63 episodes
Reading Our Times Theos Think Tank
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- Society & Culture
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4.4 • 11 Ratings
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Reading Our Times is the podcast that explores the books and the ideas that are shaping us today. It is hosted by Nick Spencer, Senior Fellow at the think tank, Theos.
We’re going to be talking to some of the world’s leading authors about issues like meritocracy, justice, populism, human rights, the brain, liberalism, and religion.
Above all, we'll be exploring what these books have to say about the times we live in and about the people we are.
So listen with us, and we’ll introduce you to authors, books and ideas that illuminate ourselves and our world today.
For more information about the people and ideas behind the podcast, visit https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/about/who-we-are or follow us on Twitter @theosthinktank and @theosnick.
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Can Animals be Persons? In conversation with Mark Rowlands
The idea that non-human animals should be recognised as legal persons has gained traction over recent years, and is the subject of numerous court cases. But underlying the legal and indeed empirical questions here, are some pretty deep philosophical ones.
What actually is a person? What role does rationality or consciousness or language play? And depending on our answers to those questions, could a non-human animal ever qualify as a person?
In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Mark Rowlands about his book Can Animals be Persons?
Buy a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Can-Animals-Persons-Mark-Rowlands/dp/0190846038
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Like what you see?
Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464
CONNECT WITH THEOS
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/
Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS
The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108
Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185 -
Should You Choose to Live Forever? In conversation with Stephen Cave
Once upon a time, it was religions that promised eternal life. Now its science, with the possibility of immortality - whether bionic, cellular, genetic, or virtual - being the subject of big Silicon Valley dollars.
Is this something we want? Who actually want to live forever? And, perhaps more importantly, should we?
In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Stephen Cave about his book Should You Choose to Live Forever?
Buy a copy of Stephen's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CMF7YW3M?ref=KC_GS_GB_GB
*****
Like what you see?
Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464
CONNECT WITH THEOS
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/
Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS
The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108
Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185 -
When will AI evolve a soul? In conversation with Eve Poole
AI is taking over the planet - or at least the news agenda! For hardly a day goes by without some AI story in the headlines. Should we believe what we read? Or is it all hype?
In particular, should we believe what we are promised - or threatened - about AI become super-intelligent, sentient, conscious, human?
In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Eve Poole about her book Robot Souls: Programming in Humanity
Buy a copy of Robot Souls here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Robot-Souls-Programming-Eve-Poole/dp/1032426624
*****
Like what you see?
Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464
CONNECT WITH THEOS
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/
Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS
The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108
Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185 -
What would it mean to discover alien life (or them us)? In conversation with Andrew Davison
Little green men were once a complete fantasy - but the numbers appear to be on their side. The sheer size of the universe, the number of stars and, it seems, the number of potentially inhabitable planets means that alien life is highly probable.
What would it mean for us if that were so? If we did ever 'make contact'? What would it mean for our sense of pride, our dignity and in particular for those belief systems that have a particular emphasis on the human species?
In this week's episode, Nick Spencer speaks to Andrew Davison about his book Astrobiology and Christian Doctrine.
Buy a copy of Astrobiology and Christian Doctrine here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Astrobiology-Christian-Doctrine-Exploring-Implications/dp/1009303155
*****
Like what you see?
Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464
CONNECT WITH THEOS
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/
Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS
The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108
Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185 -
Should we really be playing God? In conversation with Nick Spencer
Every century is different - but the 21st may be seriously different, with our ability to understand, modify and re-create humanity having come on light years in recent decades.
Should we? So often, the warning we hear when it comes to the scientific manipulation of the human is that we shouldn't "play God". But what grounding does that actually have? What if we actually are a "playing God" species?
Kicking off a new series of Reading our Times, this one dedicated to the overall theme of Playing God, Chine McDonald talks to Nick Spencer about his new book, co-authored with Hannah Waite, Playing God: science, religion and the future of humanity -
Will technology liberate or enslave us? Live in conversation with Robert Skidelsky
In this week's episode, recorded live at the UnHerd cafe in London, Nick Spencer speaks to Robert Skidelsky about his book The Machine Age: An Idea, a History, a Warning.
Once upon a time, we had faith in technology. Machines would make our lives easier, simpler, more comfortable. Today… well, faith in technological fixes for our problems is on the wane. Worse, it’s often replaced with fear. The companies want our data. The robots want our jobs. The government our freedoms.
In his latest book, The Machine Age, Robert Skidelsky looks at humanity’s long relationship with machines, exploring how we got here and what happens next. How serious is the risk of mass unemployment, a world of politicised deep-fakes, a Chinese-style social credit system? And what, if anything, can we do about them?
Reading our Times is the podcast from Theos think tank that engages with the books and ideas that are shaping the world today. It is hosted by Theos’ Senior Fellow, Nick Spencer. In this special live recording, Robert Skidelsky joins Nick to discuss The Machine Age: an idea, a history, a warning.
Buy a copy of The Machine Age here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Machine-Age-Idea-History-Warning/dp/0241244617
*****
Like what you see?
Be sure to sign up to the Theos monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date with all our content, research and events: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/E9E17CAB71AC7464
CONNECT WITH THEOS
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Theosthinktank
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theosthinktank
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theos---the-think-tank/
Website: https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk/
CHECK OUT OUR PODCASTS
The Sacred: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sacred/id1326888108
Reading Our Times: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-our-times/id1530952185
Customer Reviews
Joyce
Great show with Helen Joyce! She is fascinating and I am getting her book. Eye opener!
Excellent podcast for exploring ideas
This is a great place to go for new, exciting, and thoughtful ideas relevant to the modern world. Thanks for the great content!
Horrible Sound Quality and Worse Interviews
I initially followed this podcast because it seemed to align with a lot of my interests—non-fiction books, contemporary topics and debates etc… but I quickly stopped listening because the audio quality was so poor (I doubt it’s even edited) and the host wasn’t intriguing enough to continue on. However, I was out of other podcasts and let the interview with Helen Joyce auto play. Not knowing who she was, I was initially intrigued if not thrown off my “trans” and “debate” in the same sentence. I listening on in horror as transphobic propaganda was spewed to me with little resistance from the host. He doesn’t push back on factual or scientific inaccuracies in her arguments and platforming people like her, who as a cis woman has some reason made trans rights and issues her main focus (why?). She’s seriously fragile enough to be threatened by trans people existing at all and, again, very little to no push back from the man at the head of this podcast. It’s embarrassing and disgusting.