Recent Episodes

What Is Game Theory?

August 16, 2026

Game theory is a set of mathematical techniques for thinking about how people should choose when their choices interact. But real people aren’t exactly rational actors. Can a mathematical model explain real-world decisions? How can game theorists account for the fact that we don’t always…

Mind Sharing

December 21, 2025

Mind reading might sound like the stuff of science fiction. But in philosophy and psychology,…

Two silhouettes share colorful question marks, symbolizing mind sharing and communication.

Shakespeare’s Outsiders

December 14, 2025

Over 400 years after his death, Shakespeare is still widely regarded as the greatest dramatist…

Two men in 16th-century attire give a high five. Shakespeare's outsiders.

Im Yunjidang

December 7, 2025

18th-century Korean philosopher Im Yunjidang was the first Confucian to argue for women’s equality in…

Portrait of Im Yunjidang, a Joseon Dynasty noblewoman, wearing traditional Korean hanbok.

Margaret Cavendish

November 16, 2025

Margaret Cavendish was a writer of poetry, philosophy, polemics, histories, plays, and utopian fiction. She…

Portrait of Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, with her book, "The Description of a New World.

Impossible Worlds

November 2, 2025

Philosophers often speculate about possible worlds: ways that things could be. Some of them also…

Penrose stairs impossible world lithograph; surreal architecture with figures.

Mary Astell

October 26, 2025

Mary Astell (1666–1731) was an English philosopher and writer who advocated for equal rights for…

Portrait of Mary Astell, a 17th-century English writer and feminist philosopher.

In Awe of Wonder

October 19, 2025

Descartes said that the purpose of wonderment is “to enable us to learn and retain…

Silhouetted person gazing at a stunning night sky filled with stars and the Milky Way. Awe-inspiring wonder.

Elisabeth of Bohemia

October 5, 2025

Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia is best known for her correspondence with René Descartes. In her letters,…

Portrait of Elisabeth of Bohemia, a princess known for her philosophical correspondence with René Descartes.

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