Podcasts about icrea research professor

Thousands of languages are used around the world today, and this linguistic diversity is a precious part of our human heritage. But it's also more than that. Linguistic diversity provides clues—a vast crazy quilt of clues—about how language works, about how history has unfolded, about the dynamics of culture, and about the nature of the human mind. My guest today is Dr. Damián Blasi. Damián is an ICREA Research Professor based at the Center for Brain & Cognition at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. Over the last decade or so, Damián's emerged as one of the most innovative researchers in the study of language and linguistic diversity. He's been widely recognized for this work, and most recently was awarded the 2026 FABSS Early Career Impact Award from the Cognitive Science Society. In this conversation, Damián and talk about why scientists should care about linguistic diversity. We do a bit of linguistic diversity 101—how many languages there are, how we can enumerate them, how they vary from another. We discuss a recent paper in which Damian and his colleagues reconstructed the explosive rise and precipitous fall of human linguistic diversity over the last 12,000 years. We talk about the factors that drive language change. And we discuss how cognitive science relies too much on English and English speakers—and how this may be holding the field back. Along the way, Damián and I touch on the Tower of Babel, a golden age of linguistic diversity, the human bite configuration, scientific aesthetics, whether children shape language, polygenetic theories of language evolution, the pace of language change, schooling, linguistic inequality and behemoth languages, and why Damián thinks that possibility space of human language might be bigger and wilder than we currently imagine. This is a special episode of the Many Minds podcast. As I mentioned, Damián is this year's winner of an award from the Cognitive Science Society, in recognition of his outstanding early-year contributions to the field. He recently gave a keynote at the society's annual conference in Rio de Janeiro, and we've partnered with the Cognitive Science Society to feature this conversation about his work. I'll also mention that this wasn't my first time chatting with Damián—he's an alumnus of the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute (DISI), the sponsor & incubator of this podcast. We met there a couple years ago, and so it was all the more fun to reconnect with him here. Alright friends, without further ado, on to my conversation with Dr. Damián Blasi. Enjoy!   Notes 10:00 – The UNESCO page on multilingualism and linguistic diversity. 17:00 – The Ethnologue database. 20:00 – For examples of Dr. Blasi's work on "behemoth languages" and on how languages are not represented equally in terms of technological and development investment, see here and here. 26:00 - For the paper in which Dr. Blasi and colleagues introduced Grambank, see here. For the database itself, see here. 29:00 – For Dr. Blasi's earlier work on sound-meaning associations across languages, see here. 33:00 – For discussion of Darwin's views on monogenesis vs polygenesis and race, see our recent episode. 36:00 – For more about pronouns—and how they do and do not vary across the world's languages—see several chapters in the World Atlas of Language Structures. 39:00 – The paper—'Babies aren't persons'—by David Lancy. 41:00 - For Dr. Blasi and colleagues' recent Science paper on the rise and fall of human linguistic diversity, see here. 59:00 – For a recent study of linguistic diversification, including discussion of so-called schismogenesis, see here. For an example of Cristina Moya's work on ethnic identity in the Andes region, see here. 1:00:00 – For an example of Dr. Blasi's work on how ecology shapes language—a topic not discussed in this conversation—see here. 1:01:00 ­– For the study by Dr. Blasi and colleagues about changes in human bite configuration and how these changes have shaped sounds systems, see here. 1:14:00 – For the recent paper by Dr. Blasi and colleagues about the (non-)role of children in language change, see here. 1:22:00 – The paper by Dr. Blasi and colleagues about the over-reliance on English in the cognitive sciences (and how it hinders the field). 1:24:00 – See here for work by Aitor Egurtzegi, in collaboration with Dr. Blasi and others, on ergativity and gaze patterns across languages. 1:27:00 – For the preprint—'Which humans?'—led by Mohammed Atari (and including Dr. Blasi and others), see here. 1:30:00 – For a recent argument that psychology needs to overcome its "ahistorical" bent, see here.   Recommendations A Myriad of Tongues, Caleb Everett The Secret of Our Success, Joseph Henrich Linguistic Diversity in Space and Time, Johanna Nichols   Tile art credit: Painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (detail)   Many Minds is a project of the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute, which is made possible by a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation to Indiana University. The show is hosted and produced by Kensy Cooperrider, with help from Assistant Producer Urte Laukaityte and with creative support from DISI Directors Erica Cartmill and Jacob Foster. Our artwork is by Ben Oldroyd. Subscribe to Many Minds on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also now subscribe to the Many Minds newsletter here! We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions. Feel free to email us at: manymindspodcast@gmail.com. For updates about the show, visit our website or follow us on Bluesky (@manymindspod.bsky.social).

