The Giants Shoulder

Evan McGloughlin
  • 5.0 (3)
  • LIFE SCIENCES
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A Neuroscience podcast. Each week I talk with experts on a range of topics from consciousness and neuroplasticity to evolution and everything in between. I have a particular interest in consciousness and understanding our inner subjective conscious experience. Evan has a Neuroscience degree from Trinity College Dublin and is the co-founder of 2 (failed) edtech startups. He is a professional tennis coach and Triathlete enthusiast.

  1. 3D AGO

    #92 Joscha Bach: “The Nature Of Reality is Even Weirder Than We Previously Thought”

    Joscha Bach is a cognitive scientist, AI researcher, and philosopher of mind whose work has shaped how we think about synthetic consciousness and the architecture of thought itself. He developed the MicroPsi cognitive architecture, has held research roles at MIT and Harvard, and just co-founded the California Institute of Machine Consciousness with Karl Friston — a lab dedicated to building minds that know they exist. Expect to learn how emotions are compressed value functions for simulated agents, how brains create recursive world models to predict and control experience, why the self might just be a stabilizing hallucination, how synthetic minds could surpass biological ones, why Joscha sees spirits as information processes, and how consciousness might emerge anywhere complex systems learn to model themselves. We also explore the implications of Michael Levin’s work, the ethics of synthetic selves, why nature is already computational, and what’s truly at the bedrock of reality. This conversation is strange, deep, and unforgettable. Timestamps:00:00 Journey into Consciousness and AI 02:59 The Intersection of Neuroscience and AI 05:52 Understanding Consciousness: A Second Order Perception 08:53 Consciousness: An Evolved Property or Fundamental Reality? 12:03 The Concept of Spirit in Consciousness 14:56 Exploring Consciousness in Non-Brain Systems 18:00 The Nature of Consciousness in Organisms 21:12 The Role of Software in Consciousness 23:52 The Potential of Xenobots and Consciousness 37:06 Emergence of Artificial Life 40:12 The Nature of Consciousness 43:56 Comparing Consciousness Across Species 46:58 The Role of Social Structures in Consciousness 54:39 Biological Ingredients for Consciousness 01:10:55 Building Conscious AI 01:16:38 Exploring Ethical Constraints in AI Experiments 01:18:11 The Nature of Consciousness in AI 01:22:18 Comparing Consciousness: LLMs vs. Xenobots 01:24:19 The Binary Nature of Consciousness 01:27:01 Agency vs. Consciousness: A Complex Relationship 01:32:34 The Horrors of Conscious Existence 01:37:41 Concerns About AI and Society 01:40:14 The Role of AI in Society's Future 01:46:57 The Urgency of AI Development 01:51:03 The Future of AI and Society... ... ❤️ Subscribe to our main channel - https://www.youtube.com/@thegiantsshoulder?sub_confirmation=1💚 Follow on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=Ka2rAQv7TyqiC9wvGwERpA💜 Follow on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-giants-shoulder/id1752486249Download my FREE EBook 26 Neuroscience Books for 2026 HERE: https://thegiantsshoulder.com/

    1h 58m

  2. 6D AGO

    #91 Meet the Philosopher Questioning Everything Neuroscience Assumes About Consciousness

    Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes is a philosopher of mind and leading voice on psychedelics, panpsychism, and the metaphysics of consciousness. He’s a research fellow at the University of Exeter and author of Noumenautics and Modes of Sentience — books exploring whether mind is fundamental to the universe. In this episode, we dive into why your brain might not produce consciousness, how psychedelics could reveal deeper truths about reality, the philosophical roots of mystical experience, and why matter itself might be sentient. Expect to rethink everything you thought was solid... Timestamps: 00:00 Understanding Panpsychism 02:49 The Nature of Consciousness 05:56 Defining Mind and Its Ambiguities 09:01 Historical Perspectives on Mind 11:49 The Evolution of Consciousness 14:57 Philosophical Positions on Consciousness 17:41 The Intersection of Consciousness and Biology 20:33 The Influence of Historical Context on Consciousness 23:53 Exploring the Continuum of Consciousness 26:41 The Debate on Consciousness Cutoff Points 32:22 Exploring the Nature of Electrons and Consciousness 34:26 The Interconnection of Consciousness and Physics 36:24 Diverse Perspectives on Panpsychism 40:13 Historical Context of Panpsychism and Its Reception 43:40 Psychedelics: Insights into Consciousness 51:52 The Challenge of Describing Psychedelic Experiences 01:00:23 The Debate of Universalism vs Contextualism 01:01:43 Psychedelics and Consciousness: Fact vs Fiction 01:03:46 Hallucinations: Delusions or Deeper Reality? 01:05:13 Mental Causation: The Connection Between Mind and Body 01:08:55 The Therapeutic Mechanism of Psychedelics 01:12:49 Exploring Panpsychism: Consciousness Beyond the Brain 01:16:22 The Future of Consciousness Studies 01:25:03 Metaphysical Possibilities in Science Sponsors: Mind Labs Pro Scientifically Rigorous Supplements: https://www.mindlabpro.com/?a_aid=67fd1cb8d9ad3&a_bid=6d45f5c3 Get Professional High Quality Talk Therapy at BetterHelp. 10% off your first month of therapy with this link - https://betterhelp.com/giantsshoulder (Paid Partnership by BetterHelp)❤️ Subscribe to our main channel - https://www.youtube.com/@thegiantsshoulder?sub_confirmation=1💚 Follow on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=Ka2rAQv7TyqiC9wvGwERpA💜 Follow on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-giants-shoulder/id1752486249Download my FREE EBook 26 Neuroscience Books for 2026 HERE: https://thegiantsshoulder.com/

    1h 34m

  3. JAN 29

    #90 Meet The World’s Leading Executive Function Neuroscientist

    Dr. Adele Diamond is one of the world’s most influential developmental cognitive neuroscientists and a pioneer in our understanding of executive functions — the brain’s core control processes that shape attention, self-regulation, problem-solving, and goal-directed behaviour.Her groundbreaking research was the first to show that the prefrontal cortex is active in infants, transforming how we understand child development and reshaping clinical treatment for ADHD and PKU worldwide. She’s also led the charge in redefining education, proving that joy, movement, play, and emotional connection aren’t luxuries — they’re neuroscience-backed necessities.Expect to learn what executive functions really are and why they matter for everything from school performance to lifelong happiness, the overlooked role of the prefrontal cortex in ADHD, how dopamine operates very differently in this brain region, the crucial (and often missed) distinction between types of ADHD, why some kids are misdiagnosed when they’re actually suffering from trauma, why psychostimulants can backfire and how we might be overprescribing the wrong doses, why martial arts might outperform cognitive training, how childhood stress reshapes brain wiring, the profound importance of early encouragement and self-concept, how AI and smartphones are degrading our cognitive systems, why social-emotional connection is a prerequisite for learning, and what Adele believes schools are still getting tragically wrong — even today.This is an episode about rewiring how we think about attention, emotion, learning, and what it means to help human beings thrive.Timestamps: 00:00 Understanding Executive Functions and Their Importance04:48 The Journey to Discovering the Prefrontal Cortex11:04 Behavioral Paradigms: Linking Cognition and Brain Function18:05 ADHD: Understanding the Disorder and Its Nuances25:56 Dopamine, Focus, and Executive Function32:58 The Role of Psychostimulants and Long-Term Effects35:21 Improving Executive Function Beyond Medication38:00 Brain Plasticity: Can We Train Executive Function at Any Age?41:26 Self-Identity and Its Impact on Learning and Growth42:52 The Future of Executive Function in the Age of AI44:03 AI in Education: Opportunities and Challenges45:58 Balancing AI Use in Learning48:04 The Role of Technology in Early Childhood Development51:57 Attention Span and Distraction in the Digital Age53:57 Social Interaction and Mental Health56:03 The Dangers of Over-Reliance on Technology59:12 The Importance of Social-Emotional Learning01:03:05 Integrating Emotional Intelligence in Education01:05:58 The Need for Teacher Training in Child Development01:09:48 Addressing Childhood Trauma and Mental Health01:14:03 The Role of Psychedelics in Healing01:17:08 Conclusion and Future Directions...Sponsors:Mind Labs Pro Scientifically Rigorous Supplements: https://www.mindlabpro.com/?a_aid=67fd1cb8d9ad3&a_bid=6d45f5c3Get Professional High Quality Talk Therapy at BetterHelp. 10% off your first month of therapy with this link - https://betterhelp.com/giantsshoulder (Paid Partnership by BetterHelp)❤️ Subscribe to our main channel - https://www.youtube.com/@thegiantsshoulder?sub_confirmation=1💚 Follow on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=Ka2rAQv7TyqiC9wvGwERpA💜 Follow on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-giants-shoulder/id1752486249Download my FREE EBook 26 Neuroscience Books for 2026 HERE: https://thegiantsshoulder.com/

