSkepticThe Within Reason Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/16wUbvDT95dxzpG2KEhakK?si=3196e07690bb489dCONTACT:Business email: contact@alexoconnor.comBrand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #164 The Chosen Creator: Putting Words in Jesus' Mouth? | 09 août 2026 | 02:14:58 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Dallas Jenkins is an American film and television director, writer and producer. He is best known as the creator, director, co-writer and executive producer of The Chosen, the first multi-season series about the life of Jesus of Nazareth. LINKS: Watch the trailer for season six of The Chosen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nymMxV88QyY&feature=youtu.be Season six premieres November 15th on Prime Video, with three episodes at launch and new episodes weekly through December 6th. And the story doesn't end on streaming — the season finale arrives as a feature film, exclusively in theaters, on March 12th, 2027. Follow The Chosen: https://www.thechosen.tv/en-us https://www.instagram.com/thechosentvseries/ https://www.tiktok.com/@thechosentv?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/InsideTheChosen https://www.youtube.com/@TheChosenSeries Follow Dallas: https://www.facebook.com/DallasJenkinsOfficialhttps://www.instagram.com/dallas.jenkins/https://www.youtube.com/@DallasJenkinsOfficial TIMESTAMPS: (00:21) What is The Chosen’s Purpose? CONNECT: My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #163 Religion is an Obligation - Ross Douthat | 31 juil. 2026 | 01:48:33 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access.
VIDEO NOTES: Ross Douthat is an American journalist who is a correspondent for the CBS News program 60 Minutes. Prior to joining CBS, he was a conservative columnist at The New York Times, a senior editor at The Atlantic, and film critic for National Review. He has written on religion, politics, and society.Get "Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious": https://amzn.to/4fw2bIJ TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) Is Religious Belief An Obligation? CONNECT: CONTACT: Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #162 Two Million Subscriber QnA | 30 juil. 2026 | 00:51:06 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack. TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) – Intro (0:18) – My YouTube Watch History (01:33) – What Do I Want to Be Remember For? (10:13) – Will I Do a PhD? (13:06) – Warzone (13:28) – How Many Philosophers Does It Take to Screw in a Light Bulb? (14:14) – My Music Channel (14:30) – My Career if I Wasn't a YouTuber (15:49) – Things I Struggle With (17:58) – Favourite Beatles Song? (19:20) – Daily Life and Episode Prep (23:09) – Favourite Debate? (27:17) – Which Country Do I Want to Visit? (27:30) – Which Country Do I Never Want to Visit? (28:09) – Which Person from History Would I Want to Talk To? (31:47) – Who Am I a Fan Of? (32:18) – Favourite Sport and Club? (39:25) – Favourite Dish and Beverage? (40:23) – What Is One Thing You Regret? - CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: @CosmicSkeptic The Within Reason Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/16wUbvDT95dxzpG2KEhakK?si=3196e07690bb489d - CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co------------------------------------------ | |||
| #161 What’s the Point of Going Back to the Moon? Chris Hadfield - | 15 juil. 2026 | 00:57:00 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Chris Hadfield is a retired Royal Canadian Air Force colonel, test pilot, and CSA astronaut. As the first Canadian to perform extravehicular activity in outer space, he has flown two Space Shuttle missions and also served as commander of the International Space Station. Get Chris's book Final Orbit. TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) Have We Lost Interest in Space Travel? (3:56) What Is There To Learn In Space? (12:01) Is Space Exploration National Or Global? (18:00) Will Civilians Need Training To Go To Space? (22:35) The Psychological Challenges of Space Exploration (26:28) Are Astronauts Thrill Seekers? (34:33) Writing Fiction As An Astronaut (42:58) How Chris Became a Novelist (50:32) The Biggest Risk Chris Has Ever Taken (53:09) How Chris Tackles Fear CONNECT: CONTACT: Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #160 Every Theory of Consciousness - Robert Lawrence Kuhn | 02 juil. 2026 | 02:20:22 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Robert Lawrence Kuhn is an American public intellectual and investment banker. He is also an author, television producer, columnist and commentator, especially on topics related to China. Kuhn is the creator of the PBS series @CloserToTruthTV .View the Landscape of Consciousness Map here. TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) The Landscape of Consciousness Map (16:32) Materialism (26:58) What Counts As Materialism? (45:12) The Difference Between Panpsychism and Materialism (49:36) What’s the Difference Between Panpsychism and Idealism? (58:12) Idealism and Monism (1:03:51) Do All These “Theories” Really Differ? (1:08:40) Dualism and Property Dualism (1:20:30) Are Psychedelic Experiences Significant? (1:32:02) The “Challenge” Category (1:42:36) Quantum Theories of Consciousness (1:47:57) Integrated Information Theory (2:01:53) Theological Approaches to Consciousness (2:15:33) How Theory of Mind Brings Us Together CONNECT: CONTACT: Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #159 Aristotle: The World's Greatest Philosopher? | 25 juin 2026 | 01:24:29 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. John Sellars is a Reader in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, a visiting Research Fellow at King's College London and a Member of Wolfson College, Oxford. His books include Lessons in Stoicism, The Fourfold Remedy, Aristotle and his work has been translated into over a dozen languages. Get John Sellars' books here. TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) What’s So Great About Aristotle? (03:06) Actuality and Potentiality (12:59) Forms: Aristotle vs Plato (20:02) The Four Causes (25:16) Evolution and Final Causation (29:40) Did Aristotle Believe In God? (32:38) The Unmoved Mover (38:58) The Soul (Is Not What You Might Think) (48:51) How Aristotle Invented Formal Logic (55:54) The Nicomachean Ethics (01:15:56) Ethics as Descriptive (01:21:04) Where To Start With Aristotle CONNECT: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic Business Email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #158 Could Consciousness Be an Illusion? | 18 juin 2026 | 02:07:10 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Keith Frankish is a British philosopher specialising in philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology, and philosophy of cognitive science. Read Keith's essay, "Illusionism as a theory of consciousness" (2016). Find Keith's website here. Keith Frankish and Philip Goff co-host a channel 'Mind Chat', where they debate panpsychism versus illusionism, and explore cutting-edge thought on consciousness: / @mindchat TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) Is Consciousness An Illusion? (4:02) Do We Have a Private World? (10:00) The Nature of Visual Experience (20:13) Is Awareness Behavioural? (28:17) Isn’t Introspection Itself a Private Experience? (33:04) Philosophical Zombies (43:05) What Motivates Illusionism? (50:02) Psychedelics and the Dissolution of the Self (59:23) Why Are Philosophers Always Categorising? (1:10:31) Does Alex’s Triangle Exist? (1:21:40) Is Pain Just a Reaction to Stimulus? (1:49:05) Is Pain an Emergent Phenomenon? (1:55:52) What Illusion Is Actually Happening? (1:59:07) Can AI Be Conscious? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #157 How a Blind Man Sees the World - Tommy Edison | 08 juin 2026 | 01:04:08 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. @TommyEdisonXP is a blind YouTuber and radio presenter. He got his start online as the “Blind Film Critic”, reviewing movies despite being unable to see them, and thereby offering a unique angle on their storytelling. TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) Being a Blind YouTuber (2:03) How Do You Understand Blindness If You Are Blind From Birth? (4:26) Being Blind in School (7:20) Tommy’s Early Life (12:11) Has Life Become More Accessible For the Blind? (19:35) How Vision is Embedded in Our Language (21:35) How Does A Blind Person Watch A Movie? (25:40) What Does Tommy Know About Colour? (27:51) Mary’s Room (32:16) Can A Blind Person Play Video Games? (35:39) The Questions People Are Too Afraid to Ask (41:42) How Does A Blind Person Understand Attractiveness? (44:27) What Can We Make More Accessible? (48:24) Why Electric Cars Aren’t Best For Everyone (51:33) Is Offering Help Patronising? (54:35) What Can Tommy Do That People Think He Can’t? (58:32) Why Tommy Chooses Joy CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #156 Mysticism: The Heretics Who Got Too Close to God - Simon Critchley | 26 mai 2026 | 01:17:36 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Simon Critchley is a British philosopher, author and professor at The New School in New York. He is best known for his work on existentialism, mysticism, ethics and continental philosophy, and is the author of books including The Book of Dead Philosophers, Faith of the Faithless and Mysticism. Get Simon's book Mysticism here. TIMESTAMPS: (7:52) What is Mysticism? (18:58) Unification With the Divine (29:58) Mysticism and the Self (40:38) Why Are So Many Mystics Women? (48:41) The Limits of Language (59:54) Was Pascal a Mystic? (01:03:21) Where Does Simon Stand on Mysticism? (01:11:22) Where Should We Start With Learning About