TrueSciPhi

Podcast Profile: Walter Veit Podcast

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49 episodes
2023 to 2026
Median: 44 minutes
Collection: Philosophy

Description (podcaster-provided):

Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):

This podcast, hosted by philosopher Walter Veit (University of Reading), centers on philosophy at the intersection with the sciences—especially evolutionary biology, cognitive science, and ethics. Across episodes, Veit alternates between interviews with researchers and philosophers, recordings of academic talks, and audio versions of his own papers and book material, often providing context or commentary around published work.

A major throughline is the scientific and philosophical study of consciousness, with recurring attention to how evolutionary theory can inform consciousness research. Related conversations examine animal minds and cognition, the development of cognitive ethology, and questions about where to draw boundaries of sentience across different species, including implications for animal welfare. Listeners can expect discussion of methodological issues in studying animal consciousness as well as practical and ethical questions about how humans should treat animals in light of uncertainty about their experiences.

Another prominent theme is bioethics and technology ethics, particularly human enhancement. Topics include cognitive enhancement, genetic enhancement, and procreative ethics, alongside concerns about fairness and inequality. The show also connects enhancement debates to feminist perspectives on technology and to broader questions about how value judgments enter scientific and policy discussions.

The podcast frequently engages with moral philosophy and decision-making, including work on effective altruism and the psychology of moral motivation, as well as attempts to “model” morality using tools from philosophy of science. Interwoven with these are wider philosophical reflections on meaning, nihilism, free will, and the relationship between philosophy and scientific practice. Some episodes also address meta-level issues in contemporary science—such as potential political bias, censorship, and the norms governing research communities.

Overall, this podcast offers a mix of research-driven conversation and lecture-style exposition focused on explaining and interrogating ideas in philosophy of mind, evolution, animal ethics, and emerging technologies.

Episodes:

What is consciousness? 2026-Jan-12 8 minutes

Possums and the Evolution of Consciousness 2025-Dec-31 8 minutes

Why Consciousness Science Needs Darwin 2025-Dec-30 8 minutes

#46 - Scaffolding Natural Selection (Part 2) 2025-Jun-19 64 minutes

#45 - Scaffolding Natural Selection (Part 1) 2025-Jun-10 21 minutes

#44 - Feminism and Enhancement 2025-May-22 40 minutes

#43 - Recognizing the Diversity of Cognitive Enhancements 2025-May-21 18 minutes

#42 - ESEB Talk: Evolution of Multicellularity 2024-Nov-20 13 minutes

#41 - Eric Schliesser: On Synthetic Philosophy 2024-Nov-19 68 minutes

#40 - Cory Clark: Is there Political Bias and Censorship in Science? 2024-Nov-18 85 minutes

#39 - Why is Health? 2024-Nov-17 15 minutes

#38 - Elizabeth Paul: Animal Consciousness and Welfare 2024-Nov-16 94 minutes

#37 - Carolyn A Ristau: A Biography of Donald Griffin - Discoverer of Bat Echolocation 2024-Nov-15 88 minutes

#36 - Toward an Ethological Science of Animal Consciousness 2024-Nov-14 19 minutes

#35 - Guest Podcast Sentientist Conversations "Animal Consciousness" 2024-Nov-13 108 minutes

#34 - Guest Podcast Episode: The NonSequitur Show Genetic Engineering Dr Sy Garte & Walter Veit 2024-Nov-12 83 minutes

#33 - Guest Podcast Sentientist Conversations "Maybe moral systems are harmful!" + Deleted Scenes 2024-Nov-11 95 minutes

#32 - AI Conversation: A Philosophy for the Science of Animal Consciousness 2024-Oct-05 9 minutes

#31 - AI Discussion: Procreative Beneficence and Genetic Enhancement 2024-Oct-02 12 minutes

#30 - Modeling Morality - PART 2 2024-Oct-02 21 minutes

#29 - Modeling Morality - PART 1 2024-Sep-30 36 minutes

#28 - Peter Singer: Retirement, Effective Altruism, Animal Rights, Zoos 2024-Sep-07 65 minutes

#27 - MA by Research in Philosophy at the University of Reading 2024-Aug-28 29 minutes

#26 - Evolution of multicellularity: cheating done right - PART 2 2024-Aug-28 27 minutes

#25 - Evolution of multicellularity: cheating done right - PART 1 2024-May-20 42 minutes

#24 - Existential Nihilism: The Only Really Serious Philosophical Problem 2024-May-15 67 minutes

#23 - Daniel C. Dennett Tribute 2024-Apr-23 17 minutes

#22 - Cognitive Enhancement and the Threat of Inequality 2024-Apr-09 44 minutes

#21 - Eric Helms: Is Bodybuilding a Sport? 2024-Apr-05 85 minutes

#20 - Drawing the boundaries of animal sentience 2024-Mar-30 14 minutes

#19 - Matti Wilks: On the Psychology of Moral Motivations and Effective Altruism 2024-Mar-13 64 minutes

#18 - Improving Invertebrate Welfare 2024-Mar-03 14 minutes

#17 - Alex Rosenberg: On Science, Philosophy, and Meaning 2024-Feb-22 55 minutes

#16 - Modeling Morality 2024-Feb-14 70 minutes

#15 - Nicola Clayton: Animal Cognition, Magic, Corvids, Dance, Embodiment 2024-Feb-07 58 minutes

#14 - Enhancement Technologies and Inequality 2024-Jan-29 20 minutes

#13 - Richard Yetter Chappell: Why Not Effective Altruism? 2024-Jan-19 79 minutes

#12 - Procreative Beneficence and Genetic Enhancement 2024-Jan-14 60 minutes

#11 - Kristin Andrews: Animal Minds, Animal Culture, Orangutans, Philosophy 2024-Jan-09 68 minutes

#10 - Princeton Panel on the Ethics of AI in Farming 2024-Jan-04 33 minutes

#9 - Princeton: Artificial intelligence, animal welfare, and the ethics of smart farming 2023-Dec-29 41 minutes

#8 - Kevin Mitchell: Free Will, Evolution of Agency, Control, Consciousness 2023-Dec-23 71 minutes

#7 - Dalai Lama Conference in India: Animal Consciousness 2023-Dec-18 47 minutes

#6 - Eva Jablonka: Epigenetics, Evolution, Consciousness, Israel and Palestine 2023-Dec-12 93 minutes

#5 - Chapter 1 of A Philosophy for the Science of Animal Consciousness 2023-Dec-05 79 minutes

#4 - Preview for A Philosophy for the Science of Animal Consciousness 2023-Nov-29 40 minutes

#3 - Heather Browning: Zookeeping, Philosophy, Sentience, Animal Welfare, and AI 2023-Nov-25 73 minutes

#2 - Why start a podcast? 2023-Nov-22 5 minutes

#1 - Daniel C. Dennett: Consciousness, AI, Free Will, Evolution, & Religion 2023-Nov-15 81 minutes