Alan Alda with Robert Sapolsky of Stanford University - EXTENDED

Throughout his science investigative career, Alan Alda has met with Dr. Sapolsky several times. In this video they discuss what Neuroscience could contribute to the alternatives to incarceration: rehabilitation, therapy, and more. Dr. Sapolksy is well-known for his early work studying primates in Kenya. His current research revolves around stress levels and the relationship with neurodegeneration.
In this extended version, Alan asks Sapolsky his views about free will, morality, and what outside factors could contribute to making a person break the law.
For more videos and other content, go to: brainsontrial.com

[@needicecream100]

My lack of free will brought me here. I just can't resist a good Sapolsky video.

[@muffinspuffinsEE]

Hahahah +9000

[@AcquiredCents]

+Emmet Me too, but I CHOSE to click it. Why? Previous influences. HAHA! Funny how it works, so counter-intuitive for the religious. One life is a lot to cope with, I see it as AWESOME. Lucky to be 'conscious'.

[@meh1294]

This comment makes me cringe and have hope at the same time maybe, one day this kind of talk would be the norm

[@mzewhymbona4377]

Haha!! you are not alone buddy

[@coreycox2345]

Same here. We must be pre-programmed.

[@socdemigod]

sapolsky is the man. the human behavioral biology lecture series (free on youtube) is life changing. hope to see him lecture in person or get a chance to talk to him at some point.

[@pramodl.s.4930]

Once I received a reply for my mail from Dr. Sapolsky .... Goodness....

[@debysteele6846]

I agree. What a great mind.

[@ataraxia7439]

What did he say?

[@r.b.4611]

Alan Alda is a good interviewer, pertinent and a good mix of obvious and subtle questions, and Salpolsky is just great and his beard reflects that.

[@BenState]

dumb as shit if you think he asked pertinent questions.

[@nge1301]

I think Alan's questions hint at him not fully grasping Sapolsky's point. He often made the same question with a mere difference in wording. It's a good thing though, because it gives Sapolsky a chance to elaborate and be more didactic.

[@illmatc]

man, I could listen to Robert for hours

[@grifis1979]

+illmatc I DO listen to him for hours :D

[@zabelicious]

I have watched all of his lectures.. twice!

[@metanumia]

I can and I have, and am reading his newest book, I recommend you do too. It's titled "Behave". Great read so far! :)

[@reinhardstadler7722]

+zabelicious me too....Reinhard,Innsbruck,Austria

[@batuhan3095]

@@zabelicious did u take notes

[@DanNguyen-xd6wg]

Robert Sapolsky is once in a lifetime philosopher or whatever you want to call him. I can listen to this man lectures for hours and hours without being bored. What a national treasure.

[@sagarbhattarai8161]

A Global treasure rather.

[@fortyseventhronin]

What a relief. Finally someone else who thinks labeling human beings "good" and "evil" is just absurd.

[@selvamthiagarajan8152]

This man helped me abandon the long held view that it is a dog eat dog world.

[@A.K.00]

@@selvamthiagarajan8152 true. There is a particular kind of people who believe competition, oppression is the way to go. They also believe in judging people and things in life as good and bad. Beware of these kind since they will take society backwards. Let’s hope to make society more compassionate, inclusive and open-minded .

[@internetfasting80085]

the labeling works as a quick-action decision tree user interface. Its only failing is the complexities of life being so minute that when using such a paradigm, ones "scans" for dividion could "overlap" (remainders of___). Which would cause a false positive, or mislabeling of an object or action as its opposite.

[@gomer2813]

You can see him do it constantly in his own lectures. Like all people, he finds certain humans evil, and certain ones, good.

[@serpentines6356]

​@@A.K.00 Yeah, but not so open even some Profs talk so silly, and do sound like their brains are falling out. It's getting darn insane.

[@MorganEarlJones]

This is the most informative beard close-up ever.

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Sapolsky is so chill and articulate - a breath of fresh air in a world of overly emotional an agitated fast talkers.

