Podcast Episodes

The Nature of the Sexes | Tomás Bogardus (with Stephen Kershnar)

Tomás Bogardus joins to discuss his book "The Nature of the Sexes" and argues for a reproductive-functional account of biological sex. According to B…

5 months ago

God Is Not Praiseworthy | Stephen Kershnar and Nathan Bray

Brain in a Vat is back from hiatus with a deep dive into the philosophy of religion. Stephen Kershnar and Nathan Bray join us to ask whether God can …

5 months, 2 weeks ago

Facial Distortions and Prosopometamorphopsia | Brad Duchaine (Rebroadcast)

In this special episode of Brain in a Vat, Brad Duchaine from the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department at Dartmouth discusses prosopometamorph…

8 months, 2 weeks ago

Should We Stay or Should We Go | Lionel Shriver (Rebroadcast)

When is death preferable to living? Are there fates worse than death? And what sort of future society should we build?

Lionel Shriver discusses her la…

8 months, 3 weeks ago

Parental Licensing | Connor Kianpour (Rebroadcast)

Should you be required to get a parental license from the State before you can raise your own children? Do the wishes of parents matter at all – or s…

9 months ago

Can AI Bring Our Loved Ones Back? Inside Reflekta AI’s Digital Afterlife | Miles Spencer

In this special episode of Brain in a Vat, we step outside our usual format to interview Miles Spencer, founder of Reflekta — a company using cutting…

9 months, 1 week ago

Cultural Appropriation | Stephen Kershnar (Rebroadcast)

Is it permissible for members of one group to appropriate the cultural practices of another? Is there anything wrong with cultural appropriation at a…

9 months, 4 weeks ago

Aztec Philosophy: What the Aztecs Knew About Life | Sebastian Purcell

How did the Aztecs understand life, morality, and human purpose? What can Aztec philosophy teach us about living well?

Sebastian Purcell guides us th…

10 months ago

The Assassination of Charlie Kirk

In this special episode of Brain in a Vat, Mark and Jasondiscuss the tragic assassination of political commentator, Charlie Kirk. The episode discuss…

10 months, 2 weeks ago

Using AI to Fight Crime | David Boonin (Rebroadcast)

Is racial profiling always wrong, even if used by an AI to decrease crime? Should we use AI to judge criminal cases, recommend sentences for the guil…

10 months, 3 weeks ago