Conversation with Anil Seth, Being You

Jeffrey Sachs speaks with neuroscientist Anil Seth, author of Being You: The New Science of Consciousness.
In this episode, Jeffrey Sachs and Anil Seth explore the hard problem of consciousness. Because the deep puzzles of consciousness can’t be solved head-on with existing scientific methods, Seth aims to gradually “dissolve” the problem by looking at levels of consciousness, the content of consciousness, and the mystery of the sense of self.
Together, Sachs and Seth unpack several of the hard questions: How can physical beings have subjective experiences? How can we measure consciousness? Is consciousness the feeling of being alive?
Listen in on the conversation to learn more about the new science of Being You!
This video is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA license.
➡️ Sign up for the newsletter: bit.ly/subscri...
➡️ Website: bookclubwithjeffreysachs.org
🎉 Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast:
Listen on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3QbvwuL
Listen on Spotify Podcasts: bit.ly/3W4FjXi
📣 Leave a rating and tell us what you thought about this episode!
---
About the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN):
The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) was set up in 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. SDSN mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. SDSN works closely with United Nations agencies, multilateral financing institutions, the private sector, and civil society.
Connect with us:
unsdsn.org
UNSDSN
UNSDSN

[@Alexander-ef9fm]

Anil Seth has an amazing capability to explain complicated things in a way that is comprehensible and still profound. As regards Jeffrey Sachs, so far I've only known him as a smart and bold political analyst, and an honest political activist. This conversation proves that if someone is intelligent, it manifests itself even in areas outside of their expertise.

[@terhamarie]

This is Amazing!

[@vivalaleta]

What a dynamic duo.

[@terhamarie]

Definitely sharing with my team and clients.

[@swarnadipchatterjee]

Loved this analogy between music and language and what it means to be conscious!

[@ALavin-en1kr]

The self-driving car or any form of A.I. is operating on information. Consciousness is other than information. It is I am or I exist. The mind has information; the self-driving car has information. Nothing that is not sentient can be conscious. Humans who can transcend the senses can still be conscious. We do this in dreaming at night as we dream and are conscious at that level. Materialists will never be able to figure out consciousness because they perceive one-dimension only; the material or elemental one.

[@ALavin-en1kr]

Anything that is not elemental cannot be measured; states of consciousness or the presence or absence of consciousness can be measured but consciousness itself cannot be measured.

[@ALavin-en1kr]

Animals operate by instinct, humans operate by instinct, and reason based on intellect. Animals are in their environment solely; humans are both in and outside their environment and can think of other environments, even outer space. It amazes me how they always avoid reason. It may be a sociobiological view of life some people are raised and programmed with that they never mention or even appear to be aware of reason as uniquely human. Sanskrit is the origin of Indo- European languages and its alphabet is based on actual sounds. The Sanskrit language is a given; it wasn’t invented.

[@vivalaleta]

A fascinating topic. How has it any important place for changing the top/down system? What use is it thinking about such things?

[@izmirfication]

I don't think there is a thing like conciousness, every experience is coded and a neuronal network is developed in time and new experiences feeds this system, like some phobias humans suffer come out as a result of a bad experience related to it has been lived before.We can't just think and understand the complexity of our brain totally

[@genealogiacolorada]

why is the guy on the right always smiling? it kind of bothers me. It is like he is so happy to talk with Anil that he can't stop smiling.

[@genealogiacolorada]

he looks like a Catholic Priest

[@Alexander-ef9fm]

@@genealogiacolorada I'm surprised you don't know him. He is a famous political analyst, economist and former Advisor to the UN Secretary General.

[@JoyceElroy-z9w]

Davis Timothy Jackson Sandra Jones Joseph

[@genealogiacolorada]

couldn't keep up. too superficial. the guy on the right kept interrupting and leading. maybe because of time.