The Brain and Consciousness
In Our Time
BBC
4.6 • 9.9K Ratings
🗓️ 19 November 1998
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how our increased knowledge of the functioning of the brain and the mechanisms of memory in the 20th century has changed our feelings about our own natures, and our approach to the behaviour and treatment of others.Many questions have been thrown up this century by our growing knowledge about how the brain and the mind function. How easy is it to establish the relationship between the two, and what light can this relationship throw on our understanding of our own and others natures? With Steven Rose, Professor of Biology and Director of the Brain and Behaviour Research Group, Open University, Dan Robinson, Distinguished Research Professor, Georgetown University and visiting lecturer in Philosophy and Senior Member of Linacre College, Oxford University.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Thanks for downloading the in-artime podcast. For more details about in-artime and for our terms of use |
| 0:05.4 | Please go to bbc.co.uk forward slash radio for. I hope you enjoy the program |
| 0:11.9 | Hello, as the century progresses |
| 0:13.7 | So our knowledge of the function of the brain has accelerated promising to change our view of our own nature and our approach to the behavior and |
| 0:20.7 | Treatment of others with me to discuss this our Stephen Rose professor of biology and director of the brain and behavior research group at the open university |
| 0:29.0 | Where he researches the cellular and molecular mechanisms of memory |
| 0:32.5 | He's the author of 15 books including the chemistry of life and the making of memory and he's most recently edited to collection of essays on the new |
| 0:40.3 | Signs of the mind called from brains to consciousness and |
| 0:44.4 | Dan Robinson who's distinguished research professor at Georgetown University and |
| 0:48.8 | Occasional visiting lecture and philosophy at Oxford University his books include an intellectual history of psychology |
| 0:54.7 | Wildebeests and idle humours the insanity defense from antiquated to the present last month |
| 0:59.8 | The edited a series of essays on the mind and this evening he's taking part in a debate at the London School of economics on our brains |
| 1:07.0 | Computers Stephen Rose could you give us a thumbnail update on is it where the latest lines of engagement in the brain mind debate? |
| 1:14.9 | Well, we're coming to the end of what the Americans call the decade of the brain |
| 1:19.4 | It's an extraordinary time to be alive as a neuroscientist because there's a flood of data coming in everything from the |
| 1:26.1 | Molecular to the brain imaging in terms of the way that brains function and I think that more and more |
| 1:32.1 | Neuroscientists are becoming sufficiently |
| 1:34.4 | Confident or arrogant that they will be able to explain everything not just from memory |
| 1:39.2 | But even to consciousness in terms of brain processes and where does the mind come in that? I think there are a lot of neuroscientists or |
| 1:47.0 | if you like |
| 1:49.0 | Completely hard-wired reductionists in the sense that they will eliminate the mind from discussion entirely and yet and yet |
| 1:55.0 | I really feel there are great problems about this and what we lack |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.