Episodes 67
Avg. Duration 57m
Activity Declining
Apple Rating 4.9 (24)
Since Jan 2019
Latest Episode Sep 2025

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Schedule
Every 2 Months
Format
Episodic
Hosting
feeds.zencastr.com

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About This Podcast

CogNation is a podcast by Rolf Nelson and Joe Hardy, two cognitive psychologists interested in the future of brain science and technology. We explore relevant topics in the areas of cognitive science, technology, AI, and philosophy. Although we dabble with dystopian implications of new technologies (such as the impending robopocalypse), we are led by our curiosity and try to keep it light and fun. https://www.facebook.com/CognationPodcast/ email: [email protected]

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Recent Episodes

Dr. Bradley Cooke: The National Institutes of Health

Sep 27, 2025 54m

What do the National Institutes of Health (NIH) do, and who works there? Rolf and Joe talk to Dr. Bradley Cooke, who works at the NIH as a Program Director in the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology,…

S7E66 Compass Pathway's Dr. Steve Levine

Jul 21, 2025 51m

Fresh from Psychedelic Science 2025, Dr. Steve Levine, the chief patient officer at Compass Pathways, talks to us about new Phase 3 results for psilocybin in treating depression.

Psychedelic Science 2025

Jul 06, 2025 34m

Joe reports back from the Psychedelic Science conference held recently again in Denver, Colorado. After some discussion about the conference, Joe speaks with Balasz Szigeti (who was on the podcast in…

Joshua Miele: Connecting Dots

Apr 25, 2025 1h 15m

Joe and Rolf talk to blind activist and friend of the show Josh Miele.  Josh, a MacArthur Genuis Award winner and prodigious sushi eater, has just come out with a new autobiographical book called…

Expanding our Moral Circle with Philosopher Jeff Sebo

Feb 20, 2025 1h 18m

Rolf and Joe talk to NYU philosopher Jeff Sebo about his new book "The Moral Circle", which makes the case for expanding our circle of who is deserving of ethical consideration to nonhuman animals,…

S4E60 Dreaming (part 3) with Antti Revonsuo

Jan 28, 2025 1h 36m

Rolf and Joe wrap up their 3-part series on dreaming with Finnish neuroscientist and philosopher Antti Revonsuo. Dr. Revonsuo is the originator of the Threat Simulation theory of dreams, which…

S4E59 Dreams and Anaesthesia: Guest Pilleriin Sikka

Nov 26, 2024 44m

In their second episode in a series on dreaming, Joe and Rolf are joined by Dr. Pilleriin Sikka, a Stanford neuroscientist who is currently studying the therapeutic value of dreams under…

S3E59 Why do we dream?

Nov 08, 2024 47m

Why do we dream, and what is the meaning of our dreams? Rolf and Joe talk about several ideas about dreaming, including a new theory by David Eagleman called the "defensive activation theory", which…

Daniel Dennett: A Retrospective

May 28, 2024 48m

Daniel Dennett, who passed away on April 19th at the age of 82, was one of the great philosophers of our time. Rolf and Joe discuss his ideas and his influence on the field of philosophy, including…

S3E56 AI and Cognition with Daniel Sternberg

Mar 25, 2024 1h 21m

What can neuroscience teach us about AI, and vice versa, what can AI teach us about our own intelligence?Joe and Rolf talk to returning guest Daniel Sternberg about advances in AI over the past year.…

S4E55 Autism with guest Matthew Goodwin

Jan 25, 2024 1h 5m

This episode is dedicated to the memory of colleague and friend Grace Baron.Joe and Rolf talk to Dr. Matthew Goodwin, a professor at Northeastern University whose research focus is on autism. His…

S4E54 Donald Hoffman's Case Against Reality

Jan 08, 2024 44m

Joe and Rolf discuss the ideas of perceptual psychologist Donald Hoffman, who has argued that our perceptual systems have no access to reality, since evolution is driven by fitness functions, not…

S3E53 Episode 53: Beckley Retreats CEO Neil Markey on guided psychedelic retreats

Dec 22, 2023 56m

Neil Markey, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, used meditation for years to deal with depression and PTSD. He is currently CEO of Beckley Retreats, a group that runs retreats to Jamaica and the…

S3E52 Episode 52: The IIT controversy with Felipe De Brigard

Nov 29, 2023 1h 9m

We discuss the recent controversy about Integrated Information Theory (IIT), a theory about the neural correlates of consciousness, with Felipe De Brigard, a philosophy and psychology professor at…

S3E51 Episode 51: Robin Carhart-Harris: The promise of psychedelics

Oct 16, 2023 2h 3m

Joe and Rolf talk to psychedelic researcher Robin Carhart-Harris. Robin is at the cutting edge of research on the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics such as psilocybin (magic mushrooms), LSD, and…

S3E50 Episode 50: Neural Interfaces

Sep 20, 2023 31m

Joe and Rolf discuss new work in neural interfaces that is helping paralyzed individuals communicate. Based on the recent Nature article: Metzger, S. L., Littlejohn, K. T., Silva, A. B., Moses, D.…

S3E49 Episode 49: The Self: Bundle and Ego Theories

Aug 16, 2023 53m

Rolf and Joe discuss two philosophical theories of the self, Bundle Theory and Ego Theory, based on a paper by Derek Parfit. They return to the topic of the teletransporter, and although Joe is happy…

S3E48 Episode 48: Psychedelic Science 2023

Jul 18, 2023 1h 35m

In this episode, CogNation goes to the Psychedelic Science conference in Denver to get in on all the excitement. We present four interviews from the conference that represent a range of ideas about…

S3E47 Episode 47: Street Epistemology with Mark Solomon

Jun 13, 2023 52m

Everyone has a set of beliefs. Increasingly, it seems like we wonder how so many people can hold opposite or contradictory beliefs -- puzzling if we think there's an objective reality. We have a…

S3E46 Episode 46: Manesh Girn: Psychedelics and Brain Networks

May 01, 2023 55m

Manesh Girn talks to us about the effects of psychedelics on the brain, based on his recent paper, "A complex systems perspective on psychedelic brain action". We discuss the current state of…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does CogNation have?

CogNation has published 67 episodes since January 2019, covering topics in Philosophy, Science.

Is CogNation still active?

CogNation is currently declining with new episodes every 2 months. Average episode length is 57m.

How do I contact CogNation for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for CogNation, including email and social media links.

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