Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Philosophy • Pop culture • Television • Movies • Ethics • Metaphysics • Comedy • AI • Animal intelligence • Horror • Superheroes • True crime • Social media • Interviews with philosophers
This podcast, titled "I Think, Therefore I Fan," delves into philosophical themes as they surface in television, movies, video games, and books. It examines the intersections of pop culture with philosophical inquiry, frequently exploring concepts such as personal identity, existentialism, ethics, metaphysics, and the philosophy of technology. The episodes showcase a range of topics from the exploration of sentience and AI ethics to the metaphysical dilemmas raised in superhero narratives. Recurring motifs include nuanced discussions of personal identity and death, critiquing social phenomena like cancel culture, and analyzing cultural artifacts like true crime shows through a philosophical lens.
The podcast often references popular contemporary series and films, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Squid Game," and "Tiger King," to illustrate philosophical debates. It intersperses humor and playfulness within its examination of serious philosophical doctrines and discussions, which include frequent nods to important philosophical texts and figures like David Hume and existentialist themes. The show embraces the lighter side of philosophical exploration, sometimes integrating interviews and roundtable discussions with academic scholars and philosophers. These interviews highlight the perspectives of philosophers on varied subjects, extending the discussion to the portrayal of experts in media and the role of philosophers in public discourse. Additionally, music selections for each episode are discussed, often borrowing from well-known sources like Kevin MacLeod and Purple Planet, which further sets the thematic backdrop for these discussions. The podcast invites listeners to engage with philosophical issues embedded in everyday media while reflecting on broader ethical and existential questions.
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Episodes:
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Is This Thing On? Or A Philosophical Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
2024-Sep-30
38 minutes
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The Last Part of This Title Was Written by ChatGPT: Beyond Human—Exploring the Intersection of AI and Animal Intelligence
2023-Mar-06
46 minutes
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What’s It All About, Burt?
2023-Feb-17
46 minutes
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Wednesday’s Child has Nowhere to Hyde!
2023-Jan-22
33 minutes
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A Hero Ain’t Nothing but a Sandwich (or Possibly a Four-Dimensional Space-Time Worm)!
2022-Nov-03
41 minutes
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“This Story is Gonna Be Sensational(ized)!”
2022-Oct-24
43 minutes
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Hey Ho, Let’s Phi
2022-Sep-29
65 minutes
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Once (or Twice) Upon a Time in Russia!
2022-Sep-19
45 minutes
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Moon Knight, Feels Right!
2022-Aug-31
46 minutes
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The End is (Not) Near!
2022-Jan-19
48 minutes
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It’s A Wonderful Life in Some (not all that) Close Possible World!
2021-Dec-17
40 minutes
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True Crime and Punishment
2021-Nov-23
37 minutes
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Something Wicked My Way Comes!
2021-Oct-30
41 minutes
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The Calamari Ring of Gyges
2021-Oct-13
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Old MacDonald Told a Joke
2021-Sep-30
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Am I Losing Me?
2021-Sep-14
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Hell is Other Rich People
2021-Aug-26
46 minutes
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To Boldly Go Where No Franchise Has Gone Before
2021-Jun-28
50 minutes
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From the PCA: Oh To Be Virtually Influential!
2021-Jun-14
42 minutes
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From the PCA: The Pumpkin King’s Gambit!
2021-May-29
39 minutes
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From the PCA: Plagues, Video Games, and Spaghetti in the Bathtub!
2021-May-14
37 minutes
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For Hume the Bell Tolls!
2021-Apr-23
42 minutes
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A Selfie is Worth about 25 Words
2021-Apr-09
43 minutes
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Canceled Like Socrates
2021-Mar-25
48 minutes
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(Wanda)Visions of Theseus
2021-Mar-11
41 minutes
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Birds, Moon Landings, and Other Things that Are Not Real
2020-Dec-04
35 minutes
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Who Ya Gonna Call?
2020-Nov-20
39 minutes
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The Doctor (of Philosophy) is In!
