If we give AI rights because we think it's conscious, we lose the ability to control it… the dangerous illusion explained by a consciousness expert.

Professor Anil Seth is one of the world's leading neuroscientists, Co-Director of the Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science, and author of Being You, which challenges everything you thought you knew about perception, reality, and what it means to be conscious.

0:00 Overestimating AI and underestimating ourselves

0:43 Why we project consciousness onto ChatGPT and Claude

2:09 How AI metaphors diminish our view of biological intelligence

3:25 Can AI become conscious? The truth between zero and 100%

5:05 Why consciousness requires life: metabolism, biology, substrate

6:00 Brain organoids vs GPT—which should worry us more?

7:28 Consciousness: more like digestion or flight?

8:29 Why brains are NOT computers when you look inside them

11:10 Intelligence vs consciousness: doing vs feeling

12:35 Why conscious AI would be terrible—even if it's just an illusion

14:33 The alignment problem: can't control AI if we give it rights

17:18 Social media's lessons: unintended consequences of "move fast"

20:07 The moral circle problem: caring about AI means less for animals

21:35 Descartes' error: rationality requires embodied emotion

27:32 Bayesian reasoning: brains make best guesses, not optimal solutions

30:37 The frame problem: why AI can't know what's NOT relevant

33:33 Unconscious vs subconscious: Freud vs modern neuroscience

37:00 Predictive processing: perception as controlled hallucination

38:01 What consciousness is good for: integration and fast learning

41:47 Mental time travel and scrub jays planning futures

45:19 The space of possible minds: dogs, flies, octopuses

48:11 Octopuses see with their skin for predator vision

53:27 Thomas Nagel: "What is it like to be a bat?"

55:13 Human echolocators: blind people navigating by sound

58:54 Perception as controlled hallucination: never experiencing reality directly

1:02:24 Color requires a mind; the spectrum from physics to social construction

1:06:05 Why simulation theory fails if consciousness isn't computation

1:08:28 Why we dream: preventing overfitting and simulating threats

1:12:37 Sleep cycles and why dreams fade instantly

1:15:26 Lucid dreaming: knowing you're dreaming without waking

1:17:50 Derealization: when reality feels unreal even though it is

1:19:08 Final advice: control what you can, find balance and purpose

Professor Anil Seth's Work:

Official Website: https://www.anilseth.com

Books: Being You: A New Science of Consciousness (Sunday Times Bestseller)

https://www.anilseth.com/being-you/

Latest Essay: "The Mythology of Conscious AI" - NoEmer (Free to read online)

Academic Profile: Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science (Co-Director)

https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/centres/sussex-centre-for-consciousness-science/

Team

Chief Editor: Chloe Breheret

Chief Automation Officer: Jack McDuff

Jacob’s Work

Website: https://www.jacobjwatsonhowland.com

Neuroscientist and physical therapist Dr. Lara Boyd explains why there is no such thing as a “normal brain,” how neuroplasticity reshapes us across life, and why struggle and sleep are the real drivers of change in our brains. In this episode, she and Jacob explore neurodivergence, learning, stroke recovery, genetics, and what it actually takes to rewire your brain on purpose.

0:00 The French civil servant with “half a brain” and what neuroplasticity can do

1:05 How many of us are actually neuro-atypical? Defining (and questioning) “normal”

2:15 Why there is no clear definition of “neurotypical”

3:05 UK Biobank genetics: ADHD, autism, anxiety and overlapping gene profiles

4:35 Are we over-diagnosing or mis-grouping neurodivergent conditions?

5:35 Evolutionary upsides of ADHD and autism: hyperfocus, sentry attention, solo hunting

6:22 Why autism diagnoses are rising: broader criteria and better recognition in girls

7:30 ADHD and autism as “differences,” not defects — and examples like Elon Musk and Bill Gates

9:05 Lara’s winding path: English major → physical therapist → neuroscientist

10:30 The 1990s shift: from “fixed brain” to lifelong neuroplasticity

12:20 How the brain actually changes: myelin, pruning, and wiring into the mid-20s

16:20 Why young men take more risks: late-maturing prefrontal cortex

18:40 Genes vs environment, epigenetics, and why nature vs nurture isn’t a debate anymore

