Does Free Will Exist?

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Episode 12 of Books and Ideas should be out within the next week. I am going to be exploring the question: Does free will exist? I hope the discussion will be thought-provoking, but I also anticipate that it might generate controversy and disagreement. I am looking forward to listener feedback. If you have not yet visited the new Brain Science Podcast Discussion Forum, you may want to go there and sign up. I have included a section for "off-topic" discussions that includes an area devoted to discussion of the Books and Ideas podcast.
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Lee Smolin looks at the Einstein Myth

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I haven't tried to read Walter Isaacson's new biography of Einstein because I found his biography of Benjamin Franklin insufferably boring. So I consider myself still on the search for a good biography of the most imp0rtant physicist of the 20th century. Meanwhile, I can highly recommend physicist's Lee Smolin's essay, The Other Einstein, which appeared in the June 14th issue of the New York Times Review of Books. Thankfully, the entire essay is available free on-line. The most interesting part of the article is its consideration of how some of Einstein's objections to quantum mechanics may have even more relevance today than when he was alive. If you have any interest in the conflict between relativity theory and quantum mechanics you will want to read this essay.
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Episode 11 has been reposted

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Apparently the wrong version of this episode was posted. Somehow I left out one of Neel's comments that I really meant to use. If you listened to the original, the added material now begins at 5:37. Its less than 2 minutes worth, but it was something special that I put in as a retirement gift to my husband, Dennis Smith, who was one of Neel Varshney's mentors when he was an undergraduate at UAB. If you got an episode labeled #12 you have the correct episode mislabeled. Very embarrassing! Listen to #11 Now Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Join email list
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Interview with Harvard's Neel Varshney (B&I 11)

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neel2.jpg Show Notes The latest episode of Books and Ideas is a little unusual. I interviewed Neel Varshney of Harvard Medical School as he looks forward to his imminent graduation and residency in neurology. Despite his young age, Varshney has already had extensive research experience in neuroscience, beginning during he undergraduate years as an electrical engineering student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He was the first student from UAB to receive the Rhodes Scholarship. In this interview Neel reflects on his experiences in England, and the challenges of adjusting to medical school. He offers sound advice to anyone considering medical school. We also talked about the research he has done so far. I look forward to hearing great things from him in the future. This is a very personal episode for me because I met Neel when he was one of my husband, Dennis Smith's most outstanding undergraduate students at UAB. Dennis is about to retire after teaching at UAB for 30 years and I know that it is student's like Neel who made his career satisfying. Listen to the corrected version of Episode 11 Now Download Episode Transcript Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Join email list
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An American Living in France (B&I 10)

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guillestre202.jpgGuillestre in the French Alps Show Notes Make sure you got episode 10 because episode 1 was accidentally uploaded. It was only up a few minutes but if you got the wrong episode please note that this has been corrected. This episode of Books and Ideas is a conversation with writer Kirk Mcelhearn , a native New Yorker, who has lived in France for over 20 years. We talk about the challenges of learning a second language, and what it is like to live in France after 9/11. McElhearn is able to bring some interesting historical perspective to current events. Unfortunately there is some echo in the second half of this interview, which was recorded using Skype™ and Audio Hijack Pro™. Listen to #10 Now Download Episode Transcript Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Join email list Additional Links: Kirkville is Kirk McElhearn's excellent blog where you can find Mac™ and iTunes™ hints, as well as commentary on books and digital music. Here is a list of his books from Amazon.com The Killer Angels: A Novel of the Civil War by Michael Shaara This is an excellent novel that I talked about briefly on an earlier podcast. It is also available in audio download format from Audible.com. Kirk said he has this book coming from BookMooch. BookMooch started by the founder of Magnatune, this is a great place to exchange books
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Mini-Review: The Places in Between by Rory Stewart

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placesinbetween.jpg by Rory Stewart Rory Stewart is a Scottsman who walked across Afghanistan shortly after the US invasion in 2002. I listened to the audio version, which he reads himself. Like The Kite Runner, another excellent book about Afghanistan, this book is best in audio because he pronounces all those words that I would be clueless about if reading the book. This is really not even a mini-review except that I want to say that he provides a unique perspective on the country and its people. I never realized that Muslims consider dogs unclean! This just illustrates the huge cultural gap between these people and the West. I could not help but wish we had just stayed away. Rory has a new book out called The Prince of the Marshes: And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq . He describes his year as a part of the provisional government in Iraq. I am probably going to discuss this book on the next Books and Ideas Podcast. Please note that the schedule for Books and Ideas has been reduced from twice a month to what I hope will be once a month. This is because I am unable to keep up with putting out a podcast every week. I intend to continue putting out the Brain Science Podcast twice a month.
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Mini-review: Children of Men by PD James (audiobook)