    1h 25m

  4. JAN 27

    #89 The Real Reason We Should Revive Extinct Animals

    Andrew Pask is Chief Biology Officer at Colossal Biosciences and a professor of genetics at the University of Melbourne. He’s spent over 30 years on the front lines of marsupial conservation and now leads one of the most ambitious projects in biology: the genetic resurrection and rewilding of the extinct Tasmanian tiger.Sponsors:Get 1 Week Free of ConsensusAi: https://get.consensus.app/giantsshoulder1Mind Labs Pro Scientifically Rigorous Supplements: https://www.mindlabpro.com/?a_aid=67fd1cb8d9ad3&a_bid=6d45f5c3De-extinction isn’t science fiction anymore — it’s a toolkit for saving what’s left of the natural world. From woolly mammoths to dodos to genetically edited quolls, Andrew’s work sits at the crossroads of synthetic biology, ecological restoration, and moral philosophy.Expect to learn why de-extinction might be the only way to preserve biodiversity, how CRISPR and ancient DNA are being used to rebuild lost genomes, what species we can and should bring back, the cultural myths and ethical fears surrounding “playing God,” the truth about the dire wolf announcement, why apex predators matter more than you think, how genetically reprogrammed animals might rescue ecosystems, what Jurassic Park got right — and what it absolutely didn’t, and much more...Timestamps:00:00 The Mission of De-Extinction03:03 Genomic Advances in De-Extinction05:52 The Process of Rebuilding Extinct Species08:53 Conservation and Genetic Diversity12:04 Targeting Endangered Species14:48 Rewilding the Tasmanian Tiger18:06 Monitoring and Managing Ecosystems29:23 The Complexity of Ecosystems and Species Interactions32:01 Genetic Diversity and Its Importance38:12 The Role of Genetic Diversity in Climate Resilience40:51 The Urgency of De-Extinction Technology43:19 The Future of Tasmanian Tigers and Rewilding45:39 Woolly Mammoths: Ecosystem Engineers50:09 Funding and Ethical Considerations in De-Extinction53:42 The Moral Obligation of De-Extinction56:42 Navigating the Controversy of Species Classification01:01:04 The Role of Marketing in Conservation01:04:38 Defining Ethical Boundaries in Genetic Engineering01:10:30 Policy Challenges in Genetic Conservation01:14:06 Future Projects in De-Extinction...❤️ Subscribe to our main channel - https://www.youtube.com/@thegiantsshoulder?sub_confirmation=1💚 Follow on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=Ka2rAQv7TyqiC9wvGwERpA💜 Follow on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-giants-shoulder/id1752486249Download my FREE EBook 26 Neuroscience Books for 2026 HERE: https://thegiantsshoulder.com/