In this episode, we speak with Rosemarie Nagel about the Beauty Contest, a classic game in economics. She introduces the setup, its origins, and the early research behind it. We then take a deeper look at the key insights from the Beauty Contest, in particular the concept of level-k reasoning and what it reveals about strategic thinking. Furthermore, Rosemarie shares how findings from these experimental studies have been linked to research on brain activity, offering a unique perspective on decision-making and the functioning of our brains. Finally, she offers a connection to real-world problems involving strategic reasoning. Rosemarie Nagel is an ICREA Research Professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) and the Barcelona School of Economics (BSE). As an experimental economist, her research builds bridges between economic theory and behavioral evidence through cognitive models informed by game theory, psychology, neuroscientific methods, and both laboratory and field experiments. Find two papers on the beauty contest game played with newspaper readers and with neuroscientific tools.

 Do cash transfers drive inflation? Is social protection a cost to the economy, or an investment in its future? And who should these systems ultimately serve? In this second and final episode on social protection myths and misperceptions, we turn to the economic and systemic dimensions — how social protection interacts with markets, fiscal policy, and national development. Drawing on global evidence and practice, we examine whether cash transfers distort prices, how they influence local economies, and what the data tell us about affordability and return on investment. We also explore the broader role of social protection beyond poverty reduction: as a foundation for inclusive and resilient societies. While not all answers are clear-cut, the discussion highlights how context, programme design, and policy choices shape outcomes, and why understanding these nuances is critical for effective, sustainable systems. Meet our guests: Davide Rasella, ICREA Research Professor and Head of the Global Health Impact Assessment and Evaluation Group, ISGlobal and ISC. Dennis Egger, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Oxford. Laura Carvalho, Associate Professor of Economics, University of São Paulo. For our Quick Wins segment, we spoke with Konstantinos Papadakis, Principal Social Affairs Officer at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, who shared insights on the outcomes of Second World Summit for Social Development.   Resources: Podcast | Ep.54 | Social Protection Myths and Misperceptions Part 1 Publication | Do cash transfers cause inflation? Publication | The multiplier effects of government expenditures on social protection Publication | Social protection systems, redistribution and growth in Latin America Publication | Impact of social protection on child malnutrition and mortality across 46 LMICs: a longitudinal study over two decades with insights from the COVID-19 pandemic Publication | Effects of conditional cash transfers on tuberculosis incidence and mortality according to race, ethnicity and socioeconomic factors in the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort Publication | Effect of a conditional cash transfer programme on AIDS incidence, hospitalisations, and mortality in Brazil: a longitudinal ecological study Publication | Evaluation and Forecasting Analysis of the Association of Conditional Cash Transfer With Child Mortality in Latin America, 2000-2030

Returning to NBN is the philosopher Santiago Zabala, here to introduce his new book Signs from the Future: A Philosophy of Warnings (Columbia University Press, 2025). Warnings, for Zabala, are not synonymous with predictions. They are instead as much about the present as the future. They point towards already present crisis and contradictions. They also attempt to reorient us towards alternative paths. Embedded deeply in the critical hermeneutics of writers such as Heidegger, Arendt and Beauvoir but exploring contemporary issues such as gender, climate change and machine warfare, Zabala's book is an accessible and applicable text that simultaneously tries to destabilize us in our present complacency while grounding us in an urgent need to seek alternatives. Santiago Zabala is ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is the author of numerous books, including one previously discussed on this show, Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Returning to NBN is the philosopher Santiago Zabala, here to introduce his new book Signs from the Future: A Philosophy of Warnings (Columbia University Press, 2025). Warnings, for Zabala, are not synonymous with predictions. They are instead as much about the present as the future. They point towards already present crisis and contradictions. They also attempt to reorient us towards alternative paths. Embedded deeply in the critical hermeneutics of writers such as Heidegger, Arendt and Beauvoir but exploring contemporary issues such as gender, climate change and machine warfare, Zabala's book is an accessible and applicable text that simultaneously tries to destabilize us in our present complacency while grounding us in an urgent need to seek alternatives. Santiago Zabala is ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is the author of numerous books, including one previously discussed on this show, Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Returning to NBN is the philosopher Santiago Zabala, here to introduce his new book Signs from the Future: A Philosophy of Warnings (Columbia University Press, 2025). Warnings, for Zabala, are not synonymous with predictions. They are instead as much about the present as the future. They point towards already present crisis and contradictions. They also attempt to reorient us towards alternative paths. Embedded deeply in the critical hermeneutics of writers such as Heidegger, Arendt and Beauvoir but exploring contemporary issues such as gender, climate change and machine warfare, Zabala's book is an accessible and applicable text that simultaneously tries to destabilize us in our present complacency while grounding us in an urgent need to seek alternatives. Santiago Zabala is ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is the author of numerous books, including one previously discussed on this show, Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Returning to NBN is the philosopher Santiago Zabala, here to introduce his new book Signs from the Future: A Philosophy of Warnings (Columbia University Press, 2025). Warnings, for Zabala, are not synonymous with predictions. They are instead as much about the present as the future. They point towards already present crisis and contradictions. They also attempt to reorient us towards alternative paths. Embedded deeply in the critical hermeneutics of writers such as Heidegger, Arendt and Beauvoir but exploring contemporary issues such as gender, climate change and machine warfare, Zabala's book is an accessible and applicable text that simultaneously tries to destabilize us in our present complacency while grounding us in an urgent need to seek alternatives. Santiago Zabala is ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is the author of numerous books, including one previously discussed on this show, Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology

Returning to NBN is the philosopher Santiago Zabala, here to introduce his new book Signs from the Future: A Philosophy of Warnings (Columbia University Press, 2025). Warnings, for Zabala, are not synonymous with predictions. They are instead as much about the present as the future. They point towards already present crisis and contradictions. They also attempt to reorient us towards alternative paths. Embedded deeply in the critical hermeneutics of writers such as Heidegger, Arendt and Beauvoir but exploring contemporary issues such as gender, climate change and machine warfare, Zabala's book is an accessible and applicable text that simultaneously tries to destabilize us in our present complacency while grounding us in an urgent need to seek alternatives. Santiago Zabala is ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is the author of numerous books, including one previously discussed on this show, Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy

Returning to NBN is the philosopher Santiago Zabala, here to introduce his new book Signs from the Future: A Philosophy of Warnings (Columbia University Press, 2025). Warnings, for Zabala, are not synonymous with predictions. They are instead as much about the present as the future. They point towards already present crisis and contradictions. They also attempt to reorient us towards alternative paths. Embedded deeply in the critical hermeneutics of writers such as Heidegger, Arendt and Beauvoir but exploring contemporary issues such as gender, climate change and machine warfare, Zabala's book is an accessible and applicable text that simultaneously tries to destabilize us in our present complacency while grounding us in an urgent need to seek alternatives. Santiago Zabala is ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is the author of numerous books, including one previously discussed on this show, Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

Returning to NBN is the philosopher Santiago Zabala, here to introduce his new book Signs from the Future: A Philosophy of Warnings (Columbia University Press, 2025). Warnings, for Zabala, are not synonymous with predictions. They are instead as much about the present as the future. They point towards already present crisis and contradictions. They also attempt to reorient us towards alternative paths. Embedded deeply in the critical hermeneutics of writers such as Heidegger, Arendt and Beauvoir but exploring contemporary issues such as gender, climate change and machine warfare, Zabala's book is an accessible and applicable text that simultaneously tries to destabilize us in our present complacency while grounding us in an urgent need to seek alternatives. Santiago Zabala is ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is the author of numerous books, including one previously discussed on this show, Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Returning to NBN is the philosopher Santiago Zabala, here to introduce his new book Signs from the Future: A Philosophy of Warnings (Columbia University Press, 2025). Warnings, for Zabala, are not synonymous with predictions. They are instead as much about the present as the future. They point towards already present crisis and contradictions. They also attempt to reorient us towards alternative paths. Embedded deeply in the critical hermeneutics of writers such as Heidegger, Arendt and Beauvoir but exploring contemporary issues such as gender, climate change and machine warfare, Zabala's book is an accessible and applicable text that simultaneously tries to destabilize us in our present complacency while grounding us in an urgent need to seek alternatives. Santiago Zabala is ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is the author of numerous books, including one previously discussed on this show, Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts.

After a pause, The Philosopher & The News is back! In fact, we have been back since last September of 2024, in the form of a series of live online events in partnership with The Philosopher journal that have then featured in The Philosopher's YouTube Channel. But  we thought it's about time we updated our usual podcast channel too. The term "crisis" gets banded about with ease these days, in fact some have argues that we are living through an era of polycrisis, with more than one crisis going on simultaneously. But with its origins in Ancient Greek medicin, what does the term "crisis" really mean today? How can philosophy help us understand the different types of crisis, from the arena of science to that of politics? And what kind of political crisis yields a President like Donald Trump? This conversation took place on the day of the US election. Miguel de Beistegui is ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona. He is a philosopher with a broad range of interests from ontology and aesthetics to ethics and political philosophy. He has written monographs on Heidegger, Deleuze, Proust, Chillida, and Lacan. His forthcoming book, A Philosophy of Crisis, aims to construct a rigorous concept of crisis.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave us a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts.This podcast is created in partnership with The Philosopher, the UK's longest running public philosophy journalm founded in 1923. Check out the latest issue of The Philosopher and its online events series: https://www.thephilosopher1923.org Artwork by Nick HallidayMusic by Rowan Mcilvride

Karim Lekadir is an ICREA Research Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Barcelona. He investigates new data science techniques for trustworthy and ethical artificial intelligence in medicine. He has been PI of many EU-funded projects, and was awarded an ERC Consolidator grant to investigate new AI techniques for resource-limited settings. Karim was the General Chair for the MICCAI 2024, that happened in Morocco.FUTURE-AI: international consensus guideline for trustworthy and deployable artificial intelligence in healthcare