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childrenofmen.gif The Children of Men by PD James was actually published back in 1993 and the story is set in 2021. The basic premise is that no human babies have been born since 1995 (for 25 years). This is an interesting premise, but the book was disappointing. Obviously such an situation would would have many consequences, most of them bad. James concentrates on the psychological consequences, which fine, but the problem is that none of the characters, including the narrator and the younger woman he falls in love with, are engaging. The plot becomes rather predictable. Instead of finding myself sitting in the car wanting hear more, I found myself procrastinating. Finally I forced myself to listen to the last hour. I won't give away the end, but I will say that it did not change my overall disappointment. I haven't seen the movie so I do not know if they changed anything significant. Unfortunately, this is the first PD James book I have read and I do not feel inclined to read more. If any of you have read more PD James, please leave a comment comparing this to her other work.
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"Challenging Nature" with Lee M Silver (B&I 9)

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Some highlights from Recent Science Podcasts

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imgoingtopodcampatlanta.jpgI recently posted a list of some of my favorite science podcasts. Today I want to mention a few recent episodes that I think are worth listening to. First, on March 8th, the BBC 4 podcast In Our Time did an excellent review of the history of Microbiology. Host Melvyn Bragg is joined by John Dupré , Professor of Philosophy of Science and Director of Egenis, the ESRC Centre for Genomics in Society, at Exeter University, Anne Glover , Chief Scientific Advisor for Scotland and Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at Aberdeen University, and Andrew Mendelsohn , Senior Lecturer in the History of Science and Medicine at Imperial College, University of London. Jason Rennie of The Sci Phi Show has a reputation for getting interviews with many diverse people, usually on subjects related to philosophy. This week he posted two episode on the philosophy of science . Outcast #33 is an interview with Steve Fuller about Thomas Kuhn and Sir Karl Popper , who made important contributions to the philospohy of science during the 20th Century. Outcast #34 is a discussion with Dr. Del Ratzsch about the philosophy of science. His viewpoint on the conflict between science and religion is different from mine, but it is still an interesting interview.
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Bonobos with Dr. Stuart Shanker (BSP 7)

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kanzi_img06b.jpgKanzi and Sue Savage-Rumbaugh This is the first interview episode of the Brain Science Podcast. As a follow-up to #6, I had the opportunity to interview Stuart Shanker, PhD, one of the co-authors of The First Idea: How Symbols, Language, and Intelligence Evolved From Our Primate Ancestors to Modern Humans . I really wanted to talk about the implications of primate research, but he also tells us more about his work with autistic children and how he thinks what we are learning about brain development will enable early intervention and improved outcomes for children with autism and other learning disabilities. The Brain Science Podcast feed is available here. Listen to this episode now. Subscribe via iTunes™ Subscribe to Brain Science Podcast with Dr. Ginger Campbell by Email Links of Interest: What are Bonobos? More about Kanzi Sue Savage-Rumbaugh-pioneer primate researcher More on Bonobos
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Review: "Palestine" by President Jimmy Carter (B&I 8)

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I was a little hesitant to choose a controversial book, but after I read President Carter's new book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, I felt the ideas were too important not to share. I also feel that anyone who reads the book for themselves will agree that Jewish Americans are being unfair when they accuse President Carter of taking sides. It is true that he highlights the plight of the Palestinians in the occupied territories, but this hardly makes him biased. Episode 8 of Books and Ideas is only an introduction to the book. You will have to read it yourself to make your own decision. Listen Now Download Transcript Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Join email list Here are some links you might find interesting: The Carter Center CNN's coverage of the resignation of the Jewish members of the Carter Center Some information about the Wall Israel is building around its settlements
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My first interview: Matthew Cobb, author of "Generation" (B&I 7)

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matthewcobb.jpgMatthew Cobb Show Notes In this podcast is an interview with Matthew Cobb who wrote Generation: The Seventeenth-Century Scientists Who Unraveled the Secrets of Sex, Life, and Growth, which was discussed in Episode 6. Cobb discusses how he became interested in the Dutch Golden Age and the pioneers who discovered the egg and the sperm, even though it was almost 200 years before the discovery of genetics helped solve the mystery of human reproduction. We also discuss how the history of of science reveals the role of human nature in the scientific endeavor. Matthew gave a great interview, but I haven't had time to compile detailed shownotes. Listen to the interview now. Download Episode Transcript Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Join email list Egg and Sperm website
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Review: "Generation" by Matthew Cobb (B&I 6)

