I’m joined by Judge Shawn Meyers, President Judge of Pennsylvania’s 39th Judicial District. Beyond the courtroom, Judge Meyers is a thoughtful mentor whose perspective bridges law, philosophy, and lived experience.

Episode in a 🌰:
We talk about what makes a human human — from foresight and invention to unpredictability and the quest for objectivity. Along the way, we compare human reasoning to AI’s “hallucinations,” explore the role of law in shaping fairness, and wonder whether any other species strives for objectivity the way we do.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

• [00:00:14] Many possible answers to the human question

• [00:02:00] Reasoning, memory, and the uniqueness of choice

• [00:05:15] Human foresight, invention, and unpredictability

• [00:07:26] AI vs. human unpredictability

• [00:10:39] Law, rules, and accuracy in reasoning

• [00:15:21] The challenge of striving for objectivity

• [00:18:23] Why humans need community and rules

• [00:21:24] The judge’s struggle with objectivity

• [00:25:34] Final reflections on the diversity of answers

🥜 Hypothetical Nut of the Day
If other species could strive for objectivity the way humans do, how would their societies look different?

Hope you enjoyed the ep!

I'm with Ari Goldman, professor emeritus of journalism at Columbia University and former New York Times reporter. He has spent decades teaching and writing about the intersection of storytelling, faith, and empathy.

Episode in a 🌰:

We explore the tension between objectivity and empathy in journalism, the purpose of telling other people’s stories, and how faith traditions can expand our perspective without erasing our own. Along the way, we reflect on obituaries, pluralism, and the “third eye” of wisdom.

In season 2, I highlight one-to-one chats with teachers, professors, and mentors. The primary question for this entire season will remain the same: What makes a human, human? (The exceptions are episodes with special guests, where we might deviate from this topic.)

TIMESTAMPS:

[00:00:00] The conflict between empathy and objectivity
[00:04:24] Ari’s path into journalism — stories, obituaries, and religion reporting

[00:10:15] Why storytelling matters beyond just recounting events

[00:12:24] Faith, pluralism, and learning from other traditions
[00:15:18] Empathetic objectivity and its place in journalism
[00:17:08] Opening to other religions while staying rooted in your own

[00:19:01] Our mentor relationship

Hope you enjoyed the ep!

Part two of my conversation with Mike Conklin turns to education, art, and community. The common thread is the value of process.

Episode in a 🌰:

We discuss grades, art, social media, and Saturday Night Live, asking whether shortcuts are erasing the process that makes us most human. From Ship of Theseus to mortality keeping us grounded, we linger on creativity, collaboration, and the joy of being together.

In season 2, I highlight one-to-one chats with teachers, professors, and mentors. The primary question for this entire season will remain the same: What makes a human, human? (The exceptions are episodes with special guests, where we might deviate from this topic.)

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:51] School as means vs. ends

[00:02:07] AI art and the irreplaceable value of process

[00:04:56] Survival vs. meaning: can you treasure the means if the world values ends?

[00:07:23] AI in creative industries and the threat to livelihoods

[00:08:27] Collaboration, comedy writing, and our humanity in process

[00:10:12] Ship of Theseus

[00:13:00] Biology, mortality, and the essence of humanness

[00:16:57] Can AI make mistakes or have moods?

[00:20:16] Nostalgia, cell phones, and rediscovering community

[00:23:30] The joy of thinking aloud with someone else

🥜 Hypothetical Nut of the Day:

If an AI could perfectly imitate human conversation, would it be the same as talking to a person?

Hope you enjoyed the ep!

In this first half of my conversation with Mike Conklin, we drift into fields related to the central question such as consciousness and AI.

Episode in a 🌰:

We start by diving into the reason behind asking the question, and then look at reasons vs passions, AI's "consciousness," the loss of human connections, and how these trends are reflected in the college process for students.

In season 2, I highlight one-to-one chats with teachers, professors, and mentors. The primary question for this entire season will remain the same: What makes a human, human? (The exceptions are episodes with special guests, where we might deviate from this topic.)

TIMESTAMPS

[00:01:16] Why this question? dinner table debates on AI & consciousness
[00:04:19] : ANSWER TO THE Q: Manipulating our environment + empathy

[00:06:01] David Hume: reason is a slave to the passions
[00:08:56] Can AI generate something truly new?
[00:13:09] Motives, free will, and the horror movie version of AI

[00:17:02] AI as another “social media moment”
[00:21:45] Technology outpacing philosophy
[00:25:31] Shrinking attention spans and the loss of long-form narrative

[00:28:50] Neutral tools and human motives
[00:34:27] College counseling tends - outsourcing reasoning vs. doing the hard work ourselves

[00:35:47] Means vs. ends in school, AI, and life

🥜 Hypothetical Nut of the Day:

If AI could act with its own free will, would it still be “just a tool,” or would it cross into being human?

Welcome back to SQRL season 2! Today I'm with longtime Mercersburg teacher David Bell to look at the central question of season 2: What makes a human, human?

Episode in a 🌰:

From empathy and altruism to Kant, Peter Singer, and even Tom Cruise, we trace the gray spaces between selfishness and selflessness. Along the way, we detour into puns, lobsters, and whether dolphins might secretly be more human than us.

