This episode is with Kevin Mitchell. He is an associate professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, where he investigates how genetic variations influence neural wiring, cognition, and conditions like autism and schizophrenia. Kevin is also the author of Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are and Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will. Here, we discuss the laws of biology and the nature of free will. Kevin also shares insights on agency as a defining feature of life, the meaning of self, and the evolution of perception.

Guests info:

Website: https://www.kjmitchell.com/

X: https://x.com/WiringTheBrain

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Website: https://reasonwithscience.com/genetic-and-the-brain-with-kevin-mitchell

Youtube: https://youtu.be/eOyNWCjBuQc?si=Nz09vBN0mCFN8nuF

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Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/genetics-and-the-brain-with-kevin-mitchell/id1641776894?i=1000692566036

YouTube music: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=eOyNWCjBuQc&si=AMWPfTZthe8zS5tE

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Timestamps:

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:55 Biology vs. Chemistry and Physics

00:04:02 Reductionism in Science

00:16:09 Emergence and Evolution

00:26:59 Free Will Discussion

00:41:42 Cognition and System Irreducibility

00:44:03 Genetics and Psychological Predispositions

00:55:17 Complexity of Interactions

01:04:39 Engineering Free Will

01:07:38 Social Impacts of Free Will

01:11:53 Long-term Free Will and Decisions