Mysticism? (01:15:36) Imagery in Simon’s Book CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #155 AI Music is Not Music - Adam Neely | 13 mai 2026 | 01:57:19 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at www.huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack. Adam Neely is an American bassist, YouTuber, and jazz musician based in New York City. His YouTube content includes Q&A videos, vlogs about performing music, and video essays about online music culture. As a musician, he performs with groups including the electro-jazz duo Sungazer and the instrumental band Aberdeen.Watch Adam's video on Suno here. TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) Music and Philosophy(5:17) Can You Cheat in Music?(9:07) What is Suno?(25:20) Can You Use AI Musically?(32:21) Is AI Just the New Sampling?(38:40) AI and Inclusivity(46:21) Is Music Becoming Narcissistic?(57:26) Does Great Art Require Ego?(01:07:04) Are AI Music Tools Inevitable?(01:22:55) How Would Adam Improve Suno?(01:35:44) Are We Removing the Humanity From Music?(01:44:18) Is Jazz the Blueprint? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #154 Happiness: Epicurus' Ancient Guide - Jonny Thomson | 04 mai 2026 | 01:48:33 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Jonny Thomson is a philosopher and the founder of PhilosophyMinis . He is on the Executive Board for the British Philosophy Association and is a staff writer at Big Think.Get Jonny's upcoming book, The Art of Enough: The Ancient Epicurean Philosophy of Finding – and Keeping – Happiness TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Are Epicureans Selfish? (05:30) Why Epicureanism? (10:31) Who Was Epicurus? (16:42) Godless But Not Atheistic (23:21) Epicurus’ Metaphysics (27:24) Why Focus on Pleasure? (35:29) Epicureanism vs Utilitarianism (48:59) What About Immoral Pleasures? (53:02) Could AI be Epicurean? (01:00:50) The Experience Machine (01:10:59) Why Epicurus Didn’t Like Sex (01:16:21) Are Influencers Watering Down Ancient Philosophy? (01:20:06) Are You In Control of Your Happiness? (01:26:33) Epicureanism vs Stoicism (01:32:36) Epicurus on Death (01:36:42) Do We Have a Happiness Crisis? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #153 If Anyone Builds It, EVERYONE Dies - AI Expert on Superintelligence | 26 avr. 2026 | 01:35:13 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Nate Soares is an American artificial intelligence author and researcher known for his work on existential risk from AI. In 2014, Soares co-authored a paper that introduced the term AI alignment, the challenge of making increasingly capable AI’s behave as intended. Nate is the president of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, a research nonprofit based in Berkeley, California. Get the book, If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All. TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Is This an Exaggeration? (04:31) What Is Unique About the Threat of AI? (11:28) What is Superintelligence? (21:25) From Chess Computers to Murderous Machines (27:52) What Really Drives AI Systems? (44:29) Evidence AI Is Already Turning Against Us (56:03) How We Are Helping AI Take Over (01:01:21) Why Would AI Seek Power or Control? (01:07:42) Some Worst-Case AI Scenarios (01:18:38) What Do We Do About This Now? (01:32:53) How Has AI Changed in the Last Six Months? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #152 Why AI Will Never Be Conscious | 20 avr. 2026 | 01:41:50 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Anil Seth is a British neuroscientist and professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex. A proponent of materialist explanations of consciousness, he is currently amongst the most cited scholars on the topics of neuroscience and cognitive science globally. Read Anil's essay, "The Mythology of Conscious AI". TIMESTAMPS (00:00) The Difference Between Intelligence and Consciousness (03:55) What’s Stopping the Replication of Consciousness in AI? (17:01) Can You Separate What the Brain Is From What It Does? (22:20) Is Conscious Experience Just Predictions From the Brain? (26:48) Why Do We Project Consciousness Onto LLMs? (37:27) Can Consciousness Exist Without a Body? (42:25) Why We Liken the Brain to a Computer (52:11) Is There An Evolutionary Reason For Consciousness? (56:29) Studying Unconscious Perception? (1:01:21) Is Consciousness Unified? Split-Brain Patients (1:15:10) Attention and Consciousness (1:19:04) What Would a Conscious Chatbot Even Look Like? (1:25:13) Consciousness as a Controlled Hallucination (1:34:19) Do Scientists Actually Study “Consciousness” At All? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #151 John Lennox - What Nearly Dying Taught Me About God | 13 avr. 2026 | 01:18:44 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. John Lennox is a Northern Irish mathematician, bioethicist, and Christian apologist originally from Northern Ireland. He has written many books on religion, ethics, the relationship between science and God, and has had public debates with atheists including Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. Exclusive discount: Listeners to my show can get 30% Off John Lennox’s autobiography, My Story when shopping directly from his publishers. Visit https://spckpublishing.co.uk/my-story and enter AOC30 at checkout to get 30% off. TIMESTAMPS (00:00) How Pressure Can Produce the Best Work CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #150 Materialist AND Panpsychism are True - Galen Strawson | 08 avr. 2026 | 00:57:39 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Galen Strawson is a British analytic philosopher and literary critic who works primarily on philosophy of mind, metaphysics, John Locke, David Hume, Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche. TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Is Radical Emergence Possible? (08:15) Can Physics Describe Consciousness? (12:01) Is Everything Made of Consciousness? (18:34) Why Are People Resistant to Panpsychism? (21:19) Can Experience Alone Tell Us What Consciousness Is? (23:50) Does Consciousness Require Complexity? (29:03) Panpsychism vs Idealism: What’s the Difference? (36:08) The Combination Problem (40:03) What is the “Self”? (43:16) Do We Even Need to Explain Consciousness? (48:25) Is Consciousness a Scientific or Philosophical Question? (53:25) Is It Possible for AI to Become Conscious? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #149 My Problem With C.S. Lewis - Philip Pullman | 02 avr. 2026 | 01:27:00 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Philip Pullman is one of England's most cherished and celebrated writers. Author of the popular His Dark Materials series of books (later adapted into a film, The Golden Compass (2007), and a 2019 HBO/BBC drama series), his novels are dripping with philosophical and religious themes. Get Philip Pullman's Books here. TIMESTAMPS (0:00) C.S. Lewis Tells Filthy Lies (5:12) Childhood Innocence is Overrated (10:09) Religion in Philip’s Novels (21:26) How to Improve the Story of Jesus and the Gospels (27:43) The Connection Between Music and Fiction (36:24) Books vs Movies (43:38) Consciousness in The Book of Dust (50:05) Should Novelists Go Back and Update Their Books? (56:11) The Omniscient Narrator (1:00:12) How Movies Changed Novels (1:05:49) Why Subtitles Are So Popular Now (1:10:56) The Role of Philosophy in Philip’s Novels (1:13:27) Philip’s Writing Process (1:20:11) The Fear of AI in Creative Industries CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #148 Blaise Pascal: Philosopher, Mathematician, Genius - Graham Tomlin | 25 mars 2026 | 01:34:28 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Graham Tomlin is a British theologian, author and former Church of England bishop. Get Graham's book, Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World. Graham's organisation, Seen and Unseen. TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Can Blaise Pascal Be Categorised? (03:05) Who Was Blaise Pascal? (11:12) Pascal’s First Conversion (17:19) Pascal’s “Night of Fire” (21:59) Did Pascal Reject Reason? (31:45) Pascal’s War With Descartes (42:31) Did Pascal Invent the Bus? (45:42) The Heart Has Its Reasons, Of Which Reason Knows Nothing (50:03) How Pascal Invented Probability Theory (52:29) Pascal’s Wager (1:15:35) The Pensées (1:18:30) Pascal’s “Two Minds” (1:22:39) The Importance of Boredom (1:26:58) Why Should Atheists Read Pascal? (1:31:34) What Would Graham Ask Pascal? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #147 What is PURE Consciousness? - Thomas Metzinger | 18 mars 2026 | 02:03:28 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Thomas Metzinger is a German philosopher and Professor Emeritus of theoretical philosophy at the University of Mainz. His primary research areas include philosophy of mind, philosophy of neuroscience, and applied ethics, particularly focusing on neurotechnology, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. TIMESTAMPS (0:00) The Minimal Phenomenal Experience Project CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #146 The Most Complicated Thing in the Universe: What is the Brain? | 08 mars 2026 | 02:24:33 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Matthew Cobb is a British zoologist and Emeritus professor of zoology at the University of Manchester. Get his book, The Idea of the Brain: A History, Closer to Truth's Map of Consciousness: loc.closertotruth.com/map. TIMESTAMPS (0:00) The Minimal Phenomenal Experience Project (11:34) Is MPE New Age Meditation? (17:07) Collecting Reports of Pure Consciousness (25:48) Lucid Deep Sleep - Thomas’ Experience (32:19) Does Consciousness Require Complexity? (39:29) The Power of Meditation (45:32) Is Meditation Always a Positive Experience? (53:13) Is a MPE Actually an Experience? (01:11:21) Your Brain is Not Telling You the Truth (01:20:08) Analysing Minimal Conscious Experiences (01:27:26) Is Meditative Enlightenment Unethical? (01:32:37) Western Ignorance of Eastern Tradition (01:40:13) “Coming Home” (01:44:29) The Political Implications of MPE (01:52:40) Should Ketamine Be Legalised? