Mind Matters
Where Natural and Artificial Intelligence Meet Head On
Discovery Institute Center on Natural and Artificial Intelligence · Discovery Institute
Show overview
Mind Matters has been publishing since 2022, and across the 4 years since has built a catalogue of 202 episodes. That works out to roughly 90 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a weekly cadence.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 29s and 37 min — with run-times ranging widely across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Technology show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 1 weeks ago, with 12 episodes already out so far this year. Published by Discovery Institute.
From the publisher
On the Mind Matters podcast, Discovery Institute’s Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence considers the implications and misconceptions, the opportunities and limitations, and the applications and challenges presented by intelligent agents and their algorithms. Episode notes and archives available at mindmatters.ai/podcast.
Latest Episodes
View all 202 episodesChange Your Mind, Restructure Your Brain
Mirror Neurons and the Philosophy of Mind
Ep 385Science, God, and Truth: Michael Shermer and Michael Egnor
On this episode of the Mind Matters News podcast, host and neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Egnor welcomes Michael Shermer, historian of science and founder of Skeptic magazine, to discuss Shermer’s new book Truth: What It Is, How to Find It, and Why It Still Matters. The conversation quickly evolves into a deep philosophical debate between Egnor and Shermer over whether truths about morality and the universe are created by humans or discovered as objective features of reality. Source
Ep 384Why Logic and Cognition Set Us Apart from Machines
Is consciousness the exclusive domain of human beings? Proponents of a view known as integrative information theory argue that AI will eventually achieve that same level of consciousness as systems build up and integrate more knowledge in the future. On this archive episode of Mind Matters News, guest host Pat Flynn welcomes Dr. Selmer Bringsjord to discuss some of the flaws in this theory as well as a possible alternative. Source
Ep 383Beyond Imitation: Testing for True Artificial General Intelligence
On this episode of the Mind Matters News podcast, join host Robert J. Marks as he sits down with Dr. Giorgios Mappouras for a deep dive into the philosophical and technical boundaries that define the gap between human minds and silicon machines. The pair look at why the classic Turing Test is no longer a sufficient measure of machine intelligence in the age of large language models. They explore Giorgio's proposal for a more rigorous framework that can better evaluate AI's abilities. Source
Ep 382Dr. Mihretu Guta on The Nature of Consciousness
On this archive "bingecast" episode of Mind Matters News, hosts Robert J. Marks and Angus Menuge welcome Dr. Mihretu Guta to discuss his contribution to the book Minding the Brain. The discussion covers a number of relevant topics, highlighting the profound and puzzling nature of consciousness and the importance of philosophical inquiry in grappling with this fundamental aspect of human experience. Source
Ep 381The Accidental Inventor: An Interview with Hal Philipp
On this episode of Mind Matters News, host Robert J. Marks is joined by Bradley Norris as they welcome Hal Philipp, the man behind the modern touchscreen and a prolific inventor with an impressive 98 U.S. patents. Hal shares his story and some of the lessons he’s learned over a career in invention. Source
Ep 380The Importance of Human Wisdom in AI Policy
On this episode of Mind Matters News, we’re wrapping up our conversation with Dr. Donald Wunsch on his experiences with AI in his recent article in the IEEE Computational Intelligence Magazine about artificial general intelligence. This is the sixth part of our conversation with Dr. Wunsch. If you’ve not listened to the earlier portions, you can do so at the Read More › Source
Ep 379How to Navigate the Real and Immediate Risks of AI
While the risk of AI becoming smarter than humans and taking over the world is often discussed, it can also distract us from a more pressing matter: the real-world, right-now risks of AI. On this episode of Mind Matters News, host Robert J. Marks continues his six-part conversation with Dr. Donald Wunsch about his expert insight into AI. In this Read More › Source
Ep 378Will AI Make the World Better or Worse?
