Rationally speaking is a presentation of New York City skeptics dedicated to promoting critical thinking, skeptical inquiry, and science education.

For more information, please visit us at NYCCEceptics.org.

Welcome to Rationally Speaking, the podcast where we explore the borderlands between reason and

nonsense. I'm your host, Massimo Piliucci, and with me, as always, is my co-host, Julia Gileff.

Julia, what are we going to talk about today?

Well, Massimo, we are welcoming back, returning guest Rebecca Goldstein, professional philosopher and author of 10 books now, including most recently Plato at the Googleplex, which I hope we'll have the opportunity to discuss today.

Rebecca's background is originally in philosophy of science. She did her PhD at Princeton, and it has taught at Barnard College, among other universities.

She is the recipient of the coveted prestigious MacArthur Genius Grant.

But even more impressively, she was formerly a guest on the rationally speaking podcast,

and we're delighted to have her back.

Welcome, Rebecca.

Thank you.

So among other things, I'm looking forward to talking about your most recent book that just came out this year called Plato at the Googleplex.

Why Philosophy Won't Go Away, which I quite enjoyed.

I've been quite impressed at how richly you've brought back to life, the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, to the extent

not only of imagining what Myers-Briggs personality type he would be if he were to take

the Myers-Briggs test, but down to like how he would answer every question on the Myers-Briggs test.

That's when I knew you were serious with this resurrection process.

So how did the idea come by anyway?

Why Plato and why the Googleplex?

Yes, right.

Well, mostly I've been thinking about this question that I know you've been thinking about a great deal, both of you, which is

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