We Might Be Tables

What if we told you your attention was all that mattered? Your complex, human existence is reduced to a qualitative judgement based on how much time you spend in front of a screen.

In his latest documentary, Jeff Orlowski invites numerous ex-employees of the world's biggest social media companies, to reveal unpleasant truths about how the "eyeball-grabbing" business operates. How are we shaped by what we see, and how is it that people seem to have such drastically different opinions on the ethics of technology?

In this episode, join us in breaking down everything addressed in the film, and what they spell for the future of networking, surveillance, and ethics.

We highly recommend checking out these websites mentioned in the episode: 

https://www.humanetech.com/

https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/

After Life, Hirokazu Koreeda, 1998.

You have to pick one memory. Just one; and you stick with it for all of eternity. Would you be able to do it? Would you be able to pick a single  memory to take with you forever? What if that's the only choice that lies beyond death? In this episode, we talk about how Koreeda's film, a meditation on eternity, impacted us. This is the first of many episodes addressing death and the limits of our knowledge about it.

Last week, we analysed Paul Bloom's Against Empathy: its principal arguments and real-world applications. In this episode, we take a look at what experts from his own field think. Responses to the argument against a psychological pillar such as this one got us thinking as much as the main article itself, and it's sure to do the same to you. Finally, we present our views on the subject, and highlight cultural differences in understanding social behaviour.

Are you against empathy? A cornerstone of prosocial behaviour, it is often taught as a "vital" component of human interaction. Paul Bloom disagrees. In a highly polarising article, the Yale University professor of psychology breaks down the popular conception of empathy, and advocates for the exercise of what he calls "compassion" instead. In this episode, we take a look at Bloom's arguments and analyse whether they do really call for a fundamental change in the way we look at emotion and behaviour. Additionally, we talk opinions and compare how cultural differences in understanding psychology contributed to our reading of the article. Here's the link to the article: Paul Bloom: Against Empathy (http://www.bostonreview.net/forum/paul-bloom-against-empathy).

In Part 2 of our series  on The Last of Us, the conversation picks up where we left off last  time, with questions of Joel's righteousness and what it would feel like  to be Ellie. Today, we look at issues of  representation, artistic freedom, and the the dilemma of "deriving satisfaction". Below are the links to articles and videos discussed in the episode:

jacksepticeye: The Last of Us Part II (Gameplay Playlist)

Game Theory: Joel's Choice Meant Nothing! (The Last of Us)

The Last of Us Wiki

Nathan Zed: The Last of Us 2 is a Perfect Sequel

Epilogue Music: A Great Calm by Kev Rowe (httpskevrowe.com)

Music promoted by httpswww.free-stock-music.com. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (httpscreativecommons.orglicensesby3.0deed.en_US).

In this episode, we take you through our thoughts on (and critique of) one of the most impactful video games of our generation. The Last Of Us Part II made us re-think the power of this medium and painted a morally ambiguous picture of a world strikingly similar to our own.  Below are the links to articles and videos discussed in the episode:

jacksepticeye: The Last of Us Part II (Gameplay Playlist)

Game Theory: Joel's Choice Meant Nothing! (The Last of Us)

The Last of Us Wiki

Nathan Zed: The Last of Us 2 is a Perfect Sequel

Hey! So, you’ve made your way over to the first episode of We Might Be Tables. Welcome to the Introduction where we, Dewansh Matharoo and Shrish Sudharsan, take you through the journey of how this podcast came to fruition. We hope you enjoy our discussions about philosophy, life, and all things intriguing. We look forward to hearing from you and having you back for our future episodes!