Philosopher's Zone

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4,5 (191)
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The simplest questions often have the most complex answers. The Philosopher's Zone is your guide through the strange thickets of logic, metaphysics and ethics.

4 NGÀY TRƯỚC

Slopaganda

Are you troubled by the way that social media has enabled the spread of propaganda? Well, get ready for slopaganda, which is propaganda that's AI-powered and unprecedented in terms of speed, scale, audience reach and persuasiveness. "AI slop" is the term used to identify unwanted AI content - the algorithm-driven equivalent of spam email. Slopaganda is turning out to be just as annoying as spam, but far more dangerous.

36 phút
9 THG 10

Indigenous literature and the academy in Australia

As an academic discipline, Australian literature has been a largely white affair, with the canon of "great Australian authors" dominated by Anglo-European men. Indigenous writers are working to change this, and Australian indigenous literature is flourishing. But how comfortably does it sit within the traditional university structure?

28 phút
2 THG 10

Albert Camus, fascism and America

Living and writing through the years before, during and after the Second World War, French author and philosopher Albert Camus witnessed the rise of fascism and its terrible endgame in German National Socialism. Today, amid fears of a neo-fascist resurgence in the USA, his work well is worth revisiting.

47 phút
25 THG 9

What beauty apps are doing to us

Beauty apps are becoming more and more miraculously high-tech, but also more and more invasive. You might feel OK about an app that gives your face a "beauty rating", but what if the app started to recommend cosmetic surgery procedures? Or how about a selfie enhancement app that doesn't just get rid of minor skin blemishes, but actually alters the shape of your face to suit and algorithmically determined ideal?

33 phút
18 THG 9

Are babies conscious?

Babies cry, smile, laugh and react to their environment - so it seems odd to look at a baby and wonder whether or not it's conscious. But consciousness is a tricky thing to pin down, and according to some theories of consciousness, babies don't attain it until two or even three years of age, while others suggest that babies could be conscious even in the womb. It's an important scientific question but also a moral one, as it affects how we treat not only babies but other such "consciousness candidates" as non-human animals, AI and synthetic biological systems.

42 phút
10 THG 9

How AI could transform reading

If there's one thing AI has in common with all new technology, it's that a lot of people are scared of it. When it comes to AI and education, horror stories abound of students using ChatGPT to write their essays, and a possible future where teachers are replaced by bots. But according to this week's guest, there's much to be excited about.

29 phút
4 THG 9

Is it time to get rid of legal gender status?

Most of us have Male or Female registered on our birth certificates - but what does this certification mean, in terms of its effect on our lives? There are many other things about us that have at least as much significance as our gender - our sexuality, our ethnicity - but only gender has legal status. This week we're talking about the pros and cons of uncoupling gender from the law.

36 phút
27 THG 8

Who's responsible for extreme beliefs?

It's easy to say that people who hold extreme antisocial beliefs should be held responsible for those beliefs. But in fact, many extremists operate within what philosophers call impoverished epistemic environments - epistemic "bubbles" and echo chambers whose inhabitants might be ignorant of the truth, or subject to manipulation. But does that mean responsibility for extreme beliefs therefore lies with the wider public? And if so, what are we to do about it?

32 phút

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David Rutledge

Người dẫn

4,5

/5

191 Xếp hạng

Excellent program

08/06/2024

Drew A Andrews

Really excellent podcast but the show notes and descriptions for each episode are far too brief and should mention the specific guests and describe the episode more fully.
Was better when it was new

23 thg 1

sidneyhart

I have been a regular listener of this podcast for almost 10 years now, going back to those early days when there were few pods and almost none on philosophical subjects. It is still one that I subscribe to but its uniqueness has faded. There are others who discuss these topics in more depth and with greater rigor. Yet this one has retained some of its charm. The host has struck the right balance between listening, questioning and intervening. Yet the guests disappoint more often than not because their views are not particularly original nor are the discussions long enough to draw them out. Often the guests are annoying, such as the last one Mariana Imaz Sheinbaum, who punctuates every reply with the word “right?”. She used that word at least eighty times in a half hour conversation. There should be a moratorium on that word
One of the best!

06/01/2023

evapdvs

Excellent selection of speakers and conversation. This is my favorite philosophy podcast! David is always very considerate and equitable. Thank you for this excellent resource.
Host needs to steer conversation in less predictable ways

21/05/2023

KS-apple

Topics and guests are ok, but it veers into predictable viewpoints constantly on episodes where they don’t belong. I listened to an episode about bilingual parenting, hoping that it would offer philosophical insights into raising kids that speak different languages. Instead I got thirty minutes about racism, gender studies, and colonialism.

The simplest questions often have the most complex answers. The Philosopher's Zone is your guide through the strange thickets of logic, metaphysics and ethics.