21:10 APOE4 and dementia risk — and how exercise can change outcomes

22:20 Big data, AI, and decoding brain–gene interactions

24:00 The stroke patient that made Lara feel like a “car mechanic who didn’t understand the engine”

27:20 The landmark monkey stroke study: forced use, reorganization, and recovery

31:00 Redundancy, “silent” neurons, and spare real estate in the brain

33:20 How dendrites, brain chemistry, and BDNF drive neuroplasticity — and why exercise helps

38:20 Why consciousness and self are still “unsolved problems”

39:40 The motor homunculus: why your hands, lips, and tongue dominate your cortex

41:40 Why some people learn in 50 hours and others need 500 — and Lara’s quest to understand variability

44:15 Biomarkers, stroke recovery, and who responds best to brain stimulation

46:05 Could we one day time school topics to each child’s brain readiness?

47:40 Visual vs auditory learners and what brain scans reveal about reading and math readiness

49:30 Stuck in bad habits or a failing career? Why you’re not trapped — and why struggle is your brain changing

52:00 Why we hate struggle even though it’s exactly when neuroplasticity happens

52:55 Sleep as neuroplastic “glue”: deep sleep for motor, REM for cognitive learning

54:05 Naps, aging, and how much sleep we really need

55:10 Lara’s advice to her 20-year-old self: stay curious, practice hard, sleep well

RESOURCES / LINKS Dr. Lara Boyd – UBC Faculty of Medicine profile https://www.med.ubc.ca/researchers/lara-boyd-physical-therapy/

UBC Physical Therapy – Brain Behaviour Laboratory https://physicaltherapy.med.ubc.ca/2022/10/11/lara-boyd/

Website: ⁠https://www.jacobjwatsonhowland.com⁠

Silicon Valley has become 'stale.' AI ethicist Olivia Gambelin reveals why innovation is now iteration, and what needs to change before the bubble pops.

AI ethics expert Olivia Gambelin reveals why most companies are getting AI wrong, and how understanding human values, not just technology, is the key to building AI that actually works. As founder of Ethical Intelligence and author of Responsible AI, Olivia has empowered hundreds of business leaders across Silicon Valley and Brussels to implement ethics-by-design strategies that drive innovation without compromising humanity.

Subscribe for weekly conversations with world-leading experts on AI, technology, philosophy, and human potential.

You’ll Learn:

–Why AI ethics isn't about the technology, it’s about design choices, use cases, and how humans interact with AI systems –How Silicon Valley's innovation bubble has become "stale" and why the ecosystem desperately needs fresh perspectives from outside the tech world –The truth about responsible AI: it's not ethics washing, it's good business practice that helps companies scale AI successfully –Why working strict boundaries (no weekends, 9-7 schedule) makes you MORE effective as an entrepreneur, not less –How to know if you actually need AI in your business, and why most people are being sold solutions looking for problems –What it means to be an AI ethicist: studying values as forces that shape decisions, just like physics studies forces of nature –Why the "AI singularity" mindset reveals people who haven't experienced the messy, beautiful parts of being human –The preventative questions every company should ask BEFORE building AI to save time, money, and avoid ethical disasters

Olivia’s Work:

Olivia Gambelin's Website: https://www.oliviagambelin.com

AI Literacy Course for Non-Technical Professionals:

https://www.ethicalintelligence.co/ailiteracy

Ethical Intelligence Community: https://www.ethicalintelligence.co

Olivia's Book - Responsible AI:

https://www.koganpage.com/digital-technology/responsible-ai-9781398615700

Olivia's Substack - In Pursuit of Good Tech:

https://pursuitofgoodtech.substack.com

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviagambelin

Team

Chief Editor: Chloe Breheret

Chief Automation Officer: Jack McDuff

Jacob’s Work

Podcast blueprint (Skool): https://www.skool.com/remote-pro-podcast-blueprint-8385

Website: https://www.jacobjwatsonhowland.com

Love, hate, embarrassment, every emotion has an evolutionary job. This psychologist identified all 74 and their survival functions. Evolutionary psychologist Dr. Rob Kurzban reveals the hidden evolutionary reasons behind our 74 distinct emotions (from love and hate to embarrassment and cuteness aggression) and explains why understanding human emotions is more critical than ever in the age of AI.

