Ars on your lunch break: The nature of consciousness

Enlarge / Artist's rendering of man experiencing awe while regarding the nature of consciousness. (credit: Adult Swim)

Below, you’ll find the third installment of this week’s After On podcast interview. It’s with University of California, San Francisco neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley, about his trailblazing efforts to develop the medical potential (if any!) latent in video games. Check out part one and part two if you missed them. Otherwise, press play on the embedded player, or pull up the transcript—both of which are below.

The main topic today is consciousness. Adam has his own rather eclectic take on this mysterious force and presence. His perspective actually inspired several elements my most recent novel (which like my podcast is called After On). Adam and I discuss his views, and how they infiltrated my writing.

The final chunk of the podcast is a conversation between me and podcasting superstar Tom Merritt. In it, Tom and I discuss my interview with Adam—as well as a chunk of the novel After On. You may want to skip this closing portion.