EF18 SHOW NOTES
Looking to play or download the episode? Click here… EF18 (AMA-EF3): The Mystical Allure of Converting to Buddhism and Speculating about Quantum Mechanics— Ask Me Anything for Episode EF3
Episode EF18 Summary
Spoiler alert: You’re about to listen to an Ask Me Anything (AMA) of Episode EF3, which was Season 1, Episode 1 of the Evolve Faster Podcast titled All Aboard the Experience Machine: Destination…Unknown. The driving question of this episode (and this AMA) for you to think through is … what are we supposed to do?! It’s a fascinating question that actually has surprisingly little research or philosophical investigation.
As a reminder about Episode EF3: Jonathan finds himself forced between two paths: a meaningful life filled with risky choices, or a safe life that might be filled with regret. If only there were a way to make everything simple, like an autopilot that steers the train towards an easy, happy and perfect finish line for you. But he has just half a day to find the solution to the issue we all face on a daily basis—What’s the right decision? 12 hours, millions of questions and seemingly no answers.
The first episode of the first season of the Evolve Faster Podcast Episode is driven by the big question What Am I Supposed To Do. We as human beings are known for making bad decisions in the moments of desperation. And what crisis than the existential crisis? Possibilities are limitless, correct answers next to none and there is no how-to manual. Ready to start?
To peek behind the curtain of Episode EF3, we’ll dissect the following submitted questions:
- Why DO people turn to Buddhism? Should I?
- Why does it seem like quantum mechanics gets pulled into every discussion of a mystical, scientific challenge these days?
- What is panpsychism and are scientists really talking about it (again!)?
- Is Johnathan’s relationship with his father a metaphor?
- What is Vuja de?
- How do you know the Sartre quote is wrong? Does it matter that it’s not?
- What happened to Jon at the end?
- What if I’m stuck in someone else’s experience machine, being controlled? Should I take the red pill? And is the Matrix really unoriginal?
- And more
dedication
DEDICATION: Episode EF3 is dedicated to Robert Nozick, an American philosopher and conceptual creator of the mysterious Experience Machine. Experience Machine is one of the more useful thought experiments posed in the last century. Because would a world where you can handpick your experiences indeed be heaven? Or would this scenario be hell, neatly camouflaged in a colorful but cheap package? His other prominent work is Utility Monster, which instructed that even our plans that are born with best intentions could give birth to a dangerous monster. Meaning, it’s not the plan that makes the better tomorrow… but you.
Although an open liberal, Nozick’s focused on disputing the liberal reforms wanting to control the economic possibilities of a citizen. He firmly believed everything needs to be as simple as possible to function properly. It’s common sense that each one of us has the right to the fruits of own labor as long as it doesn’t damage another individual. A simple thought that’s heavily skewed today.
It is precisely these skews of the dominant subgroup that create confusion and limitations. People who belong to the same general group (country), but don’t belong to the authoritative subgroup face limits in the actions they can perform. Finally, the non-dominant group (although more significant in numbers) gets lost wondering what are they supposed to do. Confusion and lethargy at its best.
HOW ROBERT NOZICK INSPIRES EF3
In Episode EF3, the main character does his best to find out if he wants to live in Nozick’s Experience Machine. Or, perhaps he’s been in a personalized version all along? Nozick’s alternative view on the social and political state that dates back to the ’70s, is as equally valuable today. In today’s world, where everything is more than ever either black or white, people like Nozick are essential for our development. No matter from which “side” they come from.
If you want to find out more about Nozick’s work, I suggest you read one of his books or you can check his last interview:
- Work used in this episode: Anarchy, State, and Utopia, (1974).
- Other Prominent Work
- The Examined Life (1990).
- The Nature of Rationality, (1994).
- Find Out More:
inspirations
INSPIRATIONS: Plato, besides being the father of Western philosophy, he’s also the paternal godfather of that nagging “What am I supposed to do?” question. Even two millennia later, it remains unanswered. Hilary Putnam, a philosopher and scientist who wasn’t afraid to question his belief. Putnam had to put everything under in-depth analysis to expose the deep flaws, including his own. Jerry Fodor, a neuroscientist who dispersed the notion that the existential fear is anything more but a faulty alarm clock. Jean-Paul Sartre, a French philosopher that provided a worthwhile block of knowledge to help us realize what it means to be human. Episode EF3 was further inspired by Charles K. Fink, Russ Shafer-Landau, Epicurus, Jeremy Bentham, Peter Singer, John Stuart Mill, Kansas, Pigeons, The Wachowskis. For a full list of data and references, please see Episode EF3 Show Notes.
references
Alan Boyle, How to spot quantum quackery, www.nbcnews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/science/how-spot-quantum-quackery-6c10403763 (Accessed: Feb 8, 2019).
