Episode Details

Lots of follow-up on Free Will, including thoughts on Heisenberg, tail-chasing, and provocative recent scholarship on whether what we see is “reality.” Around 01:45:00, we fire off the spoiler horn for a discussion of season 1 of HBO’s Westworld.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• Foot Cardigan: Fantastic socks delivered to your mailbox every month. Get 10% off any subscription plan with the code DIFFS
• Away: Travel smarter with the suitcase that charges your phone. Get $20 off with the code ‘diffs’.

Links and Show Notes:

This week kicks off with some contentious claims that Merlin is a crammer and John is a monster. Merlin reminds John that he is out of his depth, and John remembers things. Also, some brief talk on Apple router alternatives and learning to tolerate morning notifications.

A mini-topic spins out of listener feedback: what’s the distinction between being clever versus being smart? This leads to an exploration of humor, creativity, and the attraction of trying to make the right joke at the right time.

(Recorded on Tuesday, December 6, 2016)

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Mr. Show - "Pre-Taped Call-In Show"

Alessia Cara – How Far I'll Go (Radio Version) Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

"See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me…"

Biz Markie - Just A Friend (Official Video) - YouTube

Donald Hoffman: Do we see reality as it is? | TED Talk | TED.com

Cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman is trying to answer a big question: Do we experience the world as it really is ... or as we need it to be? In this ever so slightly mind-blowing talk, he ponders how our minds construct reality for us.

090 - Reality - Donald Hoffman — You Are Not So Smart — Overcast

Hoffman has developed a new theory of consciousness that, should it prove true, may rearrange our understanding of reality itself. Listen as Hoffman talks about the bicameral mind, the umwelt, and the hard problem of consciousness in this mindbending episode about how we make sense of our world, our existence, and ourselves.

The Interface Theory of Perception. - PubMed - NCBI

The Case Against Reality - The Atlantic

A professor of cognitive science argues that the world is nothing like the one we experience through our senses.

Cosmos on Nautilus: Extraterrestrials May Be Robots Without Consciousness

Humans may have one thing that advanced aliens don’t: consciousness.

Donald Hoffman: Do we see reality as it is? | TED Talk Subtitles and Transcript | TED.com

Donald D. Hoffman | University of California, Irvine

Listen Now