Understanding and Expanding Consciousness with Dr. Christof Koch

Inquiring Minds

Science, Society & Culture, Neuroscience, Female Host, Interview, Social Sciences, Critical Thinking

4.4 • 848 Ratings

🗓️ 7 May 2024

⏱️ 43 minutes

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Summary

In yet another thoroughly intriguing episode, Indre engages with renowned neuroscientist Christof Koch this week to explore the complexities of consciousness and its impact on our understanding of self and free will. Koch, a pivotal figure in the field who worked alongside the legendary Francis Crick to pioneer the study of neural correlates of consciousness, shares a wealth of both personal experiences and scientific insights here today. Together with Indre, he introduces concepts discussed in his latest book, Then I Am Myself the World: What Consciousness Is and How to Expand It, and also examines the practical applications of these theories in comprehending human cognition and the futuristic possibility of an 'uber mind' through technological innovations. As will become readily apparent, today's episode invites listeners to rethink the limits of their own minds and the interconnectedness of all conscious entities, promoting a profound inquiry into the expansive universe of the mind as well as its significant influence on both our perception of reality and our role within it. Links: Inquiring Minds Homepage: https://inquiring.show/ Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds See https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information Get to know Christof better: https://christofkoch.com/

Transcript

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0:00.0	You and Betty and the Nancy's and Bill's and Joes and Jane's will find in the study of science
0:06.4	a richer, more rewarding life.
0:10.3	Hey, welcome to Inquiring Minds. I'm Indrae Viscontas.
0:13.9	This is a podcast where we explore the space where science and society collides.
0:18.9	We want to find out what's true, what's left to discover,
0:21.6	and why it matters. What matters more to most of us than what we see? What matters more
0:32.1	to most of us than anything else is ourself. Not that we're narcissistic, but if you've ever felt death
0:40.8	anxiety or had an existential crisis, you'll know what I mean. We fear losing our sense of self,
0:48.8	our subjective experience of consciousness, because it's hard to imagine existing if it's not there.
0:55.9	Now, imagine you're someone who has built a career mapping the neural correlates of consciousness,
1:02.5	literally devoting your scientific life to understanding it.
1:06.5	What happens when you realize that you can still be highly conscious, but also face the dissolution
1:13.8	of yourself? That's what we're going to find out on today's episode featuring neuroscientist
1:19.3	Christoph Cook, whose new book, Then I Am Myself the World, describes a prominent theory of
1:26.0	consciousness and then goes on to explain how to expand
1:29.2	it. Christoph Koch is a neuroscientist at the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle,
1:34.7	where he previously served as president, and he's also a former professor from Caltech.
1:40.6	He's had an influential career, arguably launching the study of the neural correlates of consciousness
1:47.1	when he published a framework for studying it back in 2003 with Francis Crick, who shares
1:52.7	the Nobel Prize for discovering the structure of DNA.
1:59.5	Christoph Koch, welcome to Inquiring Minds.
2:02.3	Thank you very much for having me on in.
	...

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