Barbara O’Brien, Atheism and Devotion in Buddhism, www.thoughtco.com. https://www.thoughtco.com/atheism-and-devotion-in-buddhism-449718 (Accessed: Feb 8, 2019).
Buddhists Research, http://www.pewforum.org. http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/buddhists/ (Accessed: Feb 8, 2019).
JoAnna Klein, Sedate a Plant, and It Seems to Lose Consciousness. Is It Conscious?, www.nytimes.com. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/science/plants-consciousness-anesthesia.html (Accessed: Feb 18, 2019).
Julie Corliss, Mindfulness meditation may ease anxiety, mental stress, www.health.harvard.edu. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/mindfulness-meditation-may-ease-anxiety-mental-stress-201401086967 (Accessed: Feb 8, 2019).
Michael Shermer, The Number of Americans with No Religious Affiliation Is Rising, www.scientificamerican.com. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-number-of-americans-with-no-religious-affiliation-is-rising/ (Accessed: Feb 18, 2019).
Rafi Letzter, Chinese Researchers Achieve Stunning Quantum-Entanglement Record, www.scientificamerican.com. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/chinese-researchers-achieve-stunning-quantum-entanglement-record/ (Accessed: Feb 18, 2019).
Matt Blitz, We Already Know How To Build a Time Machine, www.popularmechanics.com. https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/math/a20718322/building-a-time-machine/ (Accessed: Feb 18, 2019).
Philip Goff, William Seager, Sean Allen-Hermanson, Panpsychism, plato.stanford.edu. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/panpsychism/ (Accessed: Feb 18, 2019).
Philip A. Pecorino, Blue Pill Or Red Pill?, qcc.cuny.edo. http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/INTRO_TEXT/Chapter%201%20Introduction/Blue-Pill-orRed-Pill.htm (Accessed: Feb 18, 2019).
episode quotes
Any of these quotes make you think? If so, please support the show by sharing…
One thing that’s certain: there are far more things we don’t understand than what we do.
With each passing day, science dissects and quantifies more of our supposed uniqueness as a species.
Imagine how the world would change if we could measure the relative consciousness of all things on a scale.
Humans suffer a collective ego-driven shortcoming in wanting to be right more than wanting to change for the better.
It would befit the mystery of quantum mechanics to someday be the tool to dissect the big unknowns like consciousness.
Season One: The journey begins as we embark on 11 episodes on big questions relating to MIND. What is the truth? Can we trust reason? Why do we have emotions? Does happiness define the good? What is identity? What is creativity?
(EF1) Trailer: The Evolve Faster Podcast (Extended) Trailer
(EF2) Intro: Life is a Near Death Experience: Welcome to The Evolve Faster Podcast
(EF3) S1-E1: All Aboard the Experience Machine: Destination…Unknown (Season One, Episode One)
(EF4) S1-E2: The Decapitation of Reason: A Skeptic’s Guide (Season One, Episode Two)
(EF5) S1-E3: The Truth is Clay in the Hands of a Sculptor (Season One, Episode Three)
(EF6) S1-E4: Information Mainlining and the Folly of Modern Wisdom (Season One, Episode Four)
(EF7) S1-E5: Sleight of Mind: The Black Magic of Rhetoric (Season One, Episode Five)
(EF8) S1-E6: Without a Compass: All Who Sail the Seas of Identity Are Not Lost (Season One, Episode Six)
(EF9) S1-E7: I Feel Therefore I am: Capsized by the River Emotion (Season One, Episode Seven)
(EF10) S1-E8: The Road to Happiness is Inked in Suffering (Season One, Episode Eight)
(EF11) S1-E9: When the Lights Go Out: The Blinding Light of an Artificial Future (Season One, Episode Nine)
(EF12) S1-E10: Wired to Fail: Leveling Up in the Game of Life (Season One, Episode Ten)
(EF13) S1-E11: The Bloody Fingerprint of Creativity (Season One, Episode Eleven)
(EF14) BTP: Behind the Evolve Faster Podcast - The Making of a Speculative Fiction Meets Philosophical Nonfiction Podcast