Alfonso Martinez Arias is ICREA Research Professor in the department of systems bioengineering of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. The recipient of numerous awards, he is co-author of the biology textbook Principles of Development, which was awarded the Royal Society of Biology book prize.Please consider signing up for TOEmail at https://www.curtjaimungal.org  Support TOE: - Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal (early access to ad-free audio episodes!) - Crypto: https://tinyurl.com/cryptoTOE - PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/paypalTOE - TOE Merch: https://tinyurl.com/TOEmerch  Follow TOE: - *NEW* Get my 'Top 10 TOEs' PDF + Weekly Personal Updates: https://www.curtjaimungal.org - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theoriesofeverythingpod - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoriesofeverything_ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs - iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/better-left-unsaid-with-curt-jaimungal/id1521758802 - Pandora: https://pdora.co/33b9lfP - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e - Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything  

(Conversation recorded on October 17th, 2023)     Show Summary:    On this episode, Nate is joined by biophysical analyst Mario Giampietro to unpack his decades of research on a wide-lens view of the challenges facing the human system. With current metrics that only optimize for one variable, increasingly reductionist academic fields, and scientific communication consistently falling short, researchers who look at how all the pieces of our predicament fit together and most effectively help others understand will become more essential. How does the scope with which we look at a problem affect the subsequent information we gather and decisions we make? In what way should we frame the narratives that we create to best inform our leaders and the public about the obstacles of the future? Will taking on these issues from a different lens help to create better, multi-dimensional responses that include biophysical, cultural, and social components as we move into the coming decades?    About Mario Giampietro:   Mario Giampietro has recently retired from the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona. Until September 2023, he was ICREA Research Professor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain. He has dedicated his academic career to the integrated assessment of (uncomfortable) sustainability issues using concepts from complex systems theory. He has developed a novel methodology, Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM), that integrates biophysical and socioeconomic variables across multiple scales, thus establishing a link between the metabolism of socio-economic systems and potential constraints of the natural environment. Recent research has focused on the nexus between land use, food, energy, and water in relation to SDGs. He has (co)authored over 150 publications, including six books.    For Show Notes and More visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/107-mario-giampietro   To watch this video episode on Youtube → https://youtu.be/HFZ3NPPPPS0   

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alfonso Martinez Arias about the cell and its importance for organisms. They talk about why many people overemphasize genes and underemphasize cells, provide a basic overview of the cell, and discuss the role of gametes. They talk about cells and embryos, embryonic stem cells, bioethics, science communication, polygenic index scores, cancerous cells, and many more topics.Alfonso Martinez Arias is a developmental biologist and ICREA Research Professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. He is the leader of the Martinez Arias Lab where his research is focused on embryonic stem cells. He is the author of a handful of books including the most recent book, The Master Builder: How the New Science of the Cell is Rewriting the Story of Life. Website: https://amapress.upf.edu/Twitter: @amartinezarias This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit convergingdialogues.substack.com

Joan Bagaria is ICREA Research Professor in the Department of Experimental Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Barcelona. He is a mathematical logician who works in set theory, which is the branch of mathematics that not only specializes in the investigation of infinity but serves as the foundation for the rest of mathematics—what this means, and its implications, are explored in the episode. Joan and Robinson discuss all things set theory, beginning with its origins in the mind of Georg Cantor, its development in the 20th century, some philosophical questions, and some current outstanding problems. They also briefly touch on Catalan independence, a topic dear to Joan's heart. Joan's Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/BagariaJoan⁠ Set Theory: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/set-theory/ The Early Development of Set Theory: https://plato.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/encyclopedia/archinfo.cgi?entry=settheory-early OUTLINE 00:00 In This Episode… 01:01 Introduction 06:18 Joan and Set Theory 09:11 The Development of Set Theory 21:08 Naive Set Theory and Axiomatic Set Theory 30:52 Zermelo-Fraenkel Set Theory with Choice 46:35 Metaphysics and Epistemology 01:03:06 Set Theory as the Foundation of Mathematics 01:09:48 The Continuum Problem 01:16:13 Settling the Continuum Problem 01:35:21 Alternative Set Theories 01:43:37 Alternative Foundations 01:47:53 Catalan Independence Robinson's Website: ⁠http://robinsonerhardt.com⁠ Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robinson-erhardt/support

