In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with Walter Veit about the science and philosophy of consciousness. Walter is an interdisciplinary scientist and philosopher who is currently completing his PhD dissertation at the University of Sydney, Au

67. Animal Ethics (with Dr. Heather Browning)

Apr 13th, 2021 1h 8m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with Dr. Heather Browning about animal ethics. Dr. Browning received her PhD from the Australian National University in 2020 and is currently a postdoctoral research officer at the London School of Economi

66. Extremism (with Professor Quassim Cassam)

Apr 9th, 2021 1h 28m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with the philosopher Quassim Cassam on the topic of extremism. Dr. Cassam is a professor of philosophy at the University of Warwick and has made contributions to many different areas of the field. A lot of

65. Entering the Matrix

Apr 3rd, 2021 48m 15s

In this episode I discuss virtual reality technology. Here are a few links to relevant articles:

64. The Purpose of Life (with Brad Turner)

Mar 14th, 2021 1h 28m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with my brother Brad Turner about Buddhism, the purpose of life, the possibility of the afterlife, the existence (or nonexistence) of God, the concept of rebirth and nirvana, and the nature of consciousnes

63. The Scattered Unity of Youth

Mar 3rd, 2021 7m 50s

In this episode I read a few poems that I’ve written. The text of the poems can be found at the following link:

62. The Precipice

Mar 1st, 2021 45m 28s

In this episode I discuss the idea that we are currently living in an age of heightened existential risk. Here are links to articles/books that I reference in the episode: The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity (Toby Ord 202

61. The AI Revolution

Feb 8th, 2021 37m 8s

In this episode I discuss the topic of artificial intelligence and automation. Here are links to articles that I reference in the episode: GPT–3 Guardian Article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/08/robot-wrote-this-article-gp

60. The Dangers of Digital Performance

Feb 6th, 2021 20m 53s

In this episode I discuss how social media is deranging society and democracy by turning all of human communication into a public performance.

59. Schadenfreude and Authoritarianism (with Professor Susanna Siegel)

Sep 4th, 2020 1h 35m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with Professor Susanna Siegel. Dr. Siegel is the Edgar Pierce Professor of philosophy at Harvard University. She has made significant contributions in many different fields of philosophy, and is especiall

58. The Commodification of Civilization (with Darian Spearman)

Aug 27th, 2020 2h

In this episode of Tent Talks, I have a wide ranging conversation with my friend Darian Spearman about many different topics, including healthcare, 2020 politics and culture, capitalism, social media, and the state of contemporary journalism.

57. The Nature of Democracy (with Professor Michael Morrell)

Jul 23rd, 2020 1h 17m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with professor Michael Morrell about the nature of democracy. Dr. Morrell is currently a political science professor at the University of Connecticut. He received his PhD in political science from Arizon

56. The Extended Mind (with Hunter Gentry)

Jul 18th, 2020 1h 13m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with Hunter Gentry about the so-called extended mind thesis in philosophy. Hunter received his master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Houston, and is currently a PhD student in philosophy at

55. Buddhism, Karma, and Consciousness (with Brad Turner)

Jul 11th, 2020 1h 19m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with my brother Brad (aka B-rad 3) about Buddhism, the idea of karma, and the metaphysics of consciousness.

54. The VSBRO App and What It’s Like to Go Viral (with Andrew Burns)

Jul 2nd, 2020 1h 10m

In this episode of Tent Talks I speak with my former student Andrew Burns about a popular app that he created. Andrew is a rising senior at the University of Connecticut, and a computer science major. This past spring Andrew and a few of his f

53. Anarchism (with Eric Berg)

Jun 11th, 2020 1h 24m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with my colleague Eric Berg about anarchism. Eric is a self-described anarchist and is currently a PhD student in philosophy at the University of Connecticut. Here we talk about many different things rel

52. Party in the Storm #4 (with Madame Z)

Jun 9th, 2020 43m 39s

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with my friend Madame Z about a variety of topics, including the coronavirus, 2020 politics, and robots that feed off of biological matter!

51. Echo Chambers and Open-Mindedness

Jun 6th, 2020 17m 59s

In this episode of Tent Talks, I talk about the pros and the potential cons of open-mindedness, particularly in the current informational environment and cultural moment that we are living in.

50. Mindfulness and the Attention Economy (with Benji Buchanan)

Mar 8th, 2020 1h 19m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with my friend Benji Buchanan. Benji is an entrepreneur and currently a computer science student at the University of Connecticut. We talk about a range topics, including Benji’s experience in the military

49. The Young Democratic Centrists of America (with Gundy)

Feb 29th, 2020 1h 27m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with my friend Gundy about contemporary US politics and the 2020 election. Gundy has worked as a campaign staffer for the Pete Buttigieg campaign the past 8 months or so. He explains to me what his experie

48. Is the Universe Conscious? (with Professor Philip Goff)

Feb 29th, 2020 1h 11m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with Dr. Philip Goff, who is a professor of philosophy at Durham University. Professor Goff’s research focuses on the philosophy of consciousness and the question of how to integrate consciousness into ou

47. The Young Democratic Socialists of America (with Tori Zane and Gino De Angelis)

Feb 22nd, 2020 2h 7m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with Zori Lane and Gino De Angelis, who are the leaders of the University of Connecticut chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America. We discuss many topics, including socialism versus capitalis

46. Terrorism (with Professor Evan Perkoski)

Feb 20th, 2020 1h 9m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with Professor Evan Perkoski. Dr. Perkoski is a professor of Political Science at the University of Connecticut whose research focuses on terrorism and insurgency. Topics discussed include: terrorist techn

45. Nazi Germany and the Holocaust (with Professor Charles Lansing)

Feb 11th, 2020 1h 11m

In this episode of Tent Talks, I speak with Professor Charles Lansing about Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. Dr. Lansing is an associate professor of history at the University of Connecticut. His research focuses on Germany in the nineteenth a

44. Party in the Storm #3 (with Jacob Coverdale and RJ Silverio)

Feb 2nd, 2020 2h 42m

In this Party in the Storm episode, I speak my friends Jacob Coverdale and RJ Silverio about everything under the sun: philosophy, culture, politics, and beyond.