Dr. Thomas Metzinger is a renowned philosopher and professor of theoretical philosophy at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. He also serves as a member of the European Commission’s High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence. Our eye-opening conversation with Dr. Metzinger explored a range of favorite topics all centered on the question: what does it mean to be a human in the post-modern landscape of for-profit healthscare, algorithmic decision-making, and endless war. We also discuss how the brightest future might result from the tiniest changes at the level of the individual, despite the self's inevitable recession into the increasingly totalitarian, yet inevitably unstable, global industrial-state machinery. Support the scientific revolution with a monthly donation: https://bit.ly/3lcAasB Or pick up Dr. Metzinger's book: https://amzn.to/3H5HBO5 As always, let us know what you think in the comments! 00:00 Go! 00:05:05 Wilhelm Reich, maybe? 00:09:38 Authority, war, violence & the enforcement of order 00:14:52 Is Democracy a failed experiment? 00:18:59 Ideas don't totally belong to you 00:25:45 The futility of the individual 00:31:27 Why we discount the future 00:39:38 Challenges to the climate narrative 00:43:05 What is mental autonomy? 00:46:08 Ethics of attention 00:51:48 Finding the bottom of the simulacrum 00:56:04 How our stone age brains are screwing us 01:03:22 The enculturation problem 01:15:49 The Culture of Consciousness 01:27:46 What to aspire to? 01:37:59 What is the avoidance of death? 01:47:16 The "cool" of VR 01:54:16 Art practice as savior #self #consciousness #selfcare Check our short-films channel, @DemystifySci: https://www.youtube.com/c/DemystifyingScience AND our material science investigations of atomics, @MaterialAtomics https://www.youtube.com/@MaterialAtomics Join our mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Michael Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. - Blog: http://DemystifySci.com/blog - RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss - Donate: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD - Swag: https://bit.ly/2PXdC2y SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci MUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671