Should We Stay or Should We Go | Lionel Shriver (Rebroadcast)
When is death preferable to living? Are there fates worse than death? And what sort of future society should we build?Lionel Shriver discusses her latest novel, Should We Stay or Should We Go.
Should you be required to get a parental license from the State before you can raise your own children? Do the wishes of parents matter at all – or should we only care about the best interests of their children?
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Can AI Bring Our Loved Ones Back? Inside Reflekta AI’s Digital Afterlife | Miles Spencer
In this special episode of Brain in a Vat, we step outside our usual format to interview Miles Spencer, founder of Reflekta — a company using cutting-edge AI to recreate digital reflections of loved ones who’ve passed away.Miles shares his personal journey of using Reflekta to reconnect with his late father and explains how the system blends voice recordings, photos, and written biographies to create realistic digital personas. The discussion covers the emotional impact, ethical questions, and philosophical issues raised by this technology, from preserving family memories to reviving historical or fictional figures.We also consider what it means to build a living legacy in the age of AI, and how this might change the way we understand grief, identity, and memory.Chapters:[00:00] Introduction[00:15] Meet Miles Spencer, Founder of Reflector AI[03:07] How the Technology Works[07:12] Philosophical Implications of Digital Afterlife[15:29] Living Legacies and Ethical Boundaries[23:12] Historical and Public Figures[26:33] Family, Memory, and AI Elders[33:17] Reflections on “The Rehearsal” and Reality[42:31] Future Implications[47:54] Legacy, Spirit, and the Human Story[51:21] Closing Thoughts
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Cultural Appropriation | Stephen Kershnar (Rebroadcast)
Is it permissible for members of one group to appropriate the cultural practices of another? Is there anything wrong with cultural appropriation at all, or are there benefits to cultural appropriation?
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Aztec Philosophy: What the Aztecs Knew About Life | Sebastian Purcell
How did the Aztecs understand life, morality, and human purpose? What can Aztec philosophy teach us about living well? Sebastian Purcell guides us through Aztec thought, beginning with a thought experiment from Homer’s Odyssey and moving into the core ideas of Aztec wisdom. Along the way, he contrasts Aztec ethics with Western traditions and applies them to modern debates on morality, from sex and meat consumption to life’s ultimate purpose. The conversation also takes on difficult topics like human sacrifice and sexual norms, showing how Aztec thought continues to challenge and enrich philosophy today.Chapters:[00:32] Odysseus and the Genie: A Thought Experiment[04:40] The Concept of Rootedness[08:17] Aztec Obligations and the Good Life[19:12] Shared Agency and Virtue[27:51] The Challenge of Community Bubbles[28:58] Aztec Views on Community and Travel[32:44] Human Sacrifice: Myth or Reality?[48:51] Aztec Moral Framework and Applied Ethics[53:03] Sexual Ethics in Aztec Society[57:06] Conclusion and Final Thoughts
South Africa