SCI PHI Podcast

SCI PHI Podcast

By Sci PhiEducation
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SCI PHI Podcast episodes

  • Episode 101: David Thorstad
    On Episode 101, Nick chats with David Thorstad, Assistant Professor of
    Philosophy at Vanderbilt University, about his research at the intersection
    between bounded rationality and inquiry that addresses what rationality
    requires of bounded agents with limited cognitive abilities, normative and
    descriptive challenges to longtermism, the ethical view that we should give
    significant moral weight to positively impacting the future, and his new
    book, Inquiry Under Bounds, which takes as its starting point a five-point
    bounded rationality program inspired by recent work in cognitive science.
    42 min
  • Episode 100: Nick Zautra
    In this special 100th episode, guest host Katie Plaisance interviews Nick
    Zautra, the host and producer of the SCI PHI Podcast, as he reflects on the
    journey of the podcast and insights gained from interviewing 99
    philosophers of science. Nick shares his personal story—from his childhood
    interests to the spark that ignited his creativity and passion for
    combining both philosophy and science. Nick delves into what he’s learned
    about what it means to do good philosophy of science, exploring the
    methodologies and approaches that define the discipline today. Nick also
    reveals insightful patterns he's observed within the scientific community,
    personal and professional challenges faced by researchers, the human
    element of science, and what he envisions for the future.
    Timestamps:
    (0:00) - Introduction with Dr. Katie Plaisance (Guest Host)
    (1:18) - Nick’s early life and interest in science
    (3:39) - Educational background and career decisions: neuroscience,
    philosophy, and comedy writing
    (7:11) - Research with animal models and first experience with a
    philosopher of science
    (9:21) - Origin story of the SCI PHI Podcast
    (12:21) - Patterns and insights gathered after interviewing 99 philosophers
    of science
    (19:24) - Personal challenges and successes of philosophers of science
    (26:20) - The human element in science and why it’s so important
    (33:06) - Biggest surprises regarding the background and impact of
    philosophers of science
    (38:29) - Nick’s take on the two greatest challenges facing philosophy of
    science today
    (44:24) - Katie’s elevator pitch for “what is philosophy of science?”
    (47:18) - Are there certain types of scientists who seem to “get”
    philosophy of science?
    (51:23) - Missed opportunities for collaboration resulting from the “PR
    problem”
    (56:04) - How the podcast has shaped Nick’s research and collaborations
    (1:01:37) - Toward philosophy with science
    (1:03:34) - Looking back: what Nick would have done differently
    (1:06:24) - Looking back: what Nick envisions for the future
    1 hr 12 min
  • Episode 99: Katie Plaisance
    On Episode 99, Nick chats with Katie Plaisance, Professor in the Department
    of Knowledge Integration at the University of Waterloo, about her research
    understanding and developing best practices for collaborating and engaging
    with scientists, engineers, policy-makers, and a wide range of publics to
    foster epistemically and ethically responsible scientific research.
    1 hr 2 min
  • Episode 98: Ali Mirza
    On Episode 98, Nick chats with Ali Mirza, Fellow and Visiting Lecturer at
    the Center of Humanistic Inquiry and Department of History at Amherst
    College, about his interdisciplinary work in the field of Ichnology, the
    study of how our actions (as animals) affect the future structure of the
    Earth, in which he challenges our standard accounts of how science
    functions.
    55 min
  • Episode 97: Mazviita Chirimuuta
    On Episode 97, Nick chats with Mazviita Chirimuuta, Senior Lecturer in
    Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh, about her new book, The Brain
    Abstracted: Simplification in the History and Philosophy of Neuroscience,
    in which she argues that due to the brain's complexity, neuroscientific
    theories have only captured partial truths and that “neurophilosophy” is
    unlikely to be achieved. Rather than seeking to reform neuroscience or
    offer neuroscientists advice, Mazviita offers a new framework for
    interpreting the philosophical significance of present-day neuroscience
    research, and draws important lessons for debates over explanations of
    consciousness and the mind-body problem.
    Timestamps:
    (0:00) - Introduction
    (2:20) - Life in Edinburgh, festivals and teaching
    (4:56) - Upcoming new project, collaborating with scientists
    (8:22) - Life growing up, Mazviita’s background and getting into philosophy
    (16:29) - Mazviita’s decision to pursue philosophy professionally
    (18:30) - The shift to the sciences
    (21:10) - How Mazviita coupled the sciences with philosophical interest
    (25:26) - Philosophical questioning of color
    (28:05) - Transitioning to a career in philosophy
    (35:07) - Writing in history and philosophy of neuroscience, challenges of
    turning research into a book
    (39:34) - Mazviita’s new book, ‘The brain abstracted’, criticizing ideas
    from abstractions and idealizations
    (42:19) - Idealizations in the field of philosophy of neuroscience
    (46:55) - “Normative” lessons for neuroscience?
    (51:30) - The reception of the book
    (54:00) - The greatest challenge facing philosophy of science today
    0 min
  • Episode 96: Charles Pence
    On Episode 96, Nick chats with Charles Pence, Chargé de cours at the
    Université catholique de Louvain in Brussels, about his work on the causal
    structure of natural selection, digital humanities and “taking the pulse”
    of what biologists are up to, and his book, The Rise of Chance in
    Evolutionary Theory, which takes a historical look at the development of
    evolutionary theory and its extensive reliance on a wide array of concepts