(A 2ª parte da conversa sobre nutrição com Vítor Hugo Teixeira e Pedro Carvalho sai no episódio #145.) João Zilhão é arqueólogo, actualmente Investigador Coordenador na Universidade de Lisboa. Anteriormente, foi professor em várias universidades, incluindo a de Bristol e de Barcelona. Em 1996, foi nomeado pelo governo português para coordenar a criação do Parque Arqueológico do Vale do Côa e, em 1997, tornou-se Diretor do Instituto Português de Arqueologia. É conhecido por suas pesquisas sobre a arte rupestre paleolítica e por descobertas importantes, como os mais antigos restos de humanos anatomicamente modernos da Europa, encontrados na Roménia.  -> Apoie este projecto e faça parte da comunidade de mecenas do 45 Graus em: 45grauspodcast.com _______________ Índice (com timestamps): (4:46) Qual é, verdadeiramente, a relação entre sapiens e neandertais? | o problema de faltarem fosseis ‘no meio' | Richard Dawkins e a tirania da mente descontinua | Aborígenes da Tasmânia | América nunca esteve isolada? (um, dois, três) | Criança do Lapedo | Artigo de Trenton Holliday sobre o tempo necessário para a formação de uma espécie diferente (36:52) A importância da História para entender as ideias que se formaram sobre os Neandertais (frenologia) | Os Neandertais eram menos inteligentes? | Capa da revista Science | Porque predominam em nós os genes Neandertais? (56:26) Quando os geneticistas se juntaram ao jogo. (Svante Pääbo) ADN mitocondrial (1:06:36) Temos mais antepassados neandertais XX ou XY? | Houve confrontos entre sapiens e neandertais? (1:14:06) Grandes descobertas que podemos esperar no futuro? Enigmáticos vestígios Neandertais na gruta de Bruniquel, em França Filme recomendado: The Neanderthal Man (1953) _______________ O modo como olhamos para os Neandertais é das áreas da ciência em que as coisas mais mudaram ao longo das últimas décadas. Até há não muito tempo (e é essa ainda a imagem que persiste em muito do imaginário popular), acreditava-se que os neandertais eram, basicamente, hominídeos primitivos e abrutalhados, uns antepassados remotos da nossa espécie, ainda com um intelecto mais próximo dos animais do que do da nossa cognição avançada. Nas últimas décadas, várias descobertas arqueológicas (e a própria mudança mais ‘cultural' no modo como olhamos para a diversidade humana) têm vindo a mostrar que esse entendimento estava errado, de pelo menos duas formas. Primeiro, sabemos hoje que os Neandertais não são nossos antepassados, mas sim nossos primos: coexistiram com os humanos que vieram de África, e cuja morfologia se parece mais com a nossa. Segundo, e relacionado com isto, os Neandertais estavam longe de ser estúpidos, como até ali se pensava, e há cada vez mais vestígios arqueológicos, como arte rupestre, a mostrar que tinham cultura e eram capazes de pensamento simbólico. Mas talvez tenhamos de levar esta revisão do nosso entendimento sobre os Neandertais ainda mais longe. É isso que propõe o convidado deste episódio. João Zilhão é arqueólogo e um dos principais investigadores mundiais na área da paleoarquologia. Actualmente, é investigador coordenador na Universidade de Lisboa e foi anteriormente professor em várias universidades, incluindo Bristol e Barcelona. Em 1996, foi nomeado pelo governo português para coordenar a criação do Parque Arqueológico do Vale do Côa (onde estão as famosas gravuras) e, em 1997, tornou-se o primeiro Diretor do Instituto Português de Arqueologia.  O convidado propõe, então, uma interpretação ainda mais radical da nossa relação com o Neandertais. Primeiro, argumenta que quanto mais evidência arqueológica encontramos mais percebemos que os Neandertais não eram assim tão diferentes da população de sapiens da que veio de África, e, por isso, não os podemos verdadeiramente considerar uma espécie diferente. Segundo, diz que se olharmos sem preconceitos para os vestígios neandertais que nos chegaram, não há nenhuma razão para supor que fossem menos sofisticados cognitivamente do que os sapiens vindos de África. E, por isso, faz também sentido que tenha havido cruzamentos. É verdade que os genes que prevalecem no nosso genoma (entre 96 a 98%) são os dos sapiens vindos de África, mas isso, segundo o João, é meramente resultado da discrepância de números entre as duas populações. Esta tese do convidado é provocadora e está longe de ser consensual no meio da paleoarqueologia (a ver vamos o que as próximas descobertas trazem). Mas os argumentos em que ele a sustenta são, na minha opinião, um exemplo prático de pensamento crítico aplicado à Ciência e, também, já agora, dos deméritos da hiper-especialização que já abordei noutros episódios. _______________ Obrigado aos mecenas do podcast: Carla Caçote, Ana Rita Nogueira, Henrique Pais, Francisco Hermenegildo Diogo Ramos, Bruno Heleno, João Almeida Coelho, Henrique Valente, Catarina Pechincha, Paulo Encarnação , Sandra Ferreira , Hélio Bragança da Silva, João Domingues, Carlos Pires, Tiago Goncalves, Manuel Canelas, Fernando Nunes, Luis Fernambuco, Cesar Carpinteiro, Helder Miranda, João Ribeiro, Nuno e Ana, Miguel Marques, Corto Lemos, Galaró family, Carlos Martins, Tiago Leite, Abilio Silva, João