This is a peculiar and interesting discussion. The first hour and a quarter are about Pinker's latest book, When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows..., and then we have half an hour when Bialik and Cohen push Pinker on spiritualism, transcendent experiences, and the like. It's a peculiar juxtaposition. Though I have a bit of sympathy with Bialik and Cohen, my own position is closer to Pinker's.
The Rising Risks of Cancel Culture & The Psychology & Language That Built It!
In this explosive episode of Mayim Bialik's Breakdown, Dr. Steven Pinker (renowned Harvard psychologist and author of When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows) joins Mayim Bialik and Jonathan Cohen for a no-holds-barred conversation that quickly turns into a fiery debate on the limits of science, belief, and human consciousness.
From the hidden mechanics of social dynamics and language to the perils of thought policing and cancel culture, Dr. Pinker dives deep into how shared knowledge shapes society, why what people think others believe can shift power, and how social media became a modern-day coliseum for public shaming.
But the sparks really fly when Mayim and Jonathan challenge Pinker’s staunchly materialist worldview — questioning whether extrasensory perception (ESP), near death experiences (NDEs), and higher consciousness might point to something beyond the reach of scientific instruments. Pinker doesn’t hold back, offering his sharply skeptical takes on mystical claims and pushing back against spiritual notions with cool-headed logic.
Dr. Pinker also breaks down:
- Why what others think of us actually matters
- Dangers of being too direct or too indirect — especially for neurodivergent folks
- How to create or hide common knowledge in relationships
- The first case of cancel culture on social media (and its ancient roots!)
- The thin line between freedom of speech and incitement to violence
- How distrust in science fuels conspiracy theories
- Can we depoliticize science? Or is it already too late?
- The danger of defunding academic research
- Why authoritarian regimes fear open communication
- The healthcare system: overprescription, profit motives, and how to fix it
- Is free will real? Or are we just dancing to the tune of biology and environment?
Don’t miss MBB's first-ever toe-to-toe spiritual showdown between Mayim, Jonathan, and a die-hard materialist. Whether you lean scientific, spiritual, or somewhere in between, this conversation will challenge what you think you know about reality.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
04:04 - How Shared Knowledge Shapes Society
17:09 - Why What Others Think of Us Actually Matters
29:46 - What Happens When We Disagree on Moral Order?
38:51 - Dangers of Erosion of Trust in Institutions
52:40 - Freedom of Speech vs Incitement to Violence
1:00:45 - Dangers of Politicizing Science
1:05:10 - Dangers of Defunding Academia
1:11:52 - Mental Health System Challenges
1:17:15 - Mysticism vs Materialism Debate
The obvious question: what are the unknowns of the domain of the materialist view that are yet to be clarified into their discrete parts and action, and could be a foundation to some of so-called mystical experience? I read a description of action in the vestibular system that is believed to account in part for the kind of mystical experience you've discussed as part of your own experience (this scientific interpretation addresses as its main subject what is called out of body experience, hence I say that your experience is in the family of this materialist domain, though not the principal actor).
ReplyDeleteRe Chpt 4 at 04:04 - How Shared Knowledge Shapes Society
ReplyDeleteDo you have mud on your forehead?
Re common vs mutual knowledge, including a Nobel Prize, see;
"Common Knowledge, a Parable"
"The parable and these more contemporary speculations demonstrate what can happen when mutual knowledge becomes common knowledge. "
https://3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2025/09/common-knowledge-a-parable.html
And...
"Common Knowledge and Aumann’s Agreement Theorem"
"... let’s prove Aumann’s Theorem—since it’s one of those things that sounds like a mistake when you first hear it, and then becomes a triviality once you see the 3-line proof. (Albeit, a “triviality” that won Aumann a Nobel in economics.) The key idea is that knowledge induces a partition on the set of possible states of the world. "...
"I’ll start with the “Muddy Children Puzzle,” which is one of the greatest logic puzzles ever invented. How many of you have seen this one?"
https://scottaaronson.blog/?p=2410
SD