(EF15) AMA: Ask Me Anything: About Scott Ely and Evolving a Philosophy for Life
(EF16) BTP: On Creative Writing, Video Games and the Future of the Evolve Faster Podcast (About Antonio Rozich)
(EF17) BTP-EF3: What Am I Supposed To Do Free Will and Other Everyday Problems Behind the Podcast of Episode EF3
(EF18) AMA-EF3: The Mystical Allure of Converting to Buddhism and Speculating about Quantum Mechanics Ask Me Anything for Episode EF3
(EF19) BTP-EF4: Head Transplantation and Finding Inspiration for Speculative Fiction - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF4
(EF20) AMA-EF4: The Declining Value of Information and Taking Risks to Determine What is the Truth Ask Me Anything of Episode EF4
(EF21) BTP-EF5: Should Lying be Made Illegal and the Importance of Figuring Out Why You Believe What you Believe --Behind the Podcast of Episode EF5
(EF22) AMA-EF5: Defeating Fake News and Critical Thinking as the Superpower the World Needs Most Ask Me Anything of Episode EF5
(EF23) BTP-EF6: Scaling Mount Wisdom Without Suffocating Under an Avalanche of Ego Behind The Podcast of Episode EF6
(EF24) AMA-EF6: Is Less Really More When it Comes to the Pursuit of Wisdom or is Ignorance Bliss - Ask Me Anything of Episode EF6
(EF25) BTP-EF7: The Power of Propaganda and Rhetoric to Divide Us and the Quest for a Better World - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF7
(EF26) AMA-EF7: The Impossibility of Honest Politicians and Protecting Our Kids from The Most Insidious Fake News Ask Me Anything for Episode EF3
(EF27) BTP-EF8: Who are You and is it Possible to Upgrade Your Identity as an Adult? - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF8
(EF28) AMA-EF8: Drugs, Consciousness Manipulation and Cheating Your Way To a Better You - Ask Me Anything for Episode EF8
(EF29) BTP-EF9: Waging War Between Reason and Emotions and the Importance of Leaving Things Unresolved Behind the Podcast of Episode EF9
(EF30) AMA-EF9: Emotional Manipulation Tribalism and Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Think Before you Feel - Ask Me Anything for Episode EF9
(EF31) BTP-EF10: Dharma Modifying Negative Thinking and the Never-Ending Pursuit of Happiness by Embracing Suffering - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF10
(EF32) AMA-EF10: Mind Control Through a Well Chosen Tattoo and the Unlikely Case of Being Happy Enough - Ask Me Anything for Episode EF3
(EF33) BTP-EF11: The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Creativity - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF11
(EF34) AMA-EF11: On Perfection, the AI Alignment Problem, and the Possibility of Quantum Leaps of Creativity - Ask Me Anything for Episode EF11
(EF35) BTP-EF12: Cryptocurrencies Gaming and Leveraging Failure to Help Us Define Who We Are - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF12
(EF36) AMA-EF12: Pyrrhic Victory and Finding the 10% of Your Mind that Defines Who You Are - Ask Me Anything for Episode EF12
(EF37) BTP-EF13: Where Creativity Comes From and How to Find Your Uniquely Bloody Fingerprint - Behind the Podcast of Episode EF13
(EF38) AMA-EF13: Flow, Creative Improvisation and Other Altered States of Consciousness Ask Me Anything for Episode EF13
(EF39) S2-E0: LIFE, UPGRADED: Welcome to Season Two of the Evolve Faster Podcast
(EF40) S2-E1: Dehumanized: The Search for Self in the Devil’s Looking Glass
(EF41) S2-E2: Transhuman Fallibility: The Existential Risk of a Superhuman Future
(EF42) S2-E3: Civil Individualism: Loneliness Atop Mount Empowerment
(EF43) S2-E4: Evil Urges: The Fiery Duality of Human Nature
(EF44) S2-E5: Reality Unchained: Smashing the Icons of Social Delusion
(EF45) S2-E6: Weaving Society’s Web: Purpose in a Future Without Work
(EF46) S2-E7: Empathetic Distortion: Rigging the Scales of Justice
(EF47) S2-E8: Infinite Regress: Drawing Back The Veil of Perception
(EF48) S2-E9: Checkmate: A Child’s Guide to the Good Life
(EF49) S2-E10: The Domino Effect: The Momentum of an Unstoppable Future