[@pooplenepe59]

"I think it needs to be torn apart from top to bottom, which is not meaning that we do not have to restrain people. A car whose brakes are broken is a very dangerous machine and we have a societal responsibility to make sure it doesn't go rolling through the playground of a preschool. But the car was not sinful if its brakes failed. "

[@EarlLedden]

You assume the car analogy is a fair one but but a car is mechanical; the brain can think.

[@shivamkimothi2441]

@@EarlLedden We don't have much control on our thinking too. Sapolsky explains that in the video where he says that even a small thing like the mental state of your mother when she was pregnant with you has a great influence over how you turn out to be. Similarly, there are a lot of factors out of your control that determine what kind of a person you are and what kind of thoughts you have.

[@lowbrowrodeo]

@@EarlLedden The broken car is a comparison to a broken brain. If the frontal cortex is damaged foreseeing consequences and even conscience is affected. So yes, it is a fair comparison.

[@selvamthiagarajan8152]

Analogy with inanimate objects and animals to explain human conditions and behaviours is absurd and juvenile at best.

[@nedsswmmingpool]

@@selvamthiagarajan8152 Not to be too reductivist, but what do you think gives rise to human thought and behavior? The human brain is maybe the most complex and mysterious inanimate object in existence, but it is still a machine that is subject to breaking down and functioning in ways that can be explained by physical laws and environmental factors

[@UserName-nx6mc]

I like how this interview is done in front of Rodin's "The Gates Of Hell"; I find it quite fitting.

[@hightidesmrforever2themoon449]

User Name, as do i

[@metanumia]

Hahaha, awesome, thanks for this astute observation! :)

[@mattheww797]

yes because they are going to hell for talking blasphemy against free will. Disgusting

[@garret1930]

@@mattheww797 someone here had a different environment than the rest.

[@JJ-ls8jo]

@@mattheww797 Oh do shut up you ignorant human. 🤐

[@peakimages]

I am amazed by the uplifting and generous intellect of this man. I want to watch all of his lectures. And Alan Alda is a peach of a person too.

[@dhoot92]

mark my words. sapolsky is the most prolific thinker of our generation. be the person that appreciated his brilliance before it became a trend

[@AlexanderStemkowski]

...and it does have become a trend indeed 🤗

[@selvamthiagarajan8152]

Heard the same said about Jordan Peterson. Hope Sapolsky doesn’t delve into politics and religion.

[@jacoblehrer4198]

@@selvamthiagarajan8152 Jordan Peterson is the fool's intellectual. Robert is more of the real deal.

[@meyerjac]

Sapolsky is my hero.

[@danielt.4330]

Join the club!

[@selvamthiagarajan8152]

How does he compare with Sam Harris or Jordan Peterson?

[@meyerjac]

@@selvamthiagarajan8152 He was on Harris's podcast so you can decide for yourself. Compared to Peterson he is a much more hard science focused lecturer but also reveals deep fundamental shit about reality.

[@selvamthiagarajan8152]

@@meyerjac Thank you for your reply

[@tatianahawaii13]

@@meyerjac ♥️

[@twinboost]

compassion is often overlooked...

[@PC.NickRowan]

In what sense? Not that I'm disagreeing or arguing with you, I'm actually very interested in what you have to say, I just don't know personally what you mean by that.

[@chrisfrankford8899]

@@PC.NickRowan Most of their discussion is about compassion for those who are jailed for something they couldn't help . It is not often debated like this. But it should be.

[@SerWhiskeyfeet]

This is the best interview I've ever seen in my life. These ideas are incredibly radical for the vast majority of people in this day and age. I would say that the notion of free will as an idea that is essentially nonexistent is more controversial than the theory of evolution. Dr. Sapolsky's right though, we aren't ready yet to accept this as fact. I think the start of implementing neuroscience into the justice systems starts with the interpretation of laws, and not the laws themselves. It would be incredibly challenging to define the healthy behavior of neurons, especially if the absence of free will is a universal application. How can you justify distributing punishment if everyone is technically unaccountable for their actions?