In season 2, I highlight one-to-one chats with teachers, professors, and mentors. The primary question for this entire season will remain the same: What makes a human, human? (The exceptions are episodes with special guests, where we might deviate from this topic.)

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:00] What makes us human? Mr. Bell's one-word answer

[00:01:20] MAPS, ambiguity, and asking better questions [00:07:00] Kant, empathy, and whether “good” acts need to be pure

[00:13:20] Compromise, polarization, and politics today [00:19:40] Can empathy be taught? Nature, nurture, and practice

[00:23:30] Does true altruism exist—or are we all selfish? [00:30:00] Lobsters, vacations, and empathy for animals [00:32:45] Love, responsibility, and final reflections

🥜 Hypothetical Nut of the Day

If empathy can be taught to humans, could it also be taught to non-human animals?

Hope you enjoyed the ep!

Before diving into Season 2 of SQRL, join me for a cinematic recap of the questions that made up Season 1. From debating grades and success to wrestling with pain, privilege, God, authenticity, and music, each highlight brings back the voices of friends and classmates who wondered out loud together.

Season 1 ended not with answers, but with questions that we ask and discuss together.

Now, Season 2 takes a new direction: one-to-one conversations with teachers, mentors, and storytellers. We circle one guiding question: What makes a human, human?

Whether you’ve been here since Episode 1 or you’re just joining the conversation, this recap & launch episode is for you to catch up, reflect, and step into the next season.

[Featuring the new Season 2 theme music, Through the Crackling Air, created by Suno and Audrey Hua]

It's a cozy Monday night with Mr. Frank Betkowski and most of the crew: Lilly Killinger, Jessica Dang, Annie Mohr, and Cole Piraino. Let's see if we can make music philosophical.

Episode 9 in a 🌰:
How can two people who grow up together like different music? Can music be meaningful without being political? We look at milieu and the role of sadness and dopamine in what we listen to. It grows into an interesting talk on screen time, with Mr. B offering new insights as a non-GenZer.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:27] When and how our music taste forms

[00:02:28] Performative taste, cultural influence, and parental impact

[00:04:04] Songs that grow on you vs. hit instantly

[00:06:26] Mood-congruent music and emotional resonance

[00:08:51] Are songs getting less meaningful?

[00:10:00] Cancel culture, fear, and music's political retreat

[00:11:55] Do young people value time differently?

[00:14:02] Phones, screen time, and generational comparison

[00:16:00] Phone policy backlash and digital detox

[00:17:32] What would you do with unlimited time?

[00:19:48] Do we have souls—and can you die from a broken spirit?

🥜 Hypothetical Nut of the Day

If you had all the time in the world and didn’t have to work, what would you do?

Hope you enjoyed the ep!

I'm back with Elie Shimaoka to explore mysterious aspects of life.

Episode 8B in a 🌰:
Human's capacity to be objective, the experience of joy vs. the feeling of joy, and the divine nature of nature: we talk a little more about life's surprises. Along the way, we look at some hypothetical and real situations (like AI).

TIMESTAMPS:

[00:00:19] Self-awareness through struggle

[00:04:12] Fight or flight?

[00:08:47] Objectivity, third-person thinking, and sensitivity

[00:13:32] The Experience Machine: Would you trade experience for emotional simulation?

[00:22:01] The process of art vs. the product of AI

[00:25:00] Mistakes, nature, and human wisdom

🥜 Hypothetical Nut of the Day:

Hope you enjoyed the ep!

I talk with my best friend Elie Shimaoka on why it's so hard to be yourself, especially around other people.

Episode 8A in a 🌰:
First impressions. Self-conscious thoughts. What is it like to be authentic? Elie and I open up about the faces we wear, the overthinking, and our elusive feeling of chemistry that can’t be explained by language, culture, or even shared values.

TIMESTAMPS:

[00:00:33] First impressions and social overthinking
[00:03:18] Defining the “authentic self”
[00:07:21] Chemistry, connection, and soulmates
[00:11:34] On openness and attracting the right people

🥜 Hypothetical Nut of the Day:

Hope you enjoyed the ep!

We're back in the Socratic forum with your familiar crew. I'm with Annie Mohr, Lilly Killinger, Yule Kwon, Cole Piraino, Jessica Dang and joined by Ryan Du Plessis and Arnav Rao. We talk burnout and competition, and the difference between winning and not losing.

Episode 7 in a 🌰:

We look at the fear of being a "try‑hard," genuine versus strategic compliments, and the line between healthy drive and harmful burnout. We swap race‑day stories, academic anxieties, and confessions about what really fuels our motivation. An honest, high‑energy exploration of success and self-worth.

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00:00] Why “trying” is uncool – the rise of nonchalance

[00:04:40] Jealousy, compliments, and “glazing” culture

[00:10:23] Winning vs. not losing

[00:18:50] Academic pressure & the fear of disappointment

[00:25:35] Defining burnout and spotting it in yourself

[00:34:00] Process love, positivity, and team energy

🥜 Hypothetical Nut of the Day

Do you strive to win…or simply to not lose—and how would your choices change if results were private?

Hope you enjoyed the ep!