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #145 The Algorithm is God Now - The Etymology Nerd | 04 mars 2026 | 01:15:49 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Adam Aleksic, known online as Etymology Nerd, is an American linguist and content creator who produces videos exploring the origins of words. He began exploring word origins in 2016 through his blog. Aleksic studied at Harvard University, where he gained attention for his educational TikTok videos on linguistics and language in 2023. In 2025, he published Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language. Buy "Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language": https://amzn.to/3NcOLpw TIMESTAMPS (0:00) Will Social Media End Local Languages? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #144 Sam Harris - Spirituality for Atheists. | 25 févr. 2026 | 01:52:47 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, philosopher, New York Times best-selling author, host of the Making Sense podcast, and creator of the Waking Up meditation app. Buy the Waking Up book here. TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Tour CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #143 Hinduism, Consciousness and Advaita Vedanta - Swami Sarvapriyananda | 16 févr. 2026 | 01:55:22 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Swami Sarvapriyananda is a Hindu monk belonging to the Ramakrishna Order. He is the current resident Swami and Minister in Charge, of the Vedanta Society of New York. TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Tour CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| Atheist Slogans You Should Stop Using - Joe Schmid | 08 févr. 2026 | 02:55:40 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack. Joe Schmid is a PhD student in philosophy at Princeton University and creator of the Majesty of Reason YouTube channel. He graduated with a B.A. in philosophy from Purdue University in 2022. He has published articles in metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and philosophy of time, and the author of books including "Existential Inertia and Classical Theistic Proofs". Felipe Leon’s 200 arguments for atheism: https://exapologist.blogspot.com/2023/03/200-or-so-arguments-for-atheism.html TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Tour CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #141 Stoicism: Everything You Need to (Actually) Know - John Sellars | 03 févr. 2026 | 01:41:58 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. John Sellars is a Reader in philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, a visiting Research Fellow at King's College London and a Member of Wolfson College, Oxford. His books include Lessons in Stoicism, The Fourfold Remedy, Aristotle and his work has been translated into over a dozen languages. TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Tour CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #140 Sean Carroll - The Limits of Scientific Explanation | 26 janv. 2026 | 01:19:39 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Sean Michael Carroll is an American theoretical physicist who specializes in quantum mechanics, cosmology, and the philosophy of science. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – Tour 0:32 – Can Science Alone Explain the Universe? 6:08 – The Principle of Sufficient Reason 10:07 – What Are the Laws of Physics? 18:22 – The Fine-Tuning Argument 32:39 – Does the Multiverse Undermine Morality? 36:29 – Free Will and the Multiverse 42:24 – What Is Emergence? 56:21 – What “Stuff” Do Materialists Believe In? 1:02:41 – How Does Consciousness Work on Materialism? 1:17:31 – What Could Move Sean Away from Materialism? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #139 David Bentley Hart - All Things Are Full of Gods | 18 janv. 2026 | 01:49:04 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor - https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase). TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) Intro CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #138 Rhett McLaughlin - How to Save Christianity From Christians | 11 janv. 2026 | 01:35:54 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $75 purchase). Rhett McLaughlin is a comedian best known for creating the internet’s most-watched daily talk show, Good Mythical Morning, alongside Link Neal. The pair also host a weekly podcast, Ear Biscuits. Timestamps: 0:00 – Tour 0:32 – Did Rhett Break Christianity on Easter Sunday? 6:15 – What About Christianity Needs Rethinking? 12:16 – Christians Should Embrace Faith 23:39 – Christians Should Stop Relying on Evidence 37:01 – Christians Should Stop Relying on Philosophy 49:05 – Christians Should Embrace Truth 55:15 – Why Do Christians Resist Evolution? 1:02:55 – Are Alex and Rhett About to Convert to Christianity? 1:07:49 – Christians Should Embrace Jesus 1:34:30 – Rhett’s New Channel CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #137 Debunking Arguments for God - Graham Oppy | 04 janv. 2026 | 01:40:36 | |