[@veronicachristopher9321]

Alda and Sapolsky in the same vicinity, just wow. That is true greatness right there ❤

[@eduardos.366]

As usual, Sapolsky is superb.

[@ludakriss9094]

Thank you. So much.

[@begeniusnepal323]

Why he has't been awarded a Nobel prize?

[@tomservo5007]

Please Robert, narrate your audio-books

[@edgarvilleda593]

I would pay extra for that

[@theofficialness578]

Yes

[@larryparker8677]

Alan Alda did a terrific interview with today. Dr. Sapolsky did a terrific commentary of tomorrow. The problem remains are you in prison for punishment or rehabilitation. I believe they both touched on this without the solution. It probably will evolve to both being the answer with punishment becoming less as we understand the correctness through rehabilitation.

[@sandraseeper]

Dr.Sapolsky makes neuroscience topics, another important casual conversation, totally enjoyed lectures and interview

[@SlotMachineSergei]

If you have not done so already, check out his book “Behave”. It is awesome!

[@bovinejonie3745]

This has been one of the most powerful human interactions ever recorded. The Attorney General needs to take this to heart.

[@larsekman8244]

Yeah, good luck with that... it seems Sessions is pretty keen on this retribution thing. And that's actually an interesting point. I think Sapolsky would agree that human beings have a built-in desire to retribute. It goes hand in hand with the tit-for-tat strategy that most animals have for cooperative behavior. And this built-in desire for retribution has to be contended with. In other words, we need a justice system that strikes a balance between the medical possibilities of rehabilitation but also satisfies the desire for retribution by crime victims and society at large. If we treat all criminals as purely medical cases then the need for retribution won't be satisfied, which would lead to people losing faith in judicial institutions, which would lead to societal collapse in the long run (i.e., not an optimal outcome).

[@AceofDlamonds]

@@larsekman8244 I would respond to that by saying Sapolsky isn't saying keep them in hospitals instead of jail or anything. Some countries have uncomfortably lenient prisons for some very big crimes but society there hasnt broken down. Even in the US being imprisoned itself (losing freedoms) is regarded as the primary punishment, so I don't think it's a huge stretch for society to accept, so long as the offenders aren't roaming around unchecked.

[@richardlam9465]

​@@AceofDlamonds Exactly!

[@serpentines6356]

​@@richardlam9465 I don't know if I agree. I think the guy cleaning up the gang mess in El Salvadore right now is quite interesting. We shall see. Rehabilitation for those that can be. But, some are so far gone, and for horrid crimes, I think we do need the death penalty.

[@mmakkann]

I’m Sapolskified, can’t stop watching him

[@con.troller4183]

OK, face it. The real lesson of this video is how much taller Alan Alda is than we thought OR how much shorter Robert Saplosky is than we thought. The rest of it is all very interesting and enlightening too.

[@douglaswoosley5529]

IM STUDYING BOOKS ON THE BRAIN AND THIS IS WHAT I NEED TO HELP ME LEARN THANKS AND GOD BLESS.

[@direwolf9569]

What a marvelous pair to listen to converse.

[@vbgthashit]

Just brilliant, another way of seeing life and the justice system....a brilliant mind giving a different point of view about life and your frontal cortex

[@dianagamez76]

Brilliant mind. Another great video.

[@theAmygdalaiLama]

because of this truth, the jails must be NICER, not abusive. Prisoners should be safe.

[@wc6423]

Jeff McGuire are you going to pay for that!! people know right from wrong, the fact that it is a petty crime still makes it a crime no excuses. Prison needs harsher time when they are there such as no tv, no gym, limit all interactions where most drug smuggling occurs and give em shitty food. People view this and will not risk it!

