#84 The Nature of Consciousness - Gunnar Babcock

Gunnar O Babcock is a lecturer in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. His research is primarily in the philosophy of biology and it appears in journals such as Philosophy of Science, Synthese and the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. He previously managed a non-profit domestication project in Alaska aimed at creating a sustainable form of northern agriculture. Summary   Professor Gunnar Babcock discusses his unique perspective on consciousness, cognition, and the intersection of philosophy and biology. He explores the concept of agency in non-living systems, the implications of synthetic biology and AI, and the challenges of defining life and goal-directedness. The conversation also delves into the ethical considerations of scientific advancements and the importance of critical thinking in navigating the complexities of modern society.   Chapters   00:00 Exploring Consciousness and Cognition 03:15 Teleology vs. Mechanistic Thinking 06:31 Microbial Agency and Biological Systems 07:23 Synthetic Biology and Artificial Agency 12:53 The Nature of Life and Goal-Directedness 19:01 Conceptual Revisions in Understanding Life 24:52 Influences and Inspirations in Modern Science 29:06 Exploring Ancient Philosophy and Its Relevance Today 31:44 Technological Advancements and Ethical Dilemmas 35:53 The Role of Values in Science 38:28 Funding Research: Balancing Practicality and Exploration 40:58 A Day in the Life of a Philosopher 44:01 The Intersection of Fitness and Consciousness 49:31 Instilling Critical Thinking in Students 51:42 Future Prospects: Excitement and Concerns 55:04 Navigating Free Speech and Censorship 59:06 Final Thoughts: The Importance of Inquiry 01:00:13 Podcast exit terence  -     Gunnar Babcock  https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=HSI2IBgAAAAJ&hl=en https://aeon.co/users/gunnar-o-babcock https://aeon.co/essays/we-need-to-stop-thinking-about-sex-when-it-comes-to-reproduction Music for every episode  Intro and exit music used: Strange the dreamer by Savfk - www.youtube.com/@savfkmusic   Connect with Ryan Anderson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awonderjunkie/ awonderjunkie.com Breathe4Flow.com Rumble https://rumble.com/user/awonderjunkie Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@awonderjunkie iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-wondejunkie/id1739838765 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1CcQXpxfV9P89IrKmtV2hS?si=6519a88aef444ba0 A bit about Ryan Anderson-  https://open.spotify.com/episode/7bsR23JM4z6p1RPpbv7czC?si=4ba51224cf464e70 Keywords   consciousness, cognition, agency, synthetic biology, AI, ethics, life, goal-directedness, philosophy, science