Ben Yeoh Chats

Sumit discusses how his wife dying  reshaped his views on optimism, differentiating between pragmatic optimism and blind faith. He explores how having an optimistic outlook, although seemingly against his scientific training, aligns with good mental health.  "Believing in a better tomorrow is not the same as saying tha

Samir Varma is a physicist, investor, and author of the book: The Science of Free Will, How Determinism Affects Everything from the Future of AI to Traffic to God to Bees.' We discuss AI consciousness, the theoretical versus practical aspects of free will, and how determinism informs our understanding of human behaviou

Mary-Ann Ochota is a broadcaster, anthropologist, and writer known for her work on Time Team and books on archaeology and the British landscape.  “Archaeology is ultimately about people – the stories of people in the past and how they lived their lives.” Mary-Ann discusses her visits to Chernobyl, British henges and th

Political philosopher Rebecca Lowe discusses her views on freedom, equality, and the ethical implications of emerging technologies. Currently writing a book titled 'Freedom in Utopia,' Rebecca delves into philosophical debates concerning obligations to extinct animals, the ethics of eating meat, and the future potentia

Daisy Christodoulou is an acclaimed author in the field of education. Daisy has also written a book on video assisted refereeing (VAR) in football. We discuss being a football fan, VAR's impact on the sport, and the controversial decision-making processes involved. We speak about how VAR might have improved other sport

Peter Gray is a psychologist and author of Free to Learn. For many years, he has been studying the importance of play. Gray discusses his perspective on the ideal education system, which he believes should be a bottom-up movement rather than a top-down imposition. He emphasizes the importance of self-directed education