[@soulscanner66]

A harsher prison system costs more. The security measures are expensive, you'll need more expensive guards and super-expensive surveillance and torture equipment, you'll be required to house the prisoners longer, the prisoners will commit more crime when they get out, and they'll be more likely to got to jail again. Harsh prison systems are too expensive.

[@shitmagician9519]

You're an asshole lmao

[@ram29jackson]

thats actually pretty dumb.. youve already confined their space and time.. letting them watch tv and exercise ..treating them human should happen in abundance... most laws are in fact controlling bullshit and not worth the sentence given

[@ihatespam2]

Guess you didn't understand the video.

[@lindakautzman7388]

Alan Alda is asking surprisingly smart and nuanced questions. Kudos

[@marisalombardi385]

The one and only Alan Alda... ❤❤❤

[@deadman746]

This is the most impressed I have been with Alda since his monologue show in the Korean household.

[@MisterBinx]

I've realized what Robert is saying for a long time. No one can really control who they are. Psychopaths are what they are. Same with good caring people. I think if we at least admit this and stop just writing these people off as "evil" maybe we can treat people with no empathy. What if we had a cure that could prevent someone from going on a killing spree? That would really make society more peaceful.

[@ataraxia7439]

It would be nice to live in a world where we never have to hate anyone for doing bad things, just disappointed and concerned that their genes+environment lead them to that point. We could be caring about everyone and everyone could be caring about you.

[@dalucas]

Awesome!!! Finally, some sense!!

[@sherlockholmeslives.1605]

To just be able to think on the spot like that, both of them, especially Rob Sapolsky, that really is clever!

[@IneffableLifestyle]

Thanks for uploading this, very interesting :)

[@simonyricools]

Beautifully shot.

[@martinburrows6844]

😂

[@tomscerbo1588]

This professor is born teacher! I'm in awe of his incredible intellect! Alan Alda is formidable intellect!🤔😲🇮🇱🇮🇹

[@anthonyoshea5362]

Doing bobs lecture series free from youtube so im proud to say hes my teacher. Love from Ireland.

[@JevoKitano]

"The Gates Of Hell" in the background - perfect. :D

[@hero9402]

By listening to this conversation I understand more and more the meaning of "We as humans are flawed creatures"

[@rwtf112sm]

I can't agree more with everything Sapolsky says in this video

[@sonjatheierl1]

Such a kind heart

[@janbagley5292]

Just love this man.

[@tobyjack9608]

What an amazingly 'soothing for the brain' dialogue tone. It's better than study music :)

[@alicangemuhluoglu8768]

Best way to sleep

[@VideographerExperience]

*"The whole system has to go.* The modem criminal justice system is *incompatible with neuroscience.* It simply is not possible to have the two of them in the same room." ~ *Robert Sapolsky*

[@redyanira]

This man is stunning!!! i love to watch his videos.

[@5Gazto]

I didn't cry watching this video. Damn.

[@Tr33Tr331]

Scientific research definitely should be considered when judges are deciding on sentencing for people who commit criminal acts, also more help and rehabilitation for incarcerated inmates would give the ones who can actually change for better another chance at doing right. How can a Judge not be bias on circumstances or situations they have faced, whether good or bad? The Judicial System has its flaws and many great individuals suffer from their lack of understanding on human psychology...great lecture Mr. Sapolsky

[@AtypicalPaul]

Really enjoyed listening to Robert

[@Byenia]

This is an interesting conversation. It's a huge question as to how to direct our society and our criminal justice system in light of new information and ongoing scientific inquiries. I won't claim to know the way forward, but we can see our current setup is no longer sufficient for handling what's becoming of modern reality.

[@IIllytch321nonadinfinitum]

More conversation like this will help us as a human race.

[@tobyjack9608]

Those two could be reciting the times tables and my ears would like it.

[@selvamthiagarajan8152]

Good one, made me smile. :)

[@pooplenepe59]

The discussion of what to do with violent people only applies to some of the prison population - many people in prison are non-violent drug users who go to jail for smoking the same substances that celebrities use with no consequences.