    1h 24m

  5. JAN 25

    #88 Meet The Neuroscientist Who Created The Best Universal Theory Of Brain Function

    Karl Friston is one of the most influential neuroscientists alive and the creator of the Free Energy Principle, a unifying theory that aims to explain how brains perceive, act, learn, and remain alive in an uncertain world.SPONSORS:Get 1 Week Free of ConsensusAi: https://get.consensus.app/giantsshoulder1Mind Labs Pro Scientifically Rigorous Supplements: https://www.mindlabpro.com/?a_aid=67fd1cb8d9ad3&a_bid=6d45f5c3The brain is not a passive receiver of information. It is an active prediction machine, constantly generating expectations about the world and the body, updating those beliefs when they fail, and acting to make its predictions come true. Under this framework, perception is inference, action is prediction fulfilment, emotion is bodily forecasting, and the self is a model the brain uses to explain its own persistence.Expect to learn what the Free Energy Principle actually is, why living systems must minimise surprise, how predictive coding and active inference work, why perception is a controlled hallucination, how attention and precision shape experience, what interoceptive inference reveals about emotion and the self, how psychedelics relax beliefs, where consciousness might fit in a predictive hierarchy, and why this theory may be one of the deepest explanations of mind we currently have.Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to the Free Energy Principle02:54 Deflationary Nature of the Free Energy Principle05:48 Explaining the Free Energy Principle: High Road vs. Low Road09:02 Predictive Processing and Perception11:49 Active Inference and Its Implications15:07 Interoception and Emotional Inference18:02 Generative Models and Selfhood20:54 The Role of Emotions in Predictive Coding23:55 Transformative Experiences and Learning26:44 Conclusion: The Practical Applications of the Free Energy Principle48:58 Understanding the Role of Psychedelics in Therapy52:48 Mechanisms of False Inference and Precision in the Brain57:24 Relaxing Priors: The Impact of Psychedelics on Sense-Making01:01:03 Generative Models: Individual Differences and Shared Structures01:06:49 Cognitively Impenetrable Illusions and Prior Beliefs01:15:15 Sensory Attenuation and the Role of Attention01:19:03 The Free Energy Principle: Implications for Psychiatry01:25:48 The Future of Neuroscience Education and Research...❤️ Subscribe to our main channel - https://www.youtube.com/@thegiantsshoulder?sub_confirmation=1💚 Follow on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=Ka2rAQv7TyqiC9wvGwERpA💜 Follow on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-giants-shoulder/id1752486249Download my FREE EBook 26 Neuroscience Books for 2026 HERE: https://thegiantsshoulder.com/

