In a "Conversations with Strangers" episode, Seth Adam Cohen discusses consciousness and AI [00:02]. Cohen, whose background includes media, social activism, and politics, shifted his focus to the "fourth industrial revolution" around 2018, encompassing automation and AI [01:50]. He notes that society was unprepared for this transformation, which is now well underway [02:01].

Cohen's personal passion is the exploration of consciousness, which he believes is the fundamental substrate of the universe, extending beyond our own [02:41]. He identifies as a non-dualist, asserting that consciousness is the only reality, and everything else is an illusion [03:09]. This idealist view contrasts with the prevailing materialist perspective in the West, which posits that consciousness arises from the brain [03:36].

Cohen argues that the inability to define or measure consciousness stems from its fundamental nature, as one cannot observe something of which they are a part [17:29]. He differentiates intelligence, emotion, and consciousness, highlighting that drives like horniness serve evolutionary purposes [22:05]. However, he finds it harder to explain concepts like awe or love through purely scientific or evolutionary reasoning, suggesting they might point to a deeper aspect of consciousness [24:52].

For those interested in similar topics, Cohen recommends the YouTube channels Jesse Michaels and Third Eye Drops, as well as the work of Donald Hoffman and Bernardo Kastrup [03:04:19].

You can watch the full conversation here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGvPEOVqvq8

Jason Stein and I talk about horror movies. You can find his podcast here: https://dadsfromthecrypt.com/

Deepti and I talk about climate change. Here’s all of her links:

Citations

The graphs I mentioned for possible temperatures in year 2100:

https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/36990/EGR21.pdf - pages 24-25 of 112

Emissions Gap Report: https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2024

(What actions are needed?) IEA Net Zero Roadmap: https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2022/an-updated-roadmap-to-net-zero-emissions-by-2050

AI power use and water use: https://andthewest.stanford.edu/2025/thirsty-for-power-and-water-ai-crunching-data-centers-sprout-across-the-west/

Source for the “over 80% of people want climate action” statistic I stated: https://89percent.org

Tipping points and “about 3.5% of people need to take climate action” - https://medium.com/@dkannapan/about-social-tipping-points-and-climate-action-c5e6a2ab278?sk=34012d729ec88a4dd29d46ded2bd145c

My TEDx talk with an annotated transcript: https://medium.com/@dkannapan/the-climate-movement-needs-your-creativity-not-your-guilt-e847adb8e91e?sk=8a00209482ab283eb504b51d6b016590

About my book, Fire’s Ally

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1250461128/fires-ally

Fire's Ally is a story about Eleg, a girl obsessed with the eerie, persistent, wildfire claiming parts of her home. No amount of rain seems to be able to put it out.

She belongs to a gentle, bookish society and her people have been fighting the fire back for decades. But they are not ready for the turmoil it is about to unleash.

Eleg understands the fire better than most. She has already once failed to protect the innocent in its path.

Though she would rather be alone with her charts and graphs, Eleg must become the unlikely hero her people need, and bring the continent together in an ambitious technological endeavor to save their home.

Me:

https://www.deeptikannapan.com

https://bsky.app/profile/dmkannapan.bsky.social

https://medium.com/@dkannapan

Thomas David Kehoe and I talk about How Lying (and Catching Lies) Drove Human Evolution, Sparked Language, and Kindled Civilization and 13 reasons why Trump is like Hitler. Here’s a link to his medium blog post: https://tdkehoe.medium.com/golden-lies-how-lying-and-catching-lies-drove-human-evolution-sparked-language-and-kindled-b0adca94950b

Gallo and I talk about

• His background: Gallo is a recovering intercourse addict and a widowed Texan who now lives in Reno [00:24].

• Life in Reno: We talk about the food and gambling scene in Reno. Gallo says he doesn't gamble because he gets angry if he loses money [01:38].

• Upbringing and beliefs: He shares his experience growing up poor [07:20] and how he became disillusioned with the Catholic Church after studying to become a pastor [09:33].

• Red pill philosophy: Gallo explains that his "machismo" philosophy predates the red pill movement. While he agrees with the focus on self-improvement, he disagrees with the movement's focus on getting as much sex as possible [12:20].

• Women's fantasies: He shares his thoughts on women's fantasies, including double penetration and being led in relationships [20:26].

• Future plans: Gallo mentions he is revamping his podcast, which will be called "The Eschewing show" [01:57:42], and will include a segment where he interviews podcasters on topics outside their usual niche [01:57:55].

• Media recommendations: The guest recommends TV shows like Slow Horses, The Americans, and Snowpiercer, and books like The Expanse and A Song of Fire and Ice [01:59:35].

Matthew Adams and I talk about comedy and politics. He is running for state assembly in district 9 Central Valley, California. You can find his website here: https://sites.google.com/view/adams4assembly/home

David and I talk about AI and his company Groas AI. You can find his company website here: https://groas.ai

Jakeb and I talk about his theory on consciousness called the new consciousness. You can find his website here: https://www.ournewconsciousness.com/

Shane and I talk about being an air traffic controller.

Milo and I talk about his book, Gray Skies, Concrete Dreams, living the corporate life, and his podcast. Here’s the links to his book, podcast and Instagram: Links

Web: milodenison.com/books/gray-skies-concrete-dreams

Podcast: the80sand90s.com/podcast

Instagram: @milodenison