[@1boyify]

Wow beautiful conversation ! I love this professor 💜 very knowledgeable and wise man!🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋🌋

[@alcosmic]

Thank you

[@suddenuprising]

Robert Sapolsky is the man!

[@hollywright3610]

Truly a great teacher. He makes learning a pure joy and with humor our LTP jumps with neurons getting bigger and growing painlessly . I am hooked!

[@xemy1010]

Great man, great mind

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

Lumitopia - Great beard!

[@nomadazm]

rock on!!!! love it love it love it love it!!! SHARE THIS IF YOU WANT A BETTER WORLD!!!

[@attheranch873]

Excellent!!!

[@amitsoni2774]

Anybody still watching this in May 2019? Should we have a place/group to discuss such elegant thoughts with like-minded people?

[@amitsoni2774]

@Feiner Fug it's less about intelligence and more about passion. What do you think a correct platform would be? G. Hangout?

[@theofficialness578]

I’m interested even though your comment is 4y old.

[@bicycleutopia]

starting at 17:00 minutes -- wow!!!

[@555Trout]

Profound ideas here. And so difficult to formulate a new system.

[@MasterTaiki]

I remember reading that something had to be illegal as a way to bring risk to the behavior. For example, stealing is risky because you'll be fined more for than what you stole. So you have to consider the risk and punishment, rather than the reward. I forgot what the two ideologies were of law.

[@themissingslink7199]

What do you do with people who have a frontal cortex that is damaged beyond repair?

[@mytubedmg]

"Garbage In-Garbage Out" in my experience. I'd like to see more conscious-thinking going on in this world. More, conscious-parenting. Greater acceptance of mindfulness practices for mental-health, self-care. Healing of trauma, early in life-before the pain, leads us towards thinking and actions of criminality.

[@kernalofficial6960]

Robert Sapolsky WHO teach ME A LOT about life

[@davidanderson9664]

Listen to Sapolsky on Sam Harris' podcast - pure gold. D.A., J.D., NYC

[@janvanruth3485]

alda is a great interviewer

[@sanaaleealice6781]

I am soooo HAPPY to have lived in the same time this man is living! I need no prophets when I listen to him, it all makes total sense who said you must be religious to know how to be fair he is atheist and I was born muslim and when intelligence speaks I bow 🙇‍♀️

[@hamzapower4403]

What wait what !!! So basically you studied Islam and you bow to God because you find it true and it makes sense and you know that this life is temporarily like when you was in the belly of your mother this life was temporarily and when you borned you started a new journey. When you tell us that you need no Prophets as a Muslim do you know what the prophet and scholars reported about it. Free will in Islam !!! Look it up sister it all makes sense...

[@VeryApe111]

Thanks to the camera man/woman for making me have to re-watch 10.25 - 11.05

[@gsilcoful]

Two brilliant guys.

[@tomscerbo1588]

🇮🇹🇮🇱

[@francoisamsallem]

MUST WATCH! MUST LIKE! MUST COMMENT! MUST SHARE! If interested in living in and leaving behind a better world!

[@oliviawynter7562]

Love him.

[@rocketman475]

Agree with R.S. The law & it's punishments should not be about the condemnation of people. Yes, Remove them, to diminish their ability to harm others, while urgently trying to get understanding about the origins of such behaviours with a view to preventing them in future & in others.

[@prettyprudent5779]

“Damaged machine”; I think that’ll stay with me. I’ve never viewed others that way. An interesting thought.

[@imaxus1128]

The question then is: What would an undamaged machine look like?

[@ihatespam2]

Well, we are machines, with various amounts of damage, and good and bad enviroments.

[@GachPawlowicz]

two great human brains.

[@stevem.o.1185]

I love the allegory of the "Dry lacrimal glands" extenuating circumstance in the witch trials! Just commenting so I remember where I heard it first!