If computers and AI took over the world, would we even notice? Today, host Robert J. Marks ponders this question as he continues his conversation with Dr. Donald Wunsch about his experiences with AI and his recent article in the IEEE Computational Intelligence Magazine on artificial general intelligence. In Part 4 of the discussion, Dr. Wunsch argues that computers have Read More › Source
Ep 377Artificial Intelligence: Navigating the Hype, Limitations, and Ethics
On this episode of Mind Matters News, our conversation continues with Dr. Donald Wunsch on his experiences with AI and his recent article in the IEEE Computational Intelligence Magazine about artificial general intelligence. He first reminds us why Artificial General Intelligence is a problematic term and why AGI is very unlikely to arrive by 2030, as some people estimate. Wunsch Read More › Source
Ep 376The Ins and Outs of Scaling Up AI: Dr. Donald Wunsch
On this episode of Mind Matters News, we’re continuing our conversation with Dr. Donald Wunsch on his experiences with AI and his recent article in the IEEE Computational Intelligence Magazine about artificial general intelligence. This is the second part of our conversation with Dr. Wunsch, so if you’ve not listened to the first part, we encourage you to do so. Read More › Source
Ep 375Exploring the Immaterial Mind: Insights from Neuroscience and Thomistic Philosophy
Debate continues on the nature of the mind. Are our minds purely material and comprised only of our physical brains? Does idealism ring true with its views of physical experiences arising solely from a non-physical mind? Or is a dualist position with aspects of both an accurate view? Joining us today to talk about this and his contribution to the Read More › Source
Ep 374Dr. Donald C. Wunsch: A Level-Headed Approach to AI’s Promise and Peril
In today’s episode, host Robert J. Marks begins a multi-episode conversation with Dr. Donald C. Wunsch II, endowed professor of electrical and computer engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology and director of the Kummer Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems. Dr. Wunsch has spent decades working on the intersection of engineering AI and real world systems with Read More › Source
Ep 373Robert J. Marks Remembers Tech Pioneer Walter Bradley
On today’s episode of Mind Matters News, Dr. Robert J. Marks joins Andrew McDiarmid, host of the ID The Future podcast, to share some of his personal anecdotes and professional insights about Dr. Walter Bradley, a scientist, humanitarian, and trailblazer in the world of intelligent design who passed away this year at the age of 81. As Marks explains, one way Read More › Source
Ep 372Exploring Consciousness in Human and Artificial Intelligence
Today on Mind Matters News, hosts Robert J. Marks and Brian Krouse conclude their four-part conversation with Dr. Joseph Green on the limitations of modern neuroscience. Green is author of a chapter in the volume Minding the Brain called “On the Limitations of Cutting-Edge Neuroscience.” In today’s final segment, the discussion centers on comparing different models of consciousness, including panpsychism and Read More › Source
Ep 371Doug Smith: A Critical Look at Apple’s Virtual Reality Headset
What happens when you let Big Tech control how you see the world? Apple recently released a new model of the Apple Vision Pro headset. Although it can provide immersive experiences, what are the potential downsides to furthering our connection to the digital realm? On this episode of Mind Matters News out of the vault, host Robert J. Marks welcomes Read More › Source
Ep 370How Neuroscience and Philosophy Combine to Illuminate the Nature of Consciousness
Today on Mind Matters News, hosts Robert J. Marks and Brian Krouse continues their conversation with Dr. Joseph Green on how we can bridge the gap between cutting-edge neuroscience and philosophy of mind. Green is author of a chapter in the volume Minding the Brain called “On the Limitations of Cutting-Edge Neuroscience.” In today’s installment, the discussion first touches on the concept Read More › Source
Bridging the Gap Between Neuroscience and Philosophy of Mind
On this episode of Mind Matters News, hosts Robert J. Marks and Brian Krouse continue their conversation with Dr. Joseph Green on the limitations of cutting-edge neuroscience. In this segment, the focus turns to the philosophical questions involved. As Dr. Green explains, neuroscience is limited in its ability to answer philosophical questions about the nature of the mind and its Read More › Source
Ep 368How Humility and Curiosity Can Help Neuroscience Mature
Modern neuroscience has made some truly amazing advances in recent decades. But even though we can record, map, and even manipulate brain activity in ways that once seemed impossible, we still don’t really understand how the brain actually works. This gap in understanding has led to a kind of overconfidence, and sometimes even over-claiming by scientists. So how do we Read More › Source