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generation.jpgGeneration: The Seventeenth-Century Scientists Who Unraveled the Secrets of Sex, Life, and Growth by Matthew Cobb Listen to this episode now Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Join email list Show Notes In this episode I discuss the highlights of Matthew Cobb’s account of the early days of the scientific revolution. During the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, several Dutch thinkers made important contributions to discovering how human reproduction happens. Their work helped established the scientific method of experimentation and helped revolutionize how we see ourselves relative to the other living things on earth. Here are the full names of the people mentioned: William Harvey Neils Steno Francesco Redi Robert Hooke Johannes van Horne Jan Swammerdam Reinier de Graaf Antoni Leeuwenhoek Gregor Mendel Other interesting Links: Matthew Cobb’s Website an American Scientist Bookstand interview of Matthew Cobb
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Mini-review: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

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waterforelephants.jpgThis was one of the most memorable novels I have read in the last few years.The narrator, Jacob, is “ninety or ninety-three” and lives in a nursing home. The arrival of the circus next store leads him to reflect on his experiences working on a circus during the depression. I have never been to the circus but Gruen makes the days when the circus was still a big event come to life.

Several things make this story stand out. First, instead of the usual format where the elderly person only appears to introduce a flashback, in Water For Elephants, the story alternates between Jacob’s present life in the nursing home and his life as a young man in the circus. In the audio version, there are separate narrators for the younger Jacob and the older Jacob. This makes it easy to tell where you are and adds to the realism.

At first I found myself wanting to get out of the nursing home and back to the circus, but by the end I cared as much about what was going to happen to the elderly Jacob and I did about learning the secret of his past. Even so, I thought the writing about the circus was especially powerful. Gruen’s ability to evoke the world of the depression-era circus reminded me of Ann Rice’s ability to make me feel that I am in New Orleans. She puts you in the menagerie with the animals, and Rosie, the elephant, is a character you won’t soon forget.

Finally, there is a surprise at the end, which leaves you feeling happier than you expected.

This is a relatively short book that I think anyone who loves animals will enjoy.

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The Relationship between Science and Philosophy (B&I 5)

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The main subject of Episode 5 is a discussion of the relationship between science and philosophy. After tracing their common heritage, Dr. Campbell examines why the fields have become estranged and why communication between science and philosophy is important to the advancement and integrity of both disciplines. She argues that individuals should take the opportunity to learn about other fields in order to counteract over specialization. Show Notes Movies: Smokey and the Bandit Close Encounters of the Third Kind Television: Ugly Betty Audiobook: Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen Book: Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson by Jennifer Michael Hecht Books and Ideas is committed to exploring ideas from diverse fields. Listen to this episode now Episode Transcript (Download PDF) Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Here is a video worth watching! Save the Internet | Rock the Vote
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Worst Audio Books of 2006 (B&I 4)

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Show Notes for Books and Ideas Episode 4: I am not going to list the books here, but if anyone needs or wants a list all they have to do is drop me an email at docartemis at gmail.com. In this episode I also reminisce about 1977 with some really geeky memories in celebration of my recent 30th wedding anniversary. I also recommended Orson Scott Card’s Ezine The Intergalactic Medicine Show. Listen to episode 4 now Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™
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My Favorite AudioBooks of 2006 (B&I 3)

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Shownotes I downloaded 29 books from Audible.com in 2006. I have chosen my favorite 10 to discuss briefly in episodes 3 and 4. Next week, after I have posted episode 4 I will post the full list here. In this episode I also recommend Philosopher’s Zone podcast from Australian public radio. Listen to this episode now Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™
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Review: "The Trouble with Physics" (B&I 2)

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troublewithphysics-small.jpg Show Notes This episode turned out longer than I planned. After I recorded a piece about Lee Smolin’s book The Trouble with Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the fall of a science, and What Comes Next, I decided to wait until the next episode to discuss my Audible.com top 10 for 2006. I think Smolin’s book makes an important contribution on several levels. First, it is an excellent review of contemporary physics and puts string theory into context. It is also a candid look at the trends in contemporary science that are stifling original thinking and creativity. It is a passionate defense of the traditional scientific method (making predictions and testing them with experiments). If physics, which has always been thought of the purest science could lose site of its principles, we are reminded that science is a human endeavor, prone to human error and human desires. Listen to this episode now Episode Transcript (Download PDF) Subscribe to this podcast Subscribe via iTunes™ Note: This post was amended on October 5, 2009 (to fix a glitch in WordPress) Comments are closed. If you want to comment please join our new Facebook Fan Page.
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Comparing Science to Pseudoscience (B&I 1)

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Episode 1 of Books and Ideas Topics Covered:
Discussion of the difference between science and psuedo-science Books: The Trouble with Physics iWoz Headfirst HTML with CSS and XHTML Television: Studio 60 Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “Season 8? Movies: An Inconvenient Truth: more information about global warming is available at climatecrisis.org Listen to this episode now Subscribe to this podcast
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