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How serious is the zombie challenge to free will?
Whether free will is compatible with the scientific worldview, according to which the world is just driven by blind deterministic causes is a fascinating question about which I will have little to say. This is because my brief is to talk about what neuroscience can tell us about free will and despite contrary claims, I don’t think that modern neuroscience has very important things to say on this question. We will quickly explore why this is but more importantly we…
Find out more »Knowledge machine or cloak of (in)visibility? Addressing the -ism in the room
Just follow the science (it’s not rocket science!) because by now we have it down to a science and that’s scientific because we got it from the scientists who are - after all - the experts we should be deferring to when it comes to the science. What does this barrage of honorifics have to do with science? Beyond playing dress up and using almost every variation of the s-word to heap generic, epistemic praise - precious little. Drawing on…
Find out more »Zombie Factoids: Why won’t they just die!
No, not facts about Zombies, rather those ‘facts’ that permeate society, that somehow people still think are true (and some that might actually have some validity) yet seem to be repeated far too easily by those that really should know better. Do we only use 10% of our brain? Are Hippos really Africa's most dangerous large animal? Do menstrual cycles really synchronise in co-habiting women? Come along and figure out the facts from the zombie facts. About the speakerSean Slater…
Find out more »Radical Thinking: how to see the bigger picture
Professor Peter Lamont (author, historian, psychologist, former magician) reveals the things that shape your thoughts. He shows how, by thinking in a radical way, you can look beyond your limited view of the world to see the bigger picture. The talk, based on his recent book Radical Thinking, includes live demonstrations. Peter Lamont is Professor of History and Theory of Psychology at the University of Edinburgh, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Before that, he worked as…
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