Graham Oppy is Professor of Philosophy and Associate Dean of Research at Monash University. An Australian philosopher of religion, he is often considered one of the most thoughtful and important academic atheists in the world. Buy his book, Arguing About Gods, here. Timestamps: 00:00 - Tour 00:31 - The First Cause Argument 14:14 - Can There be an Infinite Regress? 30:46 - The Modal Fatalism Objection 36:08 - The Kalam Cosmological Argument 51:12 - The Fine Tuning Argument 1:06:15 - The Multiverse 1:10:01 - Are the Constants of the Universe Just Necessary?1:15:37 - Was the Hole Designed for the Puddle? 1:20:20 - Anselm’s Ontological Argument 1:33:59 - The Modal Ontological Argument 1:38:23 - Closing CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #136 Why Did The World Get So Ugly? - Alain de Botton | 26 déc. 2025 | 00:59:53 | |
For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Alain de Botton is the creator of The School of Life. A Swiss-born British author and public speaker, his books discuss various contemporary subjects and themes, emphasising philosophy's relevance to everyday life. TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Is the World Getting Uglier? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #135 Christmas Isn't What You Think - John Nelson | 20 déc. 2025 | 01:19:03 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. John Nelson earned a PhD in New Testament and Christian Origins from the University of Edinburgh in 2023. He writes for the Substack Behind the Gospels. His thesis is the first book-length study of Jesus' physical appearance in the Gospels. He runs a weekly Substack called "Behind the Gospels" which aims to make Biblical studies accessible to all. TIMESTAMPS (0:00) Was Jesus Really Born on Christmas Day? (2:51) Are the Birth Narratives Attempts at History? (6:34) Where Was Jesus Actually Born? (16:19) Were the Birth Narratives Added Later? (22:21) Was Mary Really a Virgin? (34:24) Why Does Nobody Else Mention the Virgin Birth? (39:06) Was Jesus a Product of Adultery? (43:49) Was Jesus Born in a Manger? (49:34) Who Are the Magi? (55:32) Was the Star Really a Star? (1:01:30) Did Herod Really Order a Slaughter of Infants? (1:07:54) Is the Christmas Story Anti-Imperial? (1:14:40) Are Christmas Trees a Pagan Idol? (1:17:39) John’s Book and the Upcoming Tour CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| 1.75m QnA - Triangles, Getting Owned by GodLogic, and Douglas Adams' Puddle | 19 déc. 2025 | 01:02:09 | |
For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. TIMESTAMPS (0:00) 1,778,795 Q&A (0:24) How Are You? (5:12) If You Could Choose Your Date of Birth, When Would It Be? (9:36) Survival Tips From Bear Grylls? (10:21) How Do You Remember so Much Stuff? (15:24) What is Your Dream Podcast? (17:01) Doesn’t Consciousness Just… Emerge? (29:26) If You Clean a Vaccum, Are You a Vaccum Cleaner? (35:41) Is Water Wet? (37:26) How Many Holes Are In a Straw? (40:55) Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich? (42:28) Do You Edit Everything By Yourself? (43:23) What Would It Be Like to Observe a Contradiction? (43:33) Which Philosophical Concepts are Often Misunderstood? (50:29) When I Changed My Mind Mid-Debate (01:01:49) Would You Tour? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #133 Hank Green on God, Science, and Consciousness | 07 déc. 2025 | 02:12:32 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Hank Green (@hankschannel) is one of YouTube's most beloved creators. One half of vlogbrothers, he is also the co-creator and host of SciShow and Crash Course. TIMESTAMPS (0:00) Where Are All the Aliens? (8:02) What Makes Humans So Special? (18:44) Has the US Lost its Cultural Identity? (30:57) Was Martin Luther Wrong About God? (37:52) Is the World an Illusion? (48:16) Should We Believe Our Illusions? (55:22) How Objective is Science? (1:01:03) Does Science Explain Anything? (1:12:28) Could We Explain Cold to an Alien? (1:23:26) The Hard Problem of Consciousness (1:29:06) Will Computers Ever Become Conscious? (1:37:20) Do You Have Two Brains? (1:43:52) Should We Be Worried About TikTok? (1:50:30) Hank’s Video Ideas (2:01:02) What’s it Like Meeting Your Old Heroes? (2:07:14) Being a YouTuber CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #132 Vsauce - Does Anything Exist? | 30 nov. 2025 | 01:34:37 | |
Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC - subscribe for 40% off unlimited access. For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Michael Stevens is the creator of Vsauce, one of YouTube's most popular channels. Alongside Hannah Fry he hosts the newly-launched podcast The Rest is Science. TIMESTAMPS (0:00) Does Anything Really Exist? (10:32) Is Michael a Mereological Nihilist? (19:42) Are Philosophers Overcomplicating Function Behaviour? (25:24) Do “You” Really Exist? (41:57) Free Will and the Bicameral Mind Theory (50:09) Why the Future Isn’t Changing Like It Used To (59:11) The Scientific Mystery of Torque? (01:17:46) Consciousness CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #131 Toby Ord - Will AI Destroy Humanity? | 27 nov. 2025 | 01:01:45 | |
For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Toby Ord is an Australian philosopher. In 2009 he founded Giving What We Can, an international society whose members pledge to donate at least 10% of their income to effective charities, and is a key figure in the effective altruism movement, which promotes using reason and evidence to help the lives of others as much as possible. The Precipice: https://amzn.to/3XdUAEx Ord's Website: https://www.tobyord.com/writings TIMESTAMPS (0:00) What Existential Risks Does AI Pose? (8:57) How AI Systems Lie to Us (26:04) Why We Should Be Worried About AI (33:28) What Does It Mean for AI System to “Want” Something? (43:41) AI Weapons and Nuclear Warfare (48:57) Where Should We Focus Our Resources? (53:35) What Policies Should We Enact? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #130 Philip Goff - Why I'm a Heretical Christian | 16 nov. 2025 | 01:18:15 | |
For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. Philip Goff is a British author, panpsychist philosopher, and professor at Durham University whose research focuses on philosophy of mind and consciousness. Specifically, how consciousness can be part of the scientific worldview. Buy Philip's books here. Timestamps (0:00) Why Philip Became a "Heretical Christian" CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #129 Will MacAskill - We're Not Ready for Artificial General Intelligence | 09 nov. 2025 | 01:19:01 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $75 purchase). For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com. William MacAskill is a Scottish philosopher and author, as well as one of the originators of the effective altruism movement. Get his book. What We Owe the Future, here. TIMESTAMPS (0:00) The World Isn’t Ready for AGI (9:12) What Does AGI Doomsday Look Like? (16:13) Alignment is Not Enough (19:28) How AGI Could Cause Government Coups (27:14) Why Isn’t There More Widespread Panic? (33:55) What Can We Do? (40:11) If We Stop, China Won’t (47:43) What is Currently Being Done to Regulate AGI Growth? (51:03) The Problem of “Value Lock-in” (01:05:03) Is Inaction a Form of Action? (01:08:47) Should Effective Altruists Focus on AGI? CONNECT My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com SOCIAL LINKS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cosmicskeptic CONTACT Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com Brand enquiries: David@modernstoa.co | |||
| #128 Bernardo Kastrup - Materialism is Complete Nonsense | 02 nov. 2025 | 01:54:27 | |
Bernardo Kastrup is a Dutch philosopher and computer scientist recognised for his contributions to consciousness studies, notably through his formulation of analytic idealism—a variant of metaphysical idealism rooted in the analytic tradition. Buy his books here. Timestamps: 0:00 - What is the World Really Made Of? | |||
| #127 Bear Grylls - Retelling Jesus' Life as a Thriller | 26 oct. 2025 | 01:01:15 | |
Bear Grylls is a British adventurer, writer, television presenter and former SAS trooper who is also a survival expert. Widely known for his television series Man vs. Wild, he was also appointed as The Scout Association’s youngest-ever Chief Scout of the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories at the age of 35. His new book, The Greatest Story Ever Told, is a retelling of the life of Jesus through the eyes of five Gospel characters: Mary the mother of Jesus, Thomas, Peter, John, and Mary Magdalene. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Retelling Christianity in the First Person | |||
| #126 Was Jesus an Ancient Magician? - Religion for Breakfast | 19 oct. 2025 | 01:11:31 | |
