Instant Genius

Here’s why science says you do have free will


Listen Later

Did you really choose to listen to this podcast? Or was the decision just the product of neurons firing in your brain, used by biochemical reactions, governed by the laws of physics?


Today, it’s become almost fashionable to chalk how we think and behave up to nothing more than the physical sum of our parts. But our guest in this episode is bucking that trend, arguing that we humans do have autonomy over our lives.


Kevin Mitchell is an associate professor of genetics and neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin and author of Free Agents – How Evolution Gave Us Free Will. He argues that free will isn’t just an illusion, and that evolution proves that we’re more than mere machines simply responding to the world around us.


Will you choose to believe him?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Instant GeniusBy Our Media

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

65 ratings


More shows like Instant Genius

View all
Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

415 Listeners

Science In Action by BBC World Service

Science In Action

341 Listeners

Inside Health by BBC Radio 4

Inside Health

91 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

894 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

243 Listeners

All in the Mind by BBC Radio 4

All in the Mind

78 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

400 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

474 Listeners

The Doctor's Kitchen Podcast by Dr Rupy Aujla

The Doctor's Kitchen Podcast

603 Listeners

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee by Dr Rangan Chatterjee: GP & Author

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

4,037 Listeners

Sliced Bread by BBC Radio 4

Sliced Bread

143 Listeners

The world, the universe and us by New Scientist

The world, the universe and us

115 Listeners

Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley by BBC Radio 4

Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley

234 Listeners

ZOE Science & Nutrition by ZOE

ZOE Science & Nutrition

1,984 Listeners

Uncharted with Hannah Fry by BBC Radio 4

Uncharted with Hannah Fry

112 Listeners