Breaking Consensus

Elise Crull is a philosopher of science and Associate Professor at The City College of New York. Her work bridges philosophy and physics, focusing on the conceptual foundations of modern physics, especially quantum mechanics and relativity. Recently named a Fellow of the American Physical Society, she has also appeared twice on StarTalk, where she discussed the philosophical foundations of physics with Neil deGrasse Tyson.Timestamps:00:00 – The Intersection of Philosophy and Science02:37 – Defining Science and Its Boundaries05:40 – What Is Matter?13:48 – The Value of Philosophy in Science19:42 – What Is Objectivity?29:48 – Falsifiability and the Nature of Scientific Theories33:07 – Quantum Mechanics: Determinism vs Indeterminism36:03 – The Limits of Science and God38:38 – The Multiverse Interpretation of Quantum Physics42:10 – Does Science Provide Explanations?46:30 – Einstein's Revolution: From Newtonian to Relativistic Physics53:42 – Is There Progress in Science?57:44 – Are Scientific Theories True?01:02:28 – Measuring Time and Space: A Philosophical Inquiry01:06:37 – Diving Deeper Into Einstein's Special Relativity01:08:47 – This Is Why Science Needs Philosophers

Jeanette Andrews is a New York–based artist and magician whose work bridges illusion, installation, and conceptual art. Her performances function as live thought experiments — multisensory investigations into perception, cognition, and belief. Jeanette Andrews is a New York–based artist and magician whose work bridges illusion, installation, and conceptual art. Her performances function as live thought experiments — multisensory investigations into perception, cognition, and belief. She has presented commissioned works with the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Québec City Biennial, the Boca Raton Museum of Art, among many others, and has been affiliated with Harvard’s metaLAB and held a fellowship with MIT’s Center for Art, Science and Technology.More from Jeanette Andrews:Website: https://www.jeanetteandrews.com/Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanetteandrewsmagic/Timestamps:0:00 – What Is Magic, Really?5:15 – The Power of Framing: How Context Impacts Perception11:47 – Consensual Deception: When We Agree to Be Fooled13:12 – Magic, Manipulation, and the Ethics of Belief19:04 – The Real Purpose of Illusion24:58 – What Magic Reveals About the Mind and Perception26:37 – Where Art Meets Philosophy and Science35:00 – Deception, Bias, and the Architecture of Belief40:06 – How Magicians Exploit (and Expose) Our Cognitive Traps46:40 – A Live Experiment in Cognitive Magic50:01 – Inside Jeanette Andrews’ MIT Project The Attestation1:05:20 – [Announcement] What Is Coming Next For Jeanette Andrews

Tristram McPherson is a moral philosopher and Professor at The Ohio State University. His work bridges ethics, metaethics, and political philosophy, with a focus on the moral challenges of contemporary life.More from Tristram McPherson:Website: https://sites.google.com/site/drtristram/Publications: https://sites.google.com/site/drtristram/publications?authuser=0Timestamps:00:00 Crowley The Modern Demon07:10 The “Drop in the Bucket” Problem12:43 Can Tiny Actions Have Huge Consequences?18:08 Morality by the Numbers: A Problem?26:34 Can Consequences Make a Wrong Action Right?34:20 Being Part Of A Group36:31 What If You Didn’t Know It Was Wrong?43:05 What About Necessary Harms? 53:10 How Much Can We Reasonably Be Expected to Do?

Liz Jackson is a leading voice in contemporary epistemology and an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Saint Louis University. Her work challenges how we think about rational belief, evidence, and faith. Known for defending doxastic voluntarism and epistemic permissivism, she brings fresh insight to debates on belief, responsibility, and disagreement.More from Liz Jackson:Website: ⁠⁠https://liz-jackson.com/⁠⁠YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtQ8f0Ws8uZ2mWaI2vFr6YgAcademia edu page: ⁠⁠https://isluportal.academia.edu/LizJacksonTimestamps:00:00:00 - What Is Epistemology, And Why Should Anyone Care?00:06:13 - Why Is Knowledge So Hard To Define?00:13:33 - Do We Have A Responsibility To Form Rational Beliefs? 00:17:22 - Are Beliefs Morally Accountable, Or Just Epistemically? 00:26:27 - What Is Doxastic Voluntarism? (Belief At Will)00:29:28 - If Beliefs Drive Actions, Can We Really Have Free Will?00:31:28 - What Kind Of Control Can We Have Over Beliefs? 00:36:11 - Does Deliberation Count As Voluntary Control? 00:39:28 - Are Beliefs Something We Choose Or Just Acquire? 00:43:58 - Can We Really Compare Beliefs And Actions?00:47:19 - Is Faith Just Belief With Desire? What About Sam Harris?00:54:18 - Why Do Philosophers Keep Arguing Over Definitions?01:00:41 - What Motivates You To Practice Public Philosophy?

Liz Jackson is a leading voice in contemporary epistemology and an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Saint Louis University. Her work challenges how we think about rational belief, evidence, and faith. Known for defending doxastic voluntarism and epistemic permissivism, she brings fresh insight to debates on belief, responsibility, and disagreement.More from Liz Jackson:Website: https://liz-jackson.com/YouTube Channel:    / @lizjackson111  Academia.edu page: https://isluportal.academia.edu/LizJa...In this episode, we dive into the philosophy of knowledge, belief, and responsibility. We explore traditional vs. social epistemology, belief control, faith, disagreement, and whether we are morally accountable for what we believe.