Exclusive NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/withinreason. Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Andrew Mark Henry is a scholar of religious studies. His research focus is early Christianity and late Roman religion. He earned his PhD at Boston University.His YouTube channel is "Religion for Breakfast", find it here. Timestamps: 0:00 - Was Jesus a Magician? 3:35 - The Origins of ‘Magic’ 10:02 - Celsus, Christianity’s Earliest Critic 16:35 - The Wise Magi 19:59 - Did Jesus Use a Wand? 30:22 - Curses, Rituals, and Magical Formulas 40:43 - What Kind of “Magus” Was Jesus? 43:52 - Was Jesus a Freelance Ritual Expert? 48:34 - Charisma and the Origin of Exorcism 53:03 - Grimoires: The Magic of the Written Word 01:08:40 - The Religion Department | |||
| #125 Emily Qureshi-Hurst - Does God Know What Time It Is? | 12 oct. 2025 | 01:02:25 | |
Dr. Qureshi-Hurst is a Philosopher of Religion and Science at the University of Cambridge. Her work focuses on the relationship between physics—and time in particular—and theology. Her forthcoming book, Decoding the Cosmos: God, Physics, and the Search for Deeper Explanation, explores this relationship in depth. Improve your focus with Brain FM with 30 days free: https://www.brain.fm/withinreason. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Does the Bible Predict the Big Bang?2:37 - Scientists and Theologians10:18 - Where Did Biblical Literalism Come From?17:31 - How Does Science Conflict with Theology?23:47 - Does God Experience Time?29:27 - The A, B and C Series of Time38:38 - Timeless God, Timed Universe42:52 - Christianity and the End of the Universe48:35 - Intelligent Design and Modern Science55:58 - Is Biblical Literalism a Plausible Reading?58:32 - Why Emily is an Atheist | |||
| #124 Sisyphus 55 - So You're Having an Existential Crisis | 05 oct. 2025 | 01:31:16 | |
Ben Thomas is @Sisyphus55, a YouTuber creating videos about philosophy, existentialism, nihilism, absurdism, and meaning. His new book, So You're Having an Existential Crisis: a Roadmap for Lost Souls, is available now.
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| #123 Candida Moss - Were Early Christians Really Persecuted by Rome? | 28 sept. 2025 | 01:21:17 | |
Candida Moss is a historian of Christianity and author of The Myth of Persecution: How Early Christians Invented a Story of Martyrdom.
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| #122 Robert Greene - Near-Death Experiences and the Mind Apart From the Brain | 21 sept. 2025 | 01:23:41 | |
Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $75 purchase). Robert Greene is an American author of books on strategy, power, and seduction. He has written seven international bestsellers, including The 48 Laws of Power. He is working on a book about the concept of the sublime, and speaks today about its relation to near-death experiences, dreaming, consciousness, and religious belief. Buy his books here.
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| #121 John Cottingham - The Father of Modern Philosophy: René Descartes | 16 sept. 2025 | 01:40:15 | |
John Cottingham (born 1943) is an English philosopher. The focus of his research has been early-modern philosophy (especially Descartes), the philosophy of religion and moral philosophy. He is a Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Reading, Professorial Research Fellow at Heythrop College, University of London, and Honorary Fellow of St John's College, Oxford. He is also a current Visiting Professor to the Philosophy Department at King's College, London.
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| #120 Brant Pitre - Jesus DID Claim to be God | 10 sept. 2025 | 01:59:35 | |
Brant Pitre is an American New Testament scholar and Distinguished Research Professor of Scripture at the Augustine Institute. He has written extensively on the historical Jesus, the Virgin Mary, Paul the Apostle, the origin of the Eucharist, and the canonical Gospels. His book, Jesus and Divine Christology, is available here.
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| #119 Jim Al-Khalili - The Strange World of Quantum Physics | 01 sept. 2025 | 01:05:53 | |
Jim Al-Khalili is an Iraqi-British theoretical physicist and science populariser. He is professor of theoretical physics and chair in the public engagement in science at the University of Surrey.
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| #118 Joe Folley - Everything You Need to Know About Logic | 24 août 2025 | 01:33:13 | |
EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/withinreason Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee Joe Folley runs the YouTube channel Unsolicited Advice. He graduated from Cambridge University in 202with an MPhil in Philosophy, specialising in logic. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - What is Logic?
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| #117 Dan McClellan - The Bible Has More Than One God | 17 août 2025 | 01:28:55 | |
Dan McClellan is an American biblical scholar and author of The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture’s Most Controversial Issues. Timestamps: 0:00 Why Does God Say “We”?
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