2020-Nov-06
45 minutes
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A Vote for Philosophy is a Vote for The Good Life
2020-Oct-22
61 minutes
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It’s Good to Be the (Philosophical) King
2020-Oct-08
46 minutes
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Invasion of the Body Swappers
2020-Sep-24
46 minutes
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Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose
2020-Sep-14
54 minutes
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A Virus Walked into a Schoolhouse…
2020-Aug-27
57 minutes
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A Plague in All Our Houses
2020-Apr-23
35 minutes
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Lyra, a Spyglass, and Bears, Oh My!
2020-Apr-09
32 minutes
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Tractatus Feline-Exoticus
2020-Mar-26
42 minutes
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Cheating Death!
2020-Mar-13
60 minutes
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Dude, I Think We Might Be in a Cave
2020-Feb-28
40 minutes
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All My Friends are Dead, but I’m a Real Boy!
2020-Feb-13
38 minutes
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And The Phil-Oscar Goes To…
2020-Jan-31
54 minutes
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A Womb of One’s Own
2020-Jan-15
58 minutes
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I’m Looking for the Monkey Who Shot my Paw
2019-Oct-30
41 minutes
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It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad (Scientist) World
2019-Oct-22
50 minutes
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Some People Call Me Maurice
2019-Oct-15
50 minutes
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From the SFPC: Aliens, Arrivals, Augmentations, and Alerts
2019-Oct-08
36 minutes
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From the SFPC: Guerilla Science and Angry Fandoms
2019-Oct-01
43 minutes
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A Guy Walks into a Tomb…
2019-Sep-25
42 minutes
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Fantastic Friends and Where to Find Them
2019-Sep-18
48 minutes
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Honey, the Computer Is Trying to Take over the World Again!
2019-Sep-10
42 minutes
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Spoiler Alert! (It’s an Episode about the Philosophy of Spoilers)
2019-Jun-18
51 minutes
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From the PCA: What The Orville gets Right
2019-Jun-04
34 minutes
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From the PCA: The Purple Replicant of Cairo
2019-May-21
49 minutes
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From the PCA: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Good Place
2019-May-07
35 minutes
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From the PCA: If Thou Gaze Long into a Black Mirror, the Black Mirror will also Gaze into Thee
2019-Apr-23
50 minutes
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The More Ships Change the More They Stay the Same
2019-Apr-09
51 minutes
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What Is It Like to Be a Groundhog?
2019-Mar-26
47 minutes
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Something Wicked This Way Comes!
2019-Mar-12
65 minutes
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It’s Not Turtles All The Way Down!
2019-Jan-22
67 minutes
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When Good Things Happen from Bad People
2019-Jan-16
41 minutes
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Never Go in against a Philosopher When Death Is on the Line!
2019-Jan-09
55 minutes
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Stop the Worlds, I Want to Get Off!
2019-Jan-01
59 minutes
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The Jolly and the Good!
2018-Dec-24
29 minutes
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I’ll Make You an Argument You Can’t Refute!
2018-Dec-18
56 minutes
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A Couple of Strangers Push a Rock Up a Hill
2018-Dec-12
54 minutes
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The Guide to the Skeptic’s Universe
2018-Dec-05
56 minutes
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That Which Doesn’t Kill Me Makes Me Terrified!
2018-Oct-30
64 minutes
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Please Don’t Lecter Me About Cannibalism!
2018-Oct-23
44 minutes
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How Many Robots Does It Take To Screw Up An Amusement Park?
2018-Oct-16
51 minutes
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If I Tell You I Love You Will You Let Me Eat Your Brains?
2018-Oct-09
52 minutes
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Guess Who Got an A on Their Turing Test?
2018-Oct-02
56 minutes
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What Is Big, and Purple, and Is a Pretty Good Snapper?
2018-Sep-26
60 minutes
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Take My Log, Please!
2018-Sep-19
53 minutes
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A Zombie, A Prisoner, and a Robot Enter into a Social Contract
2018-Sep-11
41 minutes
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