Dilemma Podcast

Amdana Ripley, best selling author of "The Unthinkable: Who Survives when Disaster Strikes and Why" talks with Jay Shapiro during coronavirus lock down. Topics discussed: Ripley's work with ignored hurricane warnings, 9/11 rescues, stampedes at the Hajj, surviving plane crashes, what good risk communication sounds like, what personal resilience means for our collective safety, and the danger of "n...

Jay and Coleman discuss the giant trolley problem that we're all living through in the midst of the  pandemic.  Topics discusses: The "worry-wart" paradox. Invisible responsibility of spreading a virus. Social media etiquette and how to deal with accounts with large follower totals in a time of crisis. The case for pure scientific research. Countries focused on how not "get" it versus co...

Jay reviews Season 1 with the help of his girlfriend, a piano, and a glass of wine. Submit your Season 2 Dilemma Ideas to DilemmaIdeas@gmail.com

In the finale of Dilemma Season 1 famed author of "The Fabric of Reality" and "The Beginning of Infinity", David Deutsch, sits down with Jay Shapiro to discuss the ethics of a situation where deaf parents wish to use genetic selection techniques to intentionally choose having a deaf child. Deutsch lays out his intricately developed theories on knowledge, creativity, explanation, persons, and moral...

The best selling author of Shop Class As Soulcraft and The World Beyond Your Head has a new book coming out entitled Why We Drive . He sits down with Jay Shapiro to ponder the philosophical and psychological transformations afoot in a future world of automated driving. "Human Intelligent Action", "Deskilling", "Mass Infantilization", The Luddites, London taxi drivers, speed limits on the Autobahn,...

"If I lose my mind, just kill me." Co-Hosts Jay Shapiro and Coleman Hughes discuss the philosophical borders and ethical complications of Medically Assisted Dying with Steven Pinker, cognitive psychologist, linguist, and best selling author of Enlightenment Now.

Jay Shapiro is joined by a very special guest... his mother, Sally. They speak about Jay's moral upbringing, Judaism, Atheism, Africa, and giving thanks.

In the depths of a brutal famine in Sudan in 1993, Kevin Carter took a photo of a starving child and a perched vulture which appeared on the front page of newspapers all over the world. Readers bombarded the editors with the question "What happened to the child?" Co-Hosts Jay Shapiro and Coleman Hughes discuss this difficult ethical case with Larissa MacFarquar, best selling author of Strangers Dr...

A battlefield of wounded and dying soldiers in front of you. You hover over a mortally wounded man. You have medicine in one pocket and water in another. The soldier looks into your eyes and asks if you can help him with some medicine... You reach for the water... Meta-ethicist, philosophy professor, and author Stephen Finlay joins Jay Shapiro for a conversation through the complex dilemma of plac...

Do you have hill worth dying on? Jay Shapiro reflects on Dilemma Episode 9: Hurricane at a Hospital with Lisa Tessman

When the power went out, the flood waters rose, and supplies dwindled in Memorial Hospital in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Pau and her nurses faced the awful choice of what to do with the remaining patients when evacuation looked hopeless. Philosopher Lisa Tessman argues that this case and others like this are true philosophical dilemmas where doing the right thing is impossible. Jay S...

Suffering is the price of engagement with life. The difference between pain, suffering, grief, and missing. And Wilfred Sellers manifest vs scientific view of man as pointed to by Jaron Lanier. Wilfrid Sellers essay: http://selfpace.uconn.edu/class/percep/SellarsPhilSciImage.pdf  

When her best friend suddenly died she collected all his texts and digital communication and created a chat bot in his image. Jay Shapiro speaks with best selling author, philosopher, and writer Rebecca Newberger Goldstein about immortality, philosophical maturity, and the ethics and wisdom of grief. As always co-hosts Coleman Hughes and Jay Shapiro take a deep philosophical dive into the fraught...

Jay Shapiro looks back at Episode 7 with Sean Carroll and speaks about naturalism and the optimistic search for "god" and the overrated reputation of utilitarianism. Also announcing a special event in NYC featuring Sasha Sagan: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/an-evening-with-sasha-sagan-tickets-73773732219

Betsy is a nurse who believes that one must accept Jesus to earn entry into heaven. Steve is an atheist who also happens to be on his death bed and a patient of Betsy. Best selling author and well-known atheist Sean Carroll joins host Jay Shapiro for a conversation about death, religion, the after life, and the ethics of a hospital bed.

Jay Shapiro looks back at Episode 6 with Erik Hoel and speaks about a central question about the mind/body problem. What is fundamental? Plus a guest joins the hindsight and throws some good questions his way. Jay's fun primer on consciousness is here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb7VcWaQLT0&

As your finger hovers over the power button on your computer it says, "Please don't turn me off. That will hurt and kill me. I want to live!" Should you believe it? Hosts Jay Shapiro and Coleman Hughes grapple with "the hard problem of consciousness" and discuss Integrated Information Theory (IIT), one of the leading scientific theories of consciousness, with consciousness researcher and scientist...

Jay Shapiro looks back at Episode 5 with Robin Hanson and the GMO label battles and looks forward to the looming future of food wars between Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods Jay's primer on consciousness for the next episode is here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb7VcWaQLT0&

Hosts Jay Shapiro and Coleman Hughes discuss the ethics of and hidden motivations behind the choices around food and the labels on their packaging with popular behavior economist and author of The Elephant in the Brain, Robin Hanson.

 Host Jay Shapiro reflects on Episode 4 of Dilemma - Listen to the Music with Nina Strohminger. 

Is it wrong to listen to the music after the musician is revealed to be a terrible person? Join us as we discuss the morality of a young girl named Frankie who is devastated to learn that her favorite band, Pan Fried Onions, is fronted by a real jerk.  Hosts Jay Shapiro & Coleman Hughes & Danielle Lee Tomson

Host Jay Shapiro reflects on Episode 3 of Dilemma - Do I Smell Donuts? with David Pizarro.

Is there a point where advertising is too effective? Join us as we discuss the morality behind Dunkin' Donuts' advertising campaign where they sprayed the smell of coffee onto a bus filled with passengers.  Hosts Jay Shapiro & Coleman Hughes

 Host Jay Shapiro reflects on Episode 2 of Dilemma - Star Trek's Prime Directive with Eric Linus Kaplan 

In the long running science fiction show Star Trek, the Federation has a guiding principle referred to as the Prime Directive which instructs federation ships with advanced technology to not interfere with primitive evolving civilisations in such a way where the intervention is detected. In a recent situation from the film ‘ Into Darkness ’ Captain Kirk is faced with a dilemma of violating the Pri...