    of chance.
    Timestamps:
    (0:00) - Introduction
    (1:53) - Life in Brussels and at Université catholique de Louvain
    (8:51) - Charles’s life growing up and getting into philosophy
    (17:30) - The shift from the sciences to philosophy
    (21:01) - How Charles transitioned from philosophy of physics to philosophy
    of biology
    (25:27) - The importance of the history and philosophy of science
    (29:29) - What were the main projects driving Charles towards philosophy of
    biology
    (35:23) - What of Charles’s current works are best representative of him
    and his thinking
    (39:26) - Side projects including digital humanities and gene regulation
    (49:14) - The greatest challenge that philosophy of science faces today
    1 hr 4 min
  • Episode 95: Sam Fellowes
    On Episode 95, Nick chats with Sam Fellowes, Senior Lecturer at Lancaster
    University, about drawing on his own experience being diagnosed with autism
    at the age of 24 to motivate his research into methodological issues in
    psychiatric diagnoses, the challenge of establishing accuracy with
    self-diagnosis in psychiatry, psychiatric diagnoses as models,
    neurodiversity, the importance of including what he terms
    “experts-by-experience” in psychiatric research, and his upcoming book, “In
    Defense of Psychiatric Diagnoses.”
    Timestamps:
    (0:00) - Introduction
    (1:56) - Sam’s new book
    (8:34) - Sam’s life growing up, his background and early interests
    (14:56) - Sam’s introduction to philosophy
    (22:43) - Sam’s Dissertation
    (30:57) - Generalizations of autism in diagnoses
    (38:23) - Sam’s advice for thinking about autism
    (45:10) - Sam’s new work in philosophy of psychiatry, including
    “expert-by-experience”
    (51:47) - Philosophically and epistemology examining self-diagnoses in both
    autism and substance abuse
    (1:10:53) - The greatest challenge that philosophy of science faces today
    (1:17:05) - Sam’s YouTube and potential future podcast
    1 hr 21 min
  • Episode 94: Eric Scerri
    On Episode 94, Nick chats with UCLA chemist and authority on the history
    and philosophy of the periodic table Eric Scerri, about the reduction of
    chemistry to quantum mechanics, the philosophical nature of the periodic
    table, and recent developments in quantum chemistry.
    Timestamps:
    (0:00) - Introduction
    (2:03) - Welcoming Eric and recent life at UCLA
    (4:33) - Eric’s life growing up and early interests
    (13:13) - Eric’s journey through school into philosophy of science
    (25:55) - Proudest works and moving into professional philosophy
    (30:05) - The journey into the chemistry department at UCLA, philosophy of
    chemistry as a discipline
    (38:18) - Eric’s involvement in film and TV
    (39:37) - Current projects
    (44:35) - Advice for people considering chemistry and philosophy
    (45:33) - The greatest challenge that philosophy of science faces today
    (49:59) - Recent developments in quantum chemistry
    56 min
  • Episode 93: Alan Love
    On Episode 93, Nick chats with Alan Love, Distinguished McKnight University
    Professor of Philosophy and Winton Chair in the Liberal Arts at the
    University of Minnesota, as well as Director of the Minnesota Center for
    Philosophy of Science, about assembling philosopher, theoretician, and
    experimentalist research teams for the $14M Templeton Foundation grant
    project, "Agency, Directionality, and Function,” his work in evolutionary
    developmental biology, the forthcoming release of new perspectives on the
    Human Genome Project, and organizing the upcoming conference, “Philosophy
    of Science: Past, Present, and Future.”
    Timestamps:
    (0:00) - Introduction
    (2:30) - Alan’s life in Minnesota and current projects
    (10:50) - Upcoming conference in October : Philosophy of Science: Past,
    Present, and Future
    (17:20) - Alan’s life growing up in San Diego
    (21:33) - Early philosophical questions
    (23:15) - University life
    (27:42) - Starting to consider philosophy as a profession
    (32:10) - Formal Master’s degree vs. lab time
    (34:20) - Favorite research projects over the years
    (37:55) - Side interests (philosophical methodology)
    (42:41) - The relationship between philosophical methodology and philosophy
    of science
    (45:20) - Upcoming projects that Alan is currently most excited about
    (47:00) - Collaborating with scientists
    (52:00) - Upcoming release of projects (Human genome project)
    (55:11) - The greatest challenge that philosophy of science faces today,
    and ways to move forward
    1 hr 4 min
  • Episode 92: Prasanta Bandyopadhyay
    On Episode 92, Nick chats with Prasanta Bandyopadhyay, Professor at Montana
    State University, about his work developing a Bayesian account of
    scientific methodology, in which he applies statistical/probabilistic
    notions to a long-standing conundrum of methodological issues in the
    sciences.
    Timestamps:
    (0:00) - Introduction
    (1:45) - Prasanta Bandyopadhyay and life in Montana
    (6:10) - Prasanta’s background, upbringing, and family
    (10:00) - Early interests and early school years
    (15:44) - Journeying into philosophy in India
    (23:57) - Getting into professional training in philosophy and moving to
    the UK
    (32:20) - The big questions that Prasanta is attempting to
    address/clarify/resolve
    (37:55) - Theory of acceptance in Prasanta’s dissertation
    (39:26) - Prasanta’s approach to collaboration with researchers and
    statisticians
    (44:07) - Prasanta’s main works and book
    (46:15) - Current projects
    (51:34) - Applying philosophy to the real world
    (55:18) - The greatest challenge that philosophy of science faces today
    1 hr

About SCI PHI Podcast

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SCI PHI is a weekly philosophy of science podcast featuring interviews with prominent and up-and-coming philosophers of science who engage with scientists in interesting ways.