    1h 41m

  6. JAN 19

    #87 Challenging a Famous Neuroscientist On When Consciousness First Emerged

    Dr. Michael Graziano is a neuroscientist, professor at Princeton University, and creator of Attention Schema Theory — one of the most provocative scientific explanations for consciousness to date.He argues that awareness isn’t magic or mystery — it’s the brain’s simplified internal model of its own attention. A trick of information. A self-portrait painted by neurons. And it just might explain why you think you’re a “you” at all.Expect to learn why consciousness is a useful illusion, how awareness emerges from neural models, what happens when these models break down in brain damage or stroke, why future AIs might think they’re conscious (and what that means for us), whether subjective experience can be explained without magic, why attention is the gateway to control, how consciousness helps us navigate the social world, what ventriloquism reveals about the mind, and how understanding this theory might shift everything we believe about thought, selfhood, and machine intelligence.SPONSORS:Try Sentia Spirits this Dry January (10% Off with Giant10): https://sentiaspirits.com/giantsshoulderMind Labs Pro Scientifically Rigorous Supplements: https://www.mindlabpro.com/?a_aid=67fd1cb8d9ad3&a_bid=6d45f5c3Timestamps: 00:00 Michael Graziano on Consciousness and the Brain03:47 Can Simple Creatures Be Aware?06:56 Where Selfhood Begins: Models in the Brain10:13 Why Awareness Is Useful for Control14:09 The Phantom Limb Illusion and Consciousness17:56 Consciousness as a Model, Not a Magic Spark21:32 What the Brain Tells Itself About Experience24:40 What Are You Actually Conscious Of?27:18 Graziano's Critique of the Hard Problem30:01 How Illusions Like the Body Schema Help Us Understand33:00 Phantom Limbs, Puppets, and Ghost Awareness35:08 What Is Attention, Really?39:02 The Brain’s Internal Sketch of Focus43:00 Attention Schema Theory Explained47:09 How Brains Build the Feeling of Mind50:25 Can Machines Ever Be Truly Conscious?54:18 AI That Says “I’m Aware” — Should We Believe It?58:10 When a Chatbot Starts to Suffer01:02:45 Society’s Slow Acceptance of Machine Awareness01:07:40 What Makes Human Selfhood So Stable?01:12:10 Training AI to Build a Model of Us01:16:05 Does AI Need a Theory of Mind?01:20:00 Graziano on Theory of Mind and Early Development01:24:25 Why Modeling Consciousness Matters in AI01:28:52 Can Language-Free Minds Still Model Others?01:30:28 ChatGPT and the Hinting Task — Reading Minds?01:34:12 Storytelling, Semantics, and Machine Intentions01:38:40 Could an AI Learn a Stable Personality?01:41:01 What the Next Decade of Neuroscience Might Reveal01:43:16 Final Thoughts: The Real Importance of Consciousness...❤️ Subscribe to our main channel - https://www.youtube.com/@thegiantsshoulder?sub_confirmation=1💚 Follow on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=Ka2rAQv7TyqiC9wvGwERpA💜 Follow on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-giants-shoulder/id1752486249Download my FREE EBook 26 Neuroscience Books for 2026 HERE: https://thegiantsshoulder.com/

    1h 49m

  7. JAN 15

    #86 Meet The Most Influential Social Scientist Of The Last 50 Years

    Charles Murray is one of the most influential — and most cancelled — social scientists of the last fifty years. Whether you see him as a dangerous contrarian or a data-driven truth-teller, Murray’s ideas have transformed how we think about intelligence, inequality, class, and what makes a society thrive.SPONSORS:Get Manta Sleep Mask: https://mantasleep.pxf.io/9LXagy and Code GIANTSMANTA10Mind Labs Pro Scientifically Rigorous Supplements: https://www.mindlabpro.com/?a_aid=67fd1cb8d9ad3&a_bid=6d45f5c3Expect to learn how his years in 1960s Thailand shaped his libertarian worldview, why he thinks welfare programs destroy long-term happiness, what “The Iron Laws of Social Programs” reveal about human behaviour, why he advocates for a Universal Basic Income — and why he believes it could save community, family, and meaning itself. We also cover the controversial genetics of intelligence, embryo selection, the dangers of elite cognitive stratification, and why he thinks Brave New World was more prophetic than 1984.And yes — we go there. Chapter 13. Race, IQ, academic cowardice, media distortion, and why Murray believes honest conversation is the only way forward.This one will provoke, challenge, and surprise you. You won’t walk away thinking the same.Timestamps: 00:00 – Charles Murray’s Mission: Happiness, Policy, and Meaning02:37 – Culture Shock in 1960s Thailand That Changed His Worldview06:07 – What Rural Thai Villages Taught Him About Human Nature12:31 – The Real Argument Behind Losing Ground17:15 – The Iron Laws of Social Programs (And Why They Fail)25:33 – Psilocybin, Cannabis & the Future of Drug Policy29:36 – The Bell Curve: What It Really Said About IQ and Class35:03 – Chapter 13: Race, IQ, and the Media Firestorm40:03 – Why Academia Privately Agreed but Publicly Condemned45:25 – Coming Apart and the Acceptable Version of the Same Argument47:03 – Should Scientists Be Held Responsible for Dangerous Ideas?57:15 – Murray’s Surprising Case for Universal Basic Income01:04:34 – Embryo Selection, Polygenic Scores & IQ Engineering01:12:07 – Brave New World vs 1984: Which Future Are We In?01:16:28 – Fertility Collapse and the Future of Human Societies01:19:11 – What the Internet Gets Wrong About Charles Murray...❤️ Subscribe to our main channel - https://www.youtube.com/@thegiantsshoulder?sub_confirmation=1💚 Follow on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=Ka2rAQv7TyqiC9wvGwERpA💜 Follow on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-giants-shoulder/id1752486249Download my FREE EBook 26 Neuroscience Books for 2026 HERE: https://thegiantsshoulder.com/