[@davidwilkie9551]

The only reason for half agreeing with a lack of free will is because we occupy one parallel positioning-location condensation modulation in/of the Uni - sync-duration Superspin verse, and because the lack of availability to simultaneously be precisely somewhere else is the i-reflection containment of everything else in condensation modulation superposition-quantization. Not sure if this is simply contrarian because this is how discussion processes information In-form-ation substantiation, or just wanders off in mutual non compression.

[@Kefir-fw2qf]

Yes, i love mr. Sapolsky it is obvious. But i believe that the interviewer and camera men done a superb job. I think that they should know how good they where. Thank you!

[@lindakautzman7388]

I agree

[@Hiphop101ize]

"berserkley imprudent with your rooks while playing chess" lol

[@superoxidedismutase5757]

there is no good or evil ; there is simply behavior as a manifestation of neurophysiology

[@weewilly2007]

Should look into Sapolsky gait. The slight kick or fling forward of his feet as he walks. Calls to mind the kind of people who kick the seat in front of them when riding in buses. Why DO some of us do that anyway? Any research done into that?

[@chillicheesedogsable]

Stanford is so beautiful! Oh my god!

[@laserprawn]

@Zombie Jesus I guess that would be a result of colonialism then, right?

[@swalexander6218]

The only one way to replace judgmentalism is prevention, and making sure pregnant mothers eat right and have no stress, and prevent child abuse.

[@SamBassComedy]

I would love to know why I didn't turn out so bad. I had a terrible childhood, lots of stress due to poverty and a bad parent, yet I never went into a life of crime and even solved my anger issues on my own before I was 18. I wonder why I'm different?

[@SamBassComedy]

***** I was definitely much more logical about how I approached life than everyone else around me. But that wasn't my point, there are tons of people with different versions of a bad or horrible childhood. My point was, what biologically made me think outside the box I was raised in? But I agree, I said fuck all this bullshit, I want a good life.

[@SamBassComedy]

***** Well, I can tell you that the main thing that did it for me was reading books. I read every book I could get my hands on when I turned nine. This opened my mind to new ways and ideas. It also fueled my imagination, so I was able to think deeper about life and such. I was also very fond of studying people and how they live their lives. So with all that combined, it gave me a very different outlook on life much earlier than most people my age and older than me.

[@innerbeing1983]

Which Sapolsky book do you guys recommend reading first? I have the feeling I will read all of them eventually....

[@Lions4322]

Just bounce straight to Behave.

[@gerhardmoeller774]

I would love to see a debate between Neurosurgeon Michael Egnor and Behavioral Biologist Robert Sapolsky on Free Will and (strict materialism) Monism vs Dualism. Fireworks 💥 would ensue!! We would all be edified, one way or another. I doubt Sapolsky would agree to such a debate.... hope he proves me wrong!

[@ToriKo_]

Bless

[@TheSurviver2]

Rehabilitation vs Warehousing. What would it be?

[@mariaazucenadiazalbareda9397]

Excelente

[@brettvictory4606]

We are still a long way from being able to rehabilitate someone’s brain. However, I think we should continue to conduct studies as that is how breakthroughs will occur . Just talking about it will not get us ther

[@jerryjohnson575]

I wish he would write a book on how to use his knowledge to help humans improve there health and quality of Life

[@davet1517]

we might never figure that out why good people snap and do bad things

[@Gumikrukon]

Sapolsky. I love you.

[@justrosy5]

I'd like to see someone do a marble sculpture of Robert Sapolsky, and put it in one of the more well known museums. First of all, his thoughts deserve it. Second, he has a sort of classical philosopher look that really ought to be captured in such a sculpture.

[@ericwickeywoodworkersurfbo6135]

You guys walked straight to the gates of hell. That was awesome!

[@literatious308]

Classic readings on penal system & mental health. Seminal works.👍 The Crime of Punishment by Karl Menninger 1968? The Manufacture of Madness by Thomas Szasz 1970? I think I've got the authors names right, but even if I didn't you'll find them via Amazon or some such bookseller. Talk is good intro but meat comes from readings