Every parent knows the moment. You give an explanation, and back comes the follow-up: but why? It turns out, that relentless childhood question contains more value than we know.

Explanations are how we make sense of the world — connecting causes to effects, tracing events back to their origins. But is that really all they are? And does every question actually have an answer, or are some things just... the way they are?

In this episode, hosted by Paulina Sliwa (University of Vienna) and Gregor Greslehner (University of Vienna), we dig into the surprising depth hiding behind everyday explanations. We explore where we use different types of explanations for different purposes, whether an explanation can still be useful even if it isn't strictly true, and how to improve in telling a genuinely good explanation from one that just sounds convincing.

From brute facts, mathematics, and how & why questions to the foundations of understanding, this is a conversation about the questions beneath the questions

Benjamin Schnieder is Professor of Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Vienna. He is also a Key Researcher for Knowledge in Crisis.

This episode was edited by Anni Räty and mixed by Tuomo Tiisala. 

Music by Tuomo Tiisala and Gregor Greslehner.

Special thanks to Gregor Greslehner, Benjamin Schnieder and Paulina Sliwa.

Questions or comments? Write to [email protected].

What does it really mean to create a machine that thinks? Postdoctoral Researcher Audrey Powers (University of Vienna) speaks with philosophers Tim Crane and Simon Rippon (Central European University) to unpack the concept of Artificial General Intelligence — what it is, whether it exists, and whether it ever could. From programming, neural networks and reinforcement learning to questions of consciousness, cognition, and similarities between human and machine processing, the conversation ranges across some of the deepest problems in philosophy of mind. And with so much hype surrounding AI, they ask: is AGI a genuine scientific frontier, or just the latest marketing exercise — and what are the dangers either way?

Tim Crane is Professor of Philosophy and Pro-Rector for Foresight and Analysis at Central European University. He is also the Director of Research for Knowledge in Crisis.

Simon Rippon is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Central European University. He is also a Key Researcher for Knowledge in Crisis.

This episode was produced by Jason Means and edited by Anni Räty. 

Music by Tuomo Tiisala and Gregor Greslehner.

Special thanks to Tim Crane, Audrey Powers and Simon Rippon.

Questions or comments? Write to [email protected].

In this episode, we ask whether academic philosophy is facing a crisis of knowledge — and what that might mean for science.

What does objectivity really mean today? Is it a timeless ideal, or a set of established standards shaped by particular perspectives? If we all speak from our own positionality, can we ever be truly objective?

Our guest Sophie Veigl (University of Vienna) explores the idea that science doesn’t deliver truth as a finished product, but operates as a process — one that is reliable, yet not without weaknesses. Could philosophy play a stronger role within the sciences, helping to address structural problems and shift the conversation away from abstract ideals like “pure objectivity” and toward a more honest engagement with positionality?

Tune in for a conversation about knowledge, perspective, and whether rethinking objectivity might actually strengthen — rather than undermine — science.

This episode was produced by Jason Means and edited by Anni Räty. 

Music by Tuomo Tiisala and Gregor Greslehner.

Special thanks to Gregor Greslehner, Matt Dougherty, and Sophie Veigl.

Questions or comments? Write to [email protected].

What do our emotions actually tell us about the world?

In this episode, we explore emotions from a philosophical perspective—and why they matter for knowledge. Emotions are rapid evaluations of events around us, shaping what we notice, what we care about, and how we respond. They reveal what is important to us and offer a form of evaluative knowledge about the world and ourselves.

But emotions are not infallible. As our first responses, they can mislead; they need to be checked against reflection and other forms of feedback. By examining how emotions connect to perception, judgment, and attention, we ask: what can emotions really reveal about our reality—and how do they shape the way we understand it?

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This episode was produced by Jason Means and edited by Anni Räty. 

Music by Tuomo Tiisala and Gregor Greslehner.

Special thanks to Matt Dougherty, Cathy Mason, and Juliette Vazard.

Please note: At the time of recording, Juliette Vazard was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Central European University. She is currently a Senior Teaching and Research Assistant at University of Zürich.

Questions or comments? Write to [email protected].

What do we give our attention to—and why does it matter? Our second episode explores attention from moral, political, philosophical and personal dimensions. 

Elusive and ever-shifting, attention shapes what we notice—but also what we miss. From propaganda and distractions to the difference between "loving" and "irritating" attention in our relationships, philosophers Cathy Mason, Paulina Sliwa, and Juliette Vazard take us through the importance of attention in our lives, how it shapes the world around us, and asking: "What happens when we start to examine our own patterns of attention?"

This episode was produced by Jason Means and edited by Anni Räty. 

Music by Tuomo Tiisala and Gregor Greslehner.

Special thanks to Cathy Mason, Paulina Sliwa, and Juliette Vazard.

Please note: At the time of recording, Juliette Vazard was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Central European University. She is currently a Senior Teaching and Research Assistant at University of Zürich.

Questions or comments? Write to [email protected].

From JFK to 9/11 and QAnon, we all recognize the stories — but why do they come about in the first place? Are conspiracy theories simply attempts to make sense of big, chaotic events?
Or do they reveal something deeper, like growing distrust in authorities?

This week, philosophers Cathy Mason (Central European University) and Fabio Lampert (University of Vienna) talk to Keith Harris (Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Vienna) and take us deep into the world of conspiracy theories: what are they, why do people believe in them (or are they just pretending?), and what can we do to best avoid falling into them?

Dive into belief, knowledge and the stories we choose to trust.

This episode was produced by Jason Means and edited by Anni Räty. 

Music by Tuomo Tiisala and Gregor Greslehner.

Special thanks to Cathy Mason, Fabio Lampert, and Keith Harris.