Why do science and philosophy so often stand apart - and what happens when they come back together?
Why do science and philosophy so often stand apart - and what happens when they come back together?
- October 22, 2025
- Megan Peters, cognitive sciences, and Lauren Ross, LPS, dive in on this episode of the Mind-Body Solution Podcast
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In this thought-provoking conversation, Dr Tevin Naidu brings together Prof Lauren Ross (philosopher of science, UC Irvine) and Prof Megan Peters (computational neuroscientist, UC Irvine) to explore why modern science still depends on philosophical insight - and why philosophy needs to engage with empirical rigor.
They discuss:
• How philosophy clarifies the conceptual foundations of science
• What counts as an explanation in neuroscience and AI
• The limits of reductionism and the myth of the “brain as computer”
• Metacognition, uncertainty, and consciousness from a cognitive science perspective
• How to build a philosophically informed neuroscience
This dialogue bridges disciplines that should never have split - and reveals why understanding the mind, meaning, and reality requires both empirical and conceptual insight.
Listen in and watch: https://youtu.be/XXUqQ07SSRo?si=v8ju4I442dhBGHmx
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Would you like to get more involved with the social sciences? Email us at communications@socsci.uci.edu to connect.
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