Free Will: Podcast Brunch Club theme for November 2019

Original broadcast date: August 25, 2017. How much of who we are is biology? How much is learned? And how much can we change? This hour, TED speakers on how genes and experience collaborate — and compete — to make us who we are. TED speakers include neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky, epigeneticist Moshe Szyf, pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris, and psychologist Brian Little.

In the 500th edition of the programme, Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the philosophical idea of free will. Free will - the extent to which we are free to choose our own actions - is one of the most absorbing philosophical problems, debated by almost every great thinker of the last two thousand years. In a universe apparently governed by physical laws, is it possible for individuals to be responsible for their own actions? Or are our lives simply proceeding along preordained paths? Determinism - the doctrine that every event is the inevitable consequence of what goes before - seems to suggest so. Many intellectuals have concluded that free will is logically impossible. The philosopher Baruch Spinoza regarded it as a delusion. Albert Einstein wrote: "Human beings, in their thinking, feeling and acting are not free agents but are as causally bound as the stars in their motion." But in the Enlightenment, philosophers including David Hume found ways in which free will and determinism could be reconciled. Recent scientific developments mean that this debate remains as lively today as it was in the ancient world. With: Simon Blackburn Bertrand Russell Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge Helen Beebee Professor of Philosophy at the University of Birmingham Galen Strawson Professor of Philosophy at the University of Reading Producer: Thomas Morris

What if a device could tell you exactly how satisfied you’d be with any decision? What if you could carry the future around in your pocket? What if you never had to say “what if” again? Performed by Tallie Medel and Tim Platt, with Kelsey Bailey. Written by Becca Schall, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

Fundamental forces of physics somehow determine everything that happens, “from the birth of a child to the birth of a galaxy.” Yet physicist Leonard Mlodinow has an intriguing perspective on the gap between theory and reality — and the fascinating interplay between a life in science and life in the world. As the child of two Holocaust survivors, he asks questions about our capacity to create our lives, while reflecting on extreme human cruelty — and courage.

Adela chats with a guest co-host, Zachary Davis, about the Free Will podcast listening list, which featured episodes that explore free will through various lenses, including science, philosophy, religion, and stories. This is what we talked about: Free Will podcast listening list Lyceum – an educational audio platform Zach’s podcast picks: The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong by Mark Chrisler Words for Granted (on etymology) by Ray Belli This month’s playlist was sponsored by the Odd Ball podcast. Get involved in the podcast discussion! Find out how Podcast Brunch Club works. Join PBC: newsletter, in-person chapter, Facebook Group, twitter, instagram, subreddit Join Audible Feast: website, newsletter, Facebook, twitter Audio editing and production by Stevie Zampanti of Conceptual Podcasting. Music included in this episode was “Rainbow” by Chad Crouch and “Paradise” by Misael Gauna. Support Podcast Brunch Club Current Supporters include: Critical Frequency – “a podcast network for everyone else” Podchaser – “the IMDb of podcasts” Audioboom – originals that are funny, inspiring, entertaining and thought-provoking Podyssey – an online community for podcast lovers (aka “the Goodreads for podcasts”) Bullhorn – podcast listening any way you want it Listen Notes – “the best podcast search engine” Podbean – use the code “pbc” for one month free on podcast hosting The Venn – a weekly list of handpicked, unbiased political podcasts Lantigua Williams & Co – the production team behind podcasts like Latina to Latina, 70 Million, & Feeling My Flo