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Philosophy

Hotel Bar Sessions, Episode 23: Superheroes

August 29, 2021 Leigh M. Johnson Hotel Bar Sessions, Philosophy, podcast, Politics, Pop Culture/Film, Pop Culture/Film/Literature, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Women and Gender Issues Comments Off on Hotel Bar Sessions, Episode 23: Superheroes

  The HBS hosts discuss the role of superheroes in culture and popular media. In American graphic fiction and contemporary film, the superhero stands at the center of many popular narratives. Superhero stories published by DC Comics and Marvel are a multi-million dollar per year industry and, in 2019 alone, superhero movies grossed 3.19 billion dollars…

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Hotel Bar Sessions, Episode 21: Conspiracy Theories

August 6, 2021 Leigh M. Johnson conspiracy theories, critical thinking, Democracy, Ethics, Hotel Bar Sessions, Internet, Philosophy, podcast, Politics, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive Comments Off on Hotel Bar Sessions, Episode 21: Conspiracy Theories

The HBS hosts discuss conspiracy theories and what motivates people to believe in them.  The word “conspiracy” derives from the Latin con- (“with” or “together”) and spirare (“to breathe”), and it seems like more and more people are breathing in the thin air of dubious explanations and bonding together over them. From Q-Anon to flat earthers to anti-vaxxers to…

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Hotel Bar Sessions “Afterthoughts” (Episodes 16-18)

July 31, 2021 Leigh M. Johnson Afterthoughts, citizenship, echnology, Ethics, Hotel Bar Sessions, Philosophy, podcast, Politics, RMWMTMBM Archive Comments Off on Hotel Bar Sessions “Afterthoughts” (Episodes 16-18)

For Season 2 of Hotel Bar Sessions, we’re recording one “Afterthoughts” episode for every three podcast episodes, which we post to our HBS YouTube channel. The “Afterthoughts” series gives us a chance to say what we wish we would’ve said during one of the podcasts, or to add something new to the conversation that only occurred…

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Hotel Bar Sessions Ep 19: Laughter

July 25, 2021 Leigh M. Johnson Aesthetics, Hotel Bar Sessions, humor, Philosophy, podcast, Politics, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Trump Comments Off on Hotel Bar Sessions Ep 19: Laughter

  In advance of Rick Lee’s forthcoming book, co-hosts Charles and Leigh ask him why he thinks all “theories” of comedy are inadequate. What exactly is the “joke” part of a joke? Why are philosophers not only hostile to comedy, but also categorically unfunny? Is comedy formulaic or does it resist systematic analysis? What is…

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Hotel Bar Sessions Ep 18: Digital Afterlives

July 23, 2021 Leigh M. Johnson Artificial Intelligence, Biotech, Emergent Tech, Ethics, Hotel Bar Sessions, Philosophy, podcast, Politics, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values Comments Off on Hotel Bar Sessions Ep 18: Digital Afterlives

 Co-host Leigh M. Johnson is in the hot seat for this episode’s discussion of “digital afterlives.” If we consider the digital, i.e., information-based, self to be distinguishable from the living and breathing meatspace self, we should ask” how long can the Digital Me live on after the Meatspace Me dies? Technology already enables us to…

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Hotel Bar Sessions podcast: A brief history

July 23, 2021 Leigh M. Johnson Hotel Bar Sessions, Philosophy, podcast, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive Comments Off on Hotel Bar Sessions podcast: A brief history

I can’t be sure who’s still regularly checking in on this blog, but those of you who are have surely noticed that I’ve shifted my energies from blogging to podcasting over the last year. Beginning in November 2020, I did a 22-episode run of my first podcast BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, in which I interviewed philosophers,…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 22: “Smithereens” with James Buchanan Wallace

March 5, 2021 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog 2023+, Ethics, Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values Comments Off on BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 22: “Smithereens” with James Buchanan Wallace

  For Episode 22 (our last episode!), I am joined by Dr. James Buchanan “Bru” Wallace to talk about religion, techniques of the self, guilt, the imperative to look up from your screen and really see others, and “Smithereens” (Season 5, Episode 2 of Black Mirror), which first premiered in 2019. Dr. James Buchanan Wallace, known…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 21: “Hang the DJ” with John Torrey

February 28, 2021 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog 2023+, Ethics, Philosophy, Public Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values Comments Off on BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 21: “Hang the DJ” with John Torrey

  For Episode 21, I am joined by Dr. John Torrey to talk about whether or not we each have (and can find) “The One,” dating apps, the freedom to make bad choices, simulated relationships, and “Hang the DJ” (Season 4, Episode 4 of Black Mirror), which first premiered in 2017. This is the penultimate…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep. 20: “Bandersnatch” with Eric Steinhart

February 19, 2021 Leigh M. Johnson Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Blog 2023+, Emergent Tech, Philosophy, Pop Culture/Film/Literature, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values Comments Off on BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep. 20: “Bandersnatch” with Eric Steinhart

  For Episode 20, I am joined by Dr. Eric Steinhart to talk about navigating compossible worlds and timelines, tech gods (and monsters), mental illness, books that (maybe) shouldn’t be read, and “Bandersnatch” (the stand-alone, interactive Black Mirror episode), which first premiered in 2018. Listen/Download BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast episodes  Subscribe to BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS podcast Before jumping…

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BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 19: “Metalhead” with Roman V. Yampolskiy

February 12, 2021 Leigh M. Johnson Artificial Intelligence, Black Mirror, Black Mirror Reflections, Emergent Tech, Ethics, Philosophy, RMWMTMBM Archive, Technology, Technology and Human Values Comments Off on BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 19: “Metalhead” with Roman V. Yampolskiy

  For Episode 19, I am joined by Dr. Roman V. Yampolskiy to talk about killer robot dogs, poker playing AIs, the control problem, how long we have left before the rise of the machines, what it would be like to be a superintelligence’s pet, and “Metalhead” (Season 4, Episode 5 of Black Mirror), which…

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