Science Uprising 02: Mind

Are we simply robots made out of meat? Or is there an inescapable “I” who makes real choices that can change our lives? This episode of Science Uprising (Mind: The Inescapable I) challenges claims by materialists like Steven Pinker, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett that humans are simply robots without free will. Be sure to visit scienceuprising.com to find more videos and explore related articles and books.

People featured in this episode include Michael Egnor, MD, a Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at Stony Brook University; and Jeffrey Schwartz, MD, a Research Psychiatrist at UCLA and author many books such as The Mind and the Brain, Brain Lock, and You Are Not Your Brain.

Dr. Jeffrey M. Schwartz is a research psychiatrist at the School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles and one of the world’s leading experts in neuroplasticity. Decades ago, he began to study the philosophy of conscious awareness, the idea that the actions of the mind have an effect on the workings of the brain. Jeff’s breakthrough work in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) provided the hard evidence that the mind can control the brain’s chemistry. He has lectured extensively to both professional and lay audiences in the US, Europe, and Asia. Jeff’s books include The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force and the bestseller Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, the seminal book on OCD. Learn more about his research and writing on the brain and neuroplasticity. Michael Egnor, MD (from Columbia University), neurosurgeon and professor of neurological surgery at Stony Brook University.

Dr. Egnor is renowned for his work in pediatric neurosurgery. His practice includes patients diagnosed with Arnold Chiari deformity, hydrocephalus, cranio-synostosis, brain tumors, and spina bifida, as well as children with severe head trauma. He has an international reputation for research on hydrocephalus, and he is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Hydrocephalus Association in the United States. See “Baby born with deformed head celebrates first Christmas thanks to surgery and a 3D-printed skull” at The Sun.