Baltazar, BFDC, António Mexia Santos, Pedro Gaspar, Ivo Loureiro, Rita Carvalho Rodrigo Antunes, Pedro Lemos Silva, Andre Soares, Rui Caetano Garcês, Inês Águas, João Morais, Zé da Radio, Tiago Sequeira, Lígia Violas, Nuno Brites, Paulo Barros, Bernardo Vidal Pimentel, Carlos Nobre, Armindo Martins , João Vieira dos Santos, Ruben de Bragança, António Rocha Pinto, Alberto Alcalde, Joao Alves, Geoffrey Marcelino, Luis, Maria Pimentel, RB, Mário Lourenço, ARUNE BHURALAL, Ana Teresa Mota, Andreia Esteves, Rafael Santos, Francisco Fonseca, João Nelas, Carmen Camacho, Tiago Queiroz, António Padilha, Rita Mateus, Daniel Correia, Joao Saro, Tomás Costa, Bernardo Cortez Ana Padilha, Alexandre Pinto, Luís Viegas, Josué Amoroso, Miguel Santos, Nuno Germano, Rui Rodrigues, Luís Caldeira, Bruno Maia, afonsori 00, Luis, Pedro Manuel da Eira Coelho, Nuno Barbosa Morais, Margarida Pontes, Cristiana Campos, Elsa Caetano, Márcia Filipa Alves Serra, Miguel Duarte, Tiago Rodrigues, Cristina Loureiro, Joao Gama, José Alberto Gomes, Rodrigo Silva, Duarte Cameirão, Teresa Painho, Marta Mendonca, Paloma Nunes, Paulo Rafael, Filipa Portela, Diego Goulart, Andrzej Stuart-Thompson, Mariana Portela , Luís Machado, Ricardo Trindade, Ana Leal, Cláudia Gomes Batista, Alexandre Alves, Carlos Castro, David Palhota, Carlos Branco, Francisco Seabra Guimarães, RJ, Ricardo Sousa, Tomás Lucena, Fábio Videira Santos, Rui, Helena Pinheiro, Margarida Costa Almeida, Tiago Agostinho, Miguel Jacinto, Inês Ribeiro, Sofia Ferreira, JC Pacheco, Catarina Fonseca, Pedro On The Road, tati lima, Gonçalo Baptista, Joana Pereirinha, João Lopes, Bruno Pinto Vitorino, Zé, miguel farracho, Rita Noronha, Teresa Pimentel, Tiago Pedroso, Sérgio Nunes, Telmo Gomes, Inês Inocêncio, Hugo Ramos, Antonio Loureiro, Pedro Bravo, Beatriz Bagulho, Tiago Stock, Fábio Monteiro, paulo matos, Joao Barbosa, Cloé Leal de Magalhães, Tomás Saraiva, Rui Antunes, Nuno Malvar, Pedro L, Ana Rita Laureano, João Diamantino, João Farinha, Henrique Vieira, André Abrantes, Hélder Moreira, José Losa, João Ferreira, Rui Vilao, João Pereira, Maria Oliveira, Pedro Gaspar, Cristiano Tavares, Cesar Correia, Luis Gomes, Patrícia Esquível , Daniel Almeida, Bruno Lamas, Francisco Manuel Reis, Diogo Rombo, Paulo Ferreira, Macaco Quitado, Manuel Martins, Lara Luís, Francisco Santos, Ana Sousa Amorim, Antonio Albuquerque, Maria Francisca Couto, Renato Mendes, João Barbosa, Robertt Valente, Afonso Martins, João Pinho , João Crispim, Joao Diogo, Jose Pedroso, José Oliveira Pratas, Telmo , Vasco Lima, Tomás Félix, Duarte , Ricardo Duarte, Miguel Palhas, Pedro Rebelo, Nuno Gonçalves, Mariana Barosa, Francisco Arantes, João Raimundo, Luis Marques, Joana Margarida Alves Martins, Tiago Pires, David , Salvador Cunha, Vasco Sá Pinto, Ana Cantanhede, Artur Castro Freire, Rui Passos Rocha, Pedro Costa Antunes, Sofia Almeida, Ricardo Andrade Guimarães, Daniel Pais, Miguel Bastos, Luís Santos, Ricardo Migueis, Margarida Santos, João Ribeiro, Paolo Dal Maso, Nuno Costa _______________ Esta conversa foi editada por: Hugo Oliveira _______________ Bio: João Zilhão (Lisboa, 1957) é, desde 1 de Setembro de 2022, Investigador Coordenador na Universidade de Lisboa. Antes da actual nomeação, foi ICREA Research Professor na Universidade de Barcelona (2011-2022) e Professor of Palaeolithic Arqchaeology na Universidade de Bristol (2005- 2010). Anteriormente, leccionou na Universidade de Lisboa e, temporariamente, nas Universidades de Bordéus I, Paris I e Toulouse Le Mirail. Em Janeiro de 1996, foi nomeado pelo governo português para organizar a criação do Parque Arqueológico do Vale do Côa, coordenar a investigação científica realizada para estabelecer a cronologia da arte rupestre paleolítica do vale, e preparar a candiatura do sítio a Património Mundial (estatuto que viria a ser alcançado em Dezembro de 1998). Ainda em regime de comissão de serviço no Ministério, assumiu de seguida, em Maio de 1997, as funções de Director do Instituto Português de Arqueologia (IPA), direcção-geral então criada para supervisar a atividade arqueológica no país, funções que exerceu até regressar à vida académica a tempo inteiro, em Maio de 2002. Em 1998, dirigiu a escavação de salvamento da sepultura infantil de Lagar Velho (Portugal), datada do Paleolítico Superior inicial e, em 2004-2005, a investigação arqueológica da Peştera cu Oase (Roménia), onde foram encontrados os mais antigos restos de humanos anatomicamente modernos da Europa. Foi o Conference Organiser do Congresso Anual da Associação Europeia de Arqueólogos, realizado em Lisboa no ano 2000, e foi membro da Comissão Executiva dessa associação entre 2003 e 2006. Em 2003, foi galardoado com um Humboldt Foundation Research Award (instituição anfitriã: Universidade de Colónia) em reconhecimento dos seus "êxitos académicos (no ensino e na investigação)". Em 2005, foi galardoado com o Prémio Europa da Sociedade Pré-Histórica de  Londres, em reconhecimento pelo seu "contributo significativo e duradouro para o estudo da Pré- História europeia". Em 2012, o seu perfil de investigador foi publicado na revista "Science"  (https://doi.org/10.1126/science.337.6095.642).

