Kevin Mitchell on the Absurdity of Denying Free Will

Kevin Mitchell, a distinguished graduate of Trinity College Dublin, is an Associate Professor in Genetics and Neuroscience. With a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, he has made significant