logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
58m 41s

The case against free will

Vox
About this episode
Sean Illing speaks with Robert Sapolsky, a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University and the author of a new book called Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will. They discuss the concept of free will, whether it actually exists in the way we think it does, and what it means for society if free will is indeed an illusion. Host: Sean Il ... Show More
Up next
Jan 26
America is football
Why do we love football so much? Why does this sport dominate American culture in a way nothing else can? Why does it feel essential even to people who barely like sports? And what does it say about us that we keep watching, even as the risks and contradictions become harder to i ... Show More
50m 43s
Jan 12
How we built a government that can’t build anything
Why is it so hard for America to build things? Bridges take years to construct. Housing costs are soaring. Transit systems are crumbling. And we’re struggling to update our infrastructure to prepare for the climate crisis. Even when there’s broad agreement that something needs to ... Show More
45m 46s
Dec 22
It’s okay to not be okay
It’s not always the most wonderful time of the year. Every December, we’re told to be merry and stay positive. But a lot of us don’t feel that way. And when we don’t, the pressure to be happy makes everything worse. Sadness feels like failure. Grief feels like a personal mistake. ... Show More
58m 35s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
Robert Sapolsky on Free Will
Yascha Mounk and Robert Sapolsky debate whether there is free will and if it would matter if there weren't. Robert Sapolsky, a neuroscientist and primatologist, is the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor and professor of biology, neurology and neurosurgery at Stanford Universi ... Show More
1h 12m
Oct 2023
But If There's No Free Will…
<p dir="ltr">Robert Sapolsky is a professor of biology and neurobiology at at Stanford University, and the recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant. He is the author of "Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will." He joins to discuss the case against free will, and its societa ... Show More
1h 37m
Mar 2024
Do We Have Free Will? with Robert Sapolsky
<p>Is there a quantum reason we could have free will? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore the concept of free will and predetermination with neuroscientist, biologist, and author of <i>Determined: The Science of Life Without Free Will</i>, Robert Sapolsky. </p><p> ... Show More
53m 30s
Oct 2023
Robert Sapolsky: The Illusion of Free Will
I have been a fan of Robert Sapolsky’s for a long time. He is a creative force, with wide ranging knowledge, from primatology to neuroscience, and he is also a wonderful expositor of science. His previous book, Behave, was a wide ranging exploration of human behavior, at its best ... Show More
2h 58m
Jan 2024
Debate: Free Will is an Illusion
We’re all making life choices at this time of year – perhaps a few new years' resolutions are in the mix – either way, you’ll have a stake in a tussle of big ideas as we debate the motion: Free Will is an Illusion. Our host for this episode is the writer, philosopher and podcaste ... Show More
51m 52s
Oct 2023
Life Without Free Will || Robert Sapolsky
Today we welcome Robert Sapolsky to the podcast. ​​Robert is professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University and a research associate with the Institute of Primate Research at the National Museum of Kenya. His research has been featured in the National Geographic docume ... Show More
1h 23m
Feb 2024
59. Robert Sapolsky: The psychology behind Donald Trump, the science of stress, and the illusion of ‘free will’
Why do we get stressed? What are the psychological differences between conservatives and liberals? Is free will a myth? Rory and Alastair are joined by scientist Dr Robert Sapolsky to answer all these questions and more in today's episode of Leading. TRIP Plus: Become a member ... Show More
1h 4m
Sep 2012
Episode 2: The "Dangerous Truth" about Free Will (Free Will and Morality, Pt. 2)
tail spinning
1h 13m
Mar 2024
#360 — We Really Don't Have Free Will?
<p>Sam Harris speaks with Robert Sapolsky about the widespread belief in free will. They discuss the limits of intuition, the views of Dan Dennett, complexity and emergence, downward causation, abstraction, epigenetics, predictability, fatalism, Benjamin Libet, the primacy of luc ... Show More
39m 6s