Episode 133: Jeroen van den Bergh is ICREA Research Professor at the Institute of Environmental Science & Technology of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, an honorary professor of Environmental and Resource Economics at VU University Amsterdam, and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions. van den Bergh, J.C.J.M. (2018). Agrowth instead of anti- and pro-growth: Less polarization, more support for sustainability/climate policies. Journal of Population and Sustainability 3(1): 53-74. https://jpopsus.org/full_articles/van-den-bergh-vol3-no1 ___Blog posts from DZ___ Keynes thought we'd turn greater productivity into leisure but we turned it into consumption https://one-handed-economist.com/?p=992 Will the middle class accept a lower standard of living? https://kysq.org/aguanomics/2014/10/the-middle-class-is-dead-long-live-the-middle-class/

Prof Salvador Aznar Benitah, ICREA Research Professor at Institut de Recerca Biomèdica, is interviewed by PhD student Victoria Tsang. Salvador talks about his research understanding the molecular pathways that dictate stem cell behaviour, including his recent work on the role of dietary fats, and how this goes wrong in cancer. He talks about recent advances in the field of oncology and the challenges they pose to clinical translation. For more information on Salvador's research follow this link: https://www.icrea.cat/Web/ScientificStaff/salvador-aznar-benitah-408

Professor Xavier Trepat, ICREA Research Professor at Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya, is interviewed by PhD student Sebastiaan Zijl. Xavier talks about his work understanding how physical forces impact how cells grow, move and behave. He discusses the coolest experiment he has ever done and how lockdown has unexpectedly benefited his lab. For more information on Xavier's research follow this link: https://www.icrea.cat/Web/ScientificStaff/xavier-trepat-534

