Are humans just a mere collection of atoms, arranged just so, or is the “self” something that transcends the physical world? This question goes all the way back to Plato and Aristotle, but Rene Descartes kicked off the modern debate in his famous “Meditations on First Philosophy.” In this episode we take a look at the arguments for and against “dualism,” or the idea that minds and bodies are different things. We talk about substance dualism, property dualism and review the latest philosophical research on the mind-body problem. We also take a look at how zombies can help us figure out philosophical problems, what Paco’s new toothbrush can tell us about consciousness and whether you’d be able to buy snacks if you worked inside a thought experiment.