    1h 28m

  8. JAN 12

    #85 Meet the Psychologist Who’s Guided 100+ Mushroom Trips

    Dr. Rosalind Watts is a clinical psychologist and one of the most thoughtful voices in the modern psychedelic renaissance, known for her work in psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression and her pioneering focus on psychedelic integration.Psychedelics are often praised for their power to unlock mystical states and treat mental illness, but the real transformation, she argues, happens after the trip ends — in how we integrate what we've seen. And her own harrowing experience with ayahuasca radically reshaped how she now prepares people for the depths they might meet.Expect to learn why integration is the missing key to lasting psychedelic change, how ayahuasca unearthed her own birth trauma, why ego dissolution is often terrifying before it’s healing, how holotropic breathwork can recreate a trip without drugs, what the “pearl dive” teaches us about the gifts hidden inside emotional pain, how connection to self, others, nature, and even ancestors can rewire a life, why trauma may live in the body as much as the mind, the neuroscience of proprioception and the insula, why psychedelics might be blocked by political and corporate interests, and much more…Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction to Psychedelic Therapy02:04 Understanding Psilocybin and Its Effects07:20 The Role of Connectedness in Healing10:19 Personal Experiences with Psychedelics13:27 Navigating Challenging Psychedelic Experiences16:01 The Importance of Community in Psychedelic Therapy19:18 Exploring Birth Experiences and Psychedelics29:56 Integration and Personal Growth Through Psychedelics35:55 Preparing for Psychedelic Experiences41:27 The Connection Between Mind and Body47:07 Comparing Different Psychedelics51:44 Frustrations with Institutional Barriers to Psychedelic Therapy57:45 Cultural Disconnection and Hope for Change01:00:02 The Quest for Connectedness01:02:55 Understanding Connectedness Through Psychedelics01:06:32 Cultural Perspectives on Connectedness01:08:45 The Role of Mystical Experiences in Healing01:11:42 Breaking Old Patterns and Embracing Vulnerability01:16:36 Integrating Psychedelic Experiences for Lasting Change...❤️ Subscribe to our main channel - https://www.youtube.com/@thegiantsshoulder?sub_confirmation=1💚 Follow on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=Ka2rAQv7TyqiC9wvGwERpA💜 Follow on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-giants-shoulder/id1752486249Download my FREE EBook 26 Neuroscience Books for 2026 HERE: https://thegiantsshoulder.com/

    1h 28m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A Neuroscience podcast. Each week I talk with experts on a range of topics from consciousness and neuroplasticity to evolution and everything in between. I have a particular interest in consciousness and understanding our inner subjective conscious experience. Evan has a Neuroscience degree from Trinity College Dublin and is the co-founder of 2 (failed) edtech startups. He is a professional tennis coach and Triathlete enthusiast.

Information

  • Creator
    Evan McGloughlin
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    98
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Evan McGloughlin
  • Show Website
    The Giants Shoulder

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