In recent years, questions around the nature of ​truth ​and ​facts have reentered public debate, often in discussions around journalistic bias, and whether politically neutral reporting is possible, or even desirable. Many pundits have tried to place blame for the increasingly slippery and fickle nature of truth in reporting on the ideas developed in much 20th-century philosophy, particularly postmodern theory. Santiago Zabala, however, argues that this is to mistake a diagnosis with the condition itself, and makes the case in his recent book, ​Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2020),​ that much of the hermeneutic and postmodern philosophical traditions can help us navigate these times out of joint. Santiago Zabala is a philosopher and cultural critic and ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is author of many books, including Why Only Art Can Save Us: Aesthetics and the Absence of Emergency (Columbia University Press, 2017). His opinion articles have appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times, and Al-Jazeera among other international media outlets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, questions around the nature of ​truth ​and ​facts have reentered public debate, often in discussions around journalistic bias, and whether politically neutral reporting is possible, or even desirable. Many pundits have tried to place blame for the increasingly slippery and fickle nature of truth in reporting on the ideas developed in much 20th-century philosophy, particularly postmodern theory. Santiago Zabala, however, argues that this is to mistake a diagnosis with the condition itself, and makes the case in his recent book, ​Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2020),​ that much of the hermeneutic and postmodern philosophical traditions can help us navigate these times out of joint. Santiago Zabala is a philosopher and cultural critic and ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is author of many books, including Why Only Art Can Save Us: Aesthetics and the Absence of Emergency (Columbia University Press, 2017). His opinion articles have appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times, and Al-Jazeera among other international media outlets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, questions around the nature of ​truth ​and ​facts have reentered public debate, often in discussions around journalistic bias, and whether politically neutral reporting is possible, or even desirable. Many pundits have tried to place blame for the increasingly slippery and fickle nature of truth in reporting on the ideas developed in much 20th-century philosophy, particularly postmodern theory. Santiago Zabala, however, argues that this is to mistake a diagnosis with the condition itself, and makes the case in his recent book, ​Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2020),​ that much of the hermeneutic and postmodern philosophical traditions can help us navigate these times out of joint. Santiago Zabala is a philosopher and cultural critic and ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is author of many books, including Why Only Art Can Save Us: Aesthetics and the Absence of Emergency (Columbia University Press, 2017). His opinion articles have appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times, and Al-Jazeera among other international media outlets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, questions around the nature of ​truth ​and ​facts have reentered public debate, often in discussions around journalistic bias, and whether politically neutral reporting is possible, or even desirable. Many pundits have tried to place blame for the increasingly slippery and fickle nature of truth in reporting on the ideas developed in much 20th-century philosophy, particularly postmodern theory. Santiago Zabala, however, argues that this is to mistake a diagnosis with the condition itself, and makes the case in his recent book, ​Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2020),​ that much of the hermeneutic and postmodern philosophical traditions can help us navigate these times out of joint. Santiago Zabala is a philosopher and cultural critic and ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is author of many books, including Why Only Art Can Save Us: Aesthetics and the Absence of Emergency (Columbia University Press, 2017). His opinion articles have appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times, and Al-Jazeera among other international media outlets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, questions around the nature of ​truth ​and ​facts have reentered public debate, often in discussions around journalistic bias, and whether politically neutral reporting is possible, or even desirable. Many pundits have tried to place blame for the increasingly slippery and fickle nature of truth in reporting on the ideas developed in much 20th-century philosophy, particularly postmodern theory. Santiago Zabala, however, argues that this is to mistake a diagnosis with the condition itself, and makes the case in his recent book, ​Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2020),​ that much of the hermeneutic and postmodern philosophical traditions can help us navigate these times out of joint. Santiago Zabala is a philosopher and cultural critic and ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is author of many books, including Why Only Art Can Save Us: Aesthetics and the Absence of Emergency (Columbia University Press, 2017). His opinion articles have appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times, and Al-Jazeera among other international media outlets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, questions around the nature of ​truth ​and ​facts have reentered public debate, often in discussions around journalistic bias, and whether politically neutral reporting is possible, or even desirable. Many pundits have tried to place blame for the increasingly slippery and fickle nature of truth in reporting on the ideas developed in much 20th-century philosophy, particularly postmodern theory. Santiago Zabala, however, argues that this is to mistake a diagnosis with the condition itself, and makes the case in his recent book, ​Being at Large: Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2020),​ that much of the hermeneutic and postmodern philosophical traditions can help us navigate these times out of joint. Santiago Zabala is a philosopher and cultural critic and ICREA Research Professor of Philosophy at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. He is author of many books, including Why Only Art Can Save Us: Aesthetics and the Absence of Emergency (Columbia University Press, 2017). His opinion articles have appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times, and Al-Jazeera among other international media outlets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lead researcher on the study Karen Hardy discusses what primitive humans ate over one million years ago.

Luc Steels delivers the 2012 Simonyi lecture and asks can machines be creative enough to invent their own language? Professor Steels talks about some of his recent breakthrough experiments which have seen robots programmed to play language games and come up with novel concepts, words and meanings. He discusses how this triggers a process of cultural evolution that leads to more complex forms of language and deliberate on what this tells us about the nature of our own intelligence and the future of artificial intelligence. Luc Steels is ICREA Research Professor at the Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF) in Barcelona and Director of the Sony Computer Science Laboratory in Paris. The Simonyi Lecture is funded by a generous gift from the Amalur Foundation.

Talk delivered at 2015 Cyberselves Symposium, with contributions from technologists, psychologists, neuroscientists, philosophers and cultural theorists looking at the future societal and ethical impacts of virtual reality and immersive technologies Prof Verschure is an ICREA Research Professor in the Department of Information and Communication Technologies at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. He works on biologically constrained models of perception, learning, behaviour and problem solving that are applied to wheeled and flying robots, interactive spaces and avatars. Prof Verschure's aim is to find a unified theory of mind, brain and body through the use of synthetic methods and to apply such a theory to the development of novel cognitive technologies. He has pioneered novel VR based augmented feedback systems that are applied to the rehabilitation of a number of pathologies including stroke, TBI and Alzheimer's disease. .

Joan-Pau Rubiés, discusses "The Cosmopolitan Paradox: Travel, Anthropology, and Cultural Diversity". Rubiés is the ICREA Research Professor at UPF (Universitat Pompeu Fabra).

Luc Steels delivers the 2012 Simonyi lecture and asks can machines be creative enough to invent their own language? Professor Steels talks about some of his recent breakthrough experiments which have seen robots programmed to play language games and come up with novel concepts, words and meanings. He discusses how this triggers a process of cultural evolution that leads to more complex forms of language and deliberate on what this tells us about the nature of our own intelligence and the future of artificial intelligence. Luc Steels is ICREA Research Professor at the Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF) in Barcelona and Director of the Sony Computer Science Laboratory in Paris. The Simonyi Lecture is funded by a generous gift from the Amalur Foundation.