No Thinking Without a Thinker: Dr. Mihretu Guta on Consciousness

No Thinking Without a Thinker: Dr. Mihretu Guta on Consciousness

Author: Discovery Institute February 21, 2026 Duration: 1:27:33
Starting this month, ID The Future listeners will get to enjoy a new episode each month (as well as a bingecast archive episode) from our sister podcast Mind Matters News, a production of the Discovery Institute’s Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence. The Mind Matters News podcast brings you interviews and insight from computer scientists, engineers, inventors, neurosurgeons, and other experts who bring sanity to the conversation about natural and artificial intelligence, going beyond the hype to explore the undercurrents of these important ideas. And although the Mind Matters News podcast will not often explicitly discuss intelligent design, it regularly explores the nature of intelligence, the origin of information, and the things that make us uniquely human, concepts that are central to the theory of intelligent design. On this archive "bingecast" episode, hosts Robert J. Marks and Angus Menuge welcome Dr. Mihretu Guta to discuss his contribution to the book Minding the Brain. Dr. Guta discusses the nature of consciousness and the challenges in understanding it from a philosophical perspective. He argues that consciousness is a unique property that is deeply subjective and personal, making it difficult to study scientifically. Guta contrasts first-order and second-order approaches to understanding consciousness, emphasizing the need to go beyond just the empirical observation of mental phenomena and examine the underlying metaphysical and ontological questions. The discussion covers a number of relevant topics, highlighting the profound and puzzling nature of consciousness and the importance of philosophical inquiry in grappling with this fundamental aspect of human experience.

Source


Dive into the ongoing conversation at the intersection of science, philosophy, and culture with Intelligent Design the Future. Produced by the Discovery Institute, this podcast offers a focused exploration of the arguments and discussions surrounding intelligent design and evolutionary theory. Rather than lengthy lectures, it presents concise, digestible episodes that fit into your day, featuring direct conversations with researchers and thinkers actively engaged in this scientific field. You'll hear from scientists, scholars, and institute fellows who break down new developments, analyze recent publications, and address the broader implications of these ideas for education and society. The discussions are grounded in the perspective that nature presents evidence of design, tackling complex topics in astronomy, biology, and the philosophy of science with a specific point of view. Each episode aims to provide clarity on current debates, making the content accessible whether you're deeply familiar with the subject or just beginning to explore these fundamental questions. This is a place for substantive dialogue on one of the most enduring topics in modern thought, all packaged in a brief, engaging format that prioritizes depth over duration. Tune in to hear the voices shaping this particular strand of scientific discourse.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Intelligent Design the Future
Podcast Episodes
Evaluating Evolutionary Claims By Thinking Like a Scientist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:25
To critically evaluate scientific claims, we must think like a scientist. But what are the qualities of a good scientist? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes molecular biologist and research scientist D…
Brian Miller on the Return of Natural Theology [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:40
Influenced by a long line of materialist thinkers, Charles Darwin proposed the mechanism of natural selection as a substitute for God. But how does his theory’s explanatory power measure up to recent scientific discoveri…
How to Respond to Common Criticisms of Intelligent Design [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:53
God of the gaps. Lucy as human ancestor. Co-option to explain away irreducible complexity. Perhaps you've heard some of the most common objections to intelligent design, but do you know how to adequately respond to them?…
Casey Luskin on the Core Concepts of Intelligent Design [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:30
Sometimes, it’s good to go back to the basics. Whether you’re brand new to intelligent design or you’re looking for a way to share the basics with a friend or family member, we’ve got you covered today. On this ID The Fu…
From Fantastic Four to First Causes: Why Science Has Eclipsed Darwin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:18
If you noticed a copy of Charles Darwin’s famous nineteenth-century volume On The Origin of Species in someone's house, what would you think? Perhaps they’re committed materialists. Perhaps they simply admire Darwin’s wo…
In a Universe of Non-Living Matter, Communication Sets Us Apart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:53
Meaningful communication is found across all life forms, from the signals sent by trees through fungal networks to the deep conversations we can have with each other. It's one feature that makes life uniquely different f…
Physicist Eric Hedin: Information Processing as a Hallmark of Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:45
What if life isn’t just a collection of molecules bumping around? What if every living thing, from a single cell to a human being, is doing something much more surprising—processing information and communicating in compl…