Justin Houghton

Second Opinion

Technology EN ↓ 4 episodes

Produced by Justin Houghton, Second Opinion examines how AI and other intelligent systems shape — and are shaped by — human behavior. We explore the design, trust, and power dynamics behind machine judgment, especially when the outcomes impact lives, livelihoods, and trust.

Author

Justin Houghton

Episodes

The World Pushes Back Unlabeled 09.02.2026 38:06

Science works. Nobody disputes that. But does it discover truth — or build frameworks that survive contact with a world that never confirms what it is? This episode explores a recent blog post arguing that science tracks constraint, not correspondence. That our best theories earn their keep not by mirroring reality but by surviving resistance. And that the word "truth" might be doing more metaphys...

The Ghost In The Grammar 20.01.2026 25:38

Does pain have a "feel" beyond what the body is doing—or is that just how language packages it? This episode explores what's left of suffering once you strip away the metaphysics.

When Explanations Get Slippery 27.06.2025 30:14

Can AI really explain itself - or are we just hearing what we want to hear? This episode explores the strange overlap between human reasoning and machine-generated “why’s.”

Modality and Meaning 15.06.2025 29:56

What kind of relationship are we building with AI? In this episode, we explore how subtle design choices in AI behavior can nudge users toward trust, doubt, or over-reliance. Whether in healthcare, software, or everyday decision-making, the modality of AI matters more than we think.