How Does The Brain Process Language? | Prof. David Poeppel

Dementia: Risk Reduction & Management | Prof. Gill Livingston

In this episode, Professor Gill Livingston and I explore dementia: what it is, why it develops, and what can be done to reduce risk and support people living with it. We discuss Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, amyloid plaques, tau tangles, cognitive reserve, and why diagnosis can be complex. Professor Livingston explains the major modifiable risk factors for dementia, including smoking, alcohol, hearing loss, vision loss, physical inactivity, social isolation, depression, air pollution, and poor cardiovascular health. We also explore the emotional impact of dementia on patients and caregivers, practical strategies for families, and how healthcare systems could better support people living with dementia. Finally, we discuss public health policy, assisted dying, screen time, and why social connection may be crucial for brain health.

Empire, Colonialism, the EU & Russia | Prof. Anthony Pagden

In this episode, Professor Anthony Pagden and I explore empire, colonialism, nationalism, and the political history of Europe. We discuss what an empire is, why empires expand, and how colonialism and imperialism differ from one another. Professor Pagden explains how nationalism emerged from the decline of larger imperial structures, why political identities remain fragile, and how these questions continue to shape Cyprus today. We also examine whether the United States should be considered an empire, the case for European unity and federalism, and why a common European defence remains so difficult to create. Finally, we discuss Russia’s ambiguous relationship with Europe, Peter the Great’s legacy, and the role that empire continues to play in contemporary politics.

The Free Energy Principle: Consciousness, AI & Why We Predict | Karl Friston

In this episode, Professor Karl Friston and I explore the free energy principle: what it is, why it matters, and how it connects to neuroscience, consciousness, evolution, and artificial intelligence. We discuss Markov blankets, self-organisation, prediction error, active inference, and why living systems can be understood as trying to minimise surprise. Professor Friston explains how action, perception, and prediction work together, using examples from cells, eye movements, reflexes, and robotics. We also explore consciousness in humans and animals, whether AI could ever be conscious, why large language models lack intentions, and the importance of embodiment, scale, and mortal computation. Finally, we discuss why consciousness may depend on complexity, selfhood, and our relationships with others.

Spinoza: God, Nature, Free Will & The Good Life | Prof. Steven Nadler

In this episode, Professor Steven Nadler and I explore the philosophy of Baruch Spinoza: his views on God, nature, free will, religion, and the good life. We discuss why Spinoza identified God with Nature, why this made him such a controversial figure, and whether he should be considered an atheist. Professor Nadler explains why Spinoza denied free will, yet still believed that human beings can become freer through reason and understanding. We also explore Spinoza’s account of happiness, virtue, death, immortality, and what it means to live well. Finally, we discuss his critique of organised religion, miracles, and the political importance of freedom of thought.

How the Brain Predicts the Future | Prof. Reza Shadmehr

In this episode, Prof. Reza Shadmehr and I discuss how the brain predicts the future and why prediction may be one of its most fundamental functions. We explore the cerebellum, its evolutionary origins, and its role in movement, learning, error correction, and social behaviour. Prof. Shadmehr explains how ideas from engineering, robotics, and optimal control theory have shaped modern neuroscience, and how concepts such as internal models, reinforcement learning, and dopamine help us understand the brain. We also discuss mossy fibers, climbing fibers, ataxia, neural recording techniques, and why damage to the cerebellum affects both movement and thought. Finally, we explore the relationship between neuroscience and artificial intelligence, current research on how the brain learns, and the implications of AI for our understanding of human intelligence. Music: Without A Trace Music licensed through Soundstripe. License code: XFXCHV8GG8DTGRXY