Is consciousness an illusion? 5 experts explain

“If science aims to describe everything, how can it not describe the simple fact of our existence?” On this episode of Dispatches, Kmele speaks with the scientists, mathematicians, and spiritual leaders trying to do just that:

This video is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation.

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In the newest episode of Dispatches from The Well, we’re diving deep into the “hard problem of consciousness.” Here, Kmele combines the perspectives of five different scientists, philosophers, and spiritual leaders to approach one of humanity’s most pressing questions: what is consciousness?

In the AI age, the question of consciousness is more prevalent than ever. Is every single thing in the universe self-aware? What does it actually mean to be conscious? Are our bodies really just a vessel for our thoughts? Kmele asks these questions, and many more, in the most thought-provoking episode yet. This is Dispatches from The Well.

Featuring: Sir Roger Penrose, Christof Koch, Melanie Mitchell, Reid Hoffman, Swami Sarvapriyananda

Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/the-well/dispatches-podcast-episode-5/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

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About Kmele Foster:

Kmele Foster is a media entrepreneur, commentator, and regular contributor to various national publications. He is the co-founder and co-host of The Fifth Column, a popular media criticism podcast.

He is the head of content at Founders Fund, a San Francisco based venture capital firm investing in companies building revolutionary technologies, and a partner at Freethink, a digital media company focused on the people and ideas changing our world.

Kmele also serves on the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

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Read more from The Well:
Actually, neuroscience suggests “the self” is real
► https://bigthink.com/the-well/actually-neuroscience-suggests-self-real/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein can illuminate the debate over generative AI
► https://bigthink.com/the-well/mary-shelley-lessons-frankenstein-ai/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description
Few of us desire true equality. It’s time to own up to it
► https://bigthink.com/the-well/few-desire-true-equality-own-up/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

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About The Well
Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

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