Dr. Kurzban is a leading researcher in evolutionary psychology who studied under field pioneers John Tooby and Leda Cosmides, specializing in the adaptive functions of human social behavior.

Subscribe for more deep conversations on psychology, philosophy, and human nature.

00:00 Introduction to Evolutionary Psychology and Emotions

00:17 Surprising Discoveries in Emotional Research

01:22 The Complexity of Love and Strategic Ignorance

02:32 Memory, Reputation, and Strategic Amnesia

04:50 Obscure Feelings and Their Evolutionary Roles

07:25 Pain, Embarrassment, and Evolutionary Signals

11:28 Feelings in Adulthood vs. Childhood

14:26 Intense Emotions: Parental Love, Hate, and Coalitional Comradery

17:03 The Evolutionary Purpose of Hate

22:14 Modular Brain Systems and Competing Emotions

34:54 The Role of Optimism in Youth

35:17 The Complexity of Wisdom

36:38 Children's Books and Morality

38:54 Signaling Moral Virtue

42:24 Cultural Rules and Their Impact

47:33 The Evolution of American Rules

52:19 Hypocrisy and Moral Judgment

01:02:05 Changing Beliefs and Scientific Dogma

01:11:48 The Role of Science in Human Progress

01:12:34 AI and the Future of Objectivity

01:13:28 The Evolution of AI: From Language Models to World Models

01:15:38 AI's Impact on Human Behavior and Society

01:18:08 The Future of Jobs in an AI-Driven World

01:21:08 Human Creativity vs. AI Capabilities

01:25:29 The Role of Envy and Gratitude in Human Motivation

01:30:59 Historical Parallels and Lessons from the Industrial Revolution

01:45:09 The Importance of Legal Frameworks in Society

01:46:35 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

RESOURCES / LINKS

Rob’s Work:

Substack:

https://thelivingfossils.substack.com

"Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular Mind" - Available at:

http://www.robkurzban.com/books/why-everyone-else-is-a-hypocrite

"The Hidden Agenda of the Political Mind: How Self-Interest Shapes Our Opinions and Why We Won't Admit It" (Co-authored with Jason Weeden) -

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21981657-the-hidden-agenda-of-the-political-mind

Jacob’s Work

Podcast blueprint (Skool): https://www.skool.com/remote-pro-podcast-blueprint-8385

FREE Podcast Tips (2nd Channel): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUp5S7ZIZtjA8PMgXJMwppA

TikTok relationship advice is destroying your dating life.. Christian Brewster (writer, culture commentator, and creator of the Substack publication ~interrupted~) breaks down why social media platforms are the worst place to get relationship guidance and what you should do instead.

We expose the engagement-driven trap of TikTok dating coaches, explore why real-life connections matter more than algorithmic advice, and discuss how to build genuine social skills in the digital age.

Subscribe for more conversations on culture, relationships, and meaningful human connection

Expect to learn:

-Why TikTok relationship advice is designed for engagement, not your success—and how superficial content prioritizes clicks over genuine guidance

-How to get better relationship advice from people who actually know you instead of strangers on social media

-Why meeting partners in real life builds stronger connections than dating apps and digital platforms

-The truth about social skills in the digital age and how to develop genuine conversation abilities

-How friendship dynamics change in adulthood and what to do when your social circle evolves

-Why loneliness and social media consumption are connected and how to break the cycle

-How to gradually detox from social media without going cold turkey

-The creative process behind writing for Substack and balancing content creation with consumption

-Why negative emotions fuel better writing and how to channel difficult feelings into creative work

-Tom Cruise's cultural impact and what his career reveals about modern celebrity

-Tips for growing your Substack audience and developing a consistent writing practice

00:00 Why TikTok Relationship Advice is Problematic

00:56 The Engagement Trap of Social Media Influencers

04:16 The Value of Personal Connections for Relationship Advice

07:12 Analog vs. Digital: Meeting Partners in Real Life

14:18 The Art of Conversation and Social Skills

18:37 Navigating Friendship Changes in Adulthood

28:54 The Impact of Loneliness and Social Media

43:21 Gradual Social Media Detox

43:36 Balancing Creation and Consumption

44:01 Navigating Negative Emotions in Writing

47:02 Finding Inspiration for Substack Posts

51:02 The Influence of Music on Writing

56:00 The Fascination with Tom Cruise

01:02:38 Embracing Negative Emotions

01:10:47 Tips for Growing on Substack

01:21:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

RESOURCES / LINKS

Christian Brewster's Substack:

https://christianbrewster.substack.com

Team

Chief Editor: Chloe Breheret

Chief Automation Officer: Jack McDuff

Jacob’s Work

Podcast blueprint (Skool): https://www.skool.com/remote-pro-podcast-blueprint-8385 https://www.jacobjwatsonhowland.com

“I hit zero twice as an entrepreneur. The second time hurt worse than the first. Here's what nobody warned me about going broke in business.”

Kevin Fedor hit zero twice as an entrepreneur and lived to expose the unsexy truth about going broke in business that success stories conveniently skip. As a marketing expert who rebuilt from nothing multiple times, Kevin reveals why entrepreneurship's dark side isn't about glory, it's about surviving months at zero with nobody watching. Subscribe to hear the raw reality of entrepreneurship from someone who's been broke twice and came back stronger.

You’ll learn:

-Why hitting zero twice as an entrepreneur is more common than you think and what it teaches you about resilience

-The unsexy daily reality of entrepreneurship that looks identical to a 9-5 job but with zero safety net

-How to build your own light when entrepreneurship leaves you running in complete darkness

-Why autonomy matters more than money when choosing entrepreneurship over traditional careers

-The self-awareness test every aspiring entrepreneur must pass before quitting their job

-How to optimize for your North Star instead of chasing someone else's definition of success

-What really happens when you go months at zero income as a business owner

-Why future-proofing your lifestyle goals should drive your entrepreneurial decisions today

Have you ever experienced hitting zero in your entrepreneurial journey, or are you afraid of it happening? Share your story or biggest fear about going broke in business below.

00:00 The Journey Begins: Early Entrepreneurial Influences

00:33 First Internship: Planting the Seed of Entrepreneurship

01:54 The Birth of a Sports Podcast

04:30 Building Follow Spike: The Early Struggles

06:21 The Long Road to the First Dollar

07:46 The Importance of Consistency and Inputs

15:34 Finding Value Beyond Financial Success

22:12 Discovering Your North Star

32:38 The Value of Passion and Validation

32:52 Is University Necessary for Success?

33:32 Challenging Traditional Education

37:14 The Reality of Entrepreneurship

39:30 The Importance of Self-Awareness

44:14 Balancing Career and Personal Goals

52:44 The Unseen Side of Entrepreneurship

56:44 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

01:00:24 Final Thoughts and Future Plans

BEST QUOTES

“Somebody just quit”

"You're basically running in the dark not knowing if there's gonna be light eventually. That's entrepreneurship."

"I had the whole 'somebody just quit' mentality and spent months at zero. It happens."

"If you can build your own light, you already win."

"You're doing the right thing. Just keep doing it. You're in a room of one and that's okay."

#EntrepreneurshipReality #GoingBroke #StartupFailure

Kevin’s Work

Connect with Kevin Fedor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-fedor/

Jacob’s Work

Podcast blueprint (Skool): https://www.skool.com/remote-pro-podcast-blueprint-8385

Nazi drug use wasn’t just “a detail”. It shaped Blitzkrieg speed, soldier psychology, Hitler’s inner circle and the Führer himself.

Nazi drug use shaped WWII in ways most people still don’t realize, and Norman Ohler, bestselling author of Blitzed and Tripped, joins me to expose how Pervitin, opioids, and ideology collided inside the Third Reich to create a regime, strategy (Blitzkrieg) and war never seen before in history.

What part of Nazi drug use do you think most changes how people understand WWII? Pervitin on the front lines, or Hitler’s dependency behind closed doors?

You’ll learn:

-How Pervitin (methamphetamine) went from legal pharmacy product to a wartime performance tool. -Why “mainstream” WWII history often sidelined drugs as a serious factor in power, strategy, and behavior. -The story behind Germany’s stimulant pipeline and why sleep was framed as “the number one enemy of a soldier.” -What “35 million dosages” tells us about scale, normalization, and the machinery of war. -How Pervitin changed fear, motivation, empathy, and decision-making for soldiers in combat.

-Hitler’s medical descent with Dr. Morell: from “vitamins” to opioids, and later even cocaine as a legal product at the time. -The darker edge: drug testing and experimentation connected to concentration camps, including “truth drug” research. -A wider drug lens: psychedelics’ historical role, why the Nazi era “was not really a psychedelic time,” and what Ohler is exploring now. 00:00 Unveiling the Hidden Drug Secrets of WWII

01:01 Inspiration Behind the Book

03:20 The Rise of Pervitin in Nazi Germany

06:39 Methamphetamine's Role in the Blitzkrieg

08:30 The Ethical Dilemma of Drug Use in War

10:01 The Impact of Meth on Soldiers

24:51 Hitler's Descent into Drug Dependency

31:01 The Nazis and Psychedelics

32:36 Psychedelics in WWII: Limited Use and Rediscovery

34:10 Nazi Experiments: Miracle Drugs and Submarine Missions

37:16 Concentration Camp Atrocities: Beyond Drugs

38:55 Human Nature and Atrocities: A Broader Perspective

43:09 Psychedelics and Egalitarian Societies in History

52:22 Iboga: The Potent African Plant

55:08 Advice on Psychedelics and Personal Reflections

57:38 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Norman Ohler – Stone(d) Sapiens Substack:

https://stonedsapiens.substack.com

The Norman Ohler Dopecast & Substack

https://stonedsapiens.substack.com/podcast

Blitzed (Penguin UK):

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/294543/blitzed-by-ohler-norman/9780141983165

Tripped (Atlantic Books UK):

https://atlantic-books.co.uk/book/tripped/

Jacob’s Work

Podcast blueprint (Skool): https://www.skool.com/remote-pro-podcast-blueprint-8385 Website: https://www.jacobjwatsonhowland.com

Team

Chief Editor: Chloe Breheret

Chief Automation Officer: Jack McDuff

Sting & The Police went from playing to 6 people on his first American performance (broke, on welfare, with a wife and baby) to selling out stadiums with The Police and selling 100 million records worldwide. This deep dive into Sting's biography reveals the brutal years of rejection between obscurity and stardom that nobody talks about, decoded from his memoir Broken Music.

Subscribe for more breakdowns on how icons escape their limitations and build legendary careers.

Expect to learn:

-How Sting escaped a working-class trap in Newcastle and broke the cycle of generational regret

-Why obsession and volume beat talent alone: the forensic practice method Sting used to decode Beatles songs

-The truth about overnight success: the humiliating rejections and 10+ years of grinding before The Police broke through

-How Roxanne became a classic after almost being rejected by the band's manager

-Why Sting left The Police at their peak and what drove his need to keep escaping

-The father-wound pattern that fuels most male outliers: and how Sting channeled it into 100 million+ records sold

-What separates artists who quit from those who make it: Sting's "don't stop" mentality through welfare, empty clubs, and doubt

-The escape code Sting discovered: how your obsession is data telling you how to get out

00:00 The Humble Beginnings of Sting

01:28 The Trap and the Escape Code

02:25 The Drive to Prove Himself

03:22 The Obsession with Music

05:01 The Grind and Humiliation

07:57 The Turning Point: Meeting Stewart Copeland

08:48 Roxanne and the Breakthrough

10:32 The Rise and Fall of The Police

11:07 Lessons from Sting's Journey

12:22 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Sting's Memoir Broken Music (Amazon): https://amzn.to/3Nnc4g7

What's YOUR "this is how you escape" moment? What obsession keeps pulling you back even when it doesn't make logical sense? Drop your escape code in the comments. I’m rooting for you. 👇

Best Bits:

"There's something in the driven and compulsive nature of this obsession that's unusual, something in the unconscious saying, this is how you escape. This is how you escape. his how you escape.”

"I will travel the world, be the head of a large family. I'll own a big house in the country. I will be wealthy and I will be famous." [He achieved all of them]

"We'll play with equal passion to six people or 600. Driving ourselves thousands of sleepless miles, loading and unloading our gear...we were the dogs of war and nothing could stop us."

"In my quest to become unique, I have become a statistic."

"Success and failure are on the same road. You just have to keep going.”

"It's just that nothing else I ever did was going to work. I was merely treading water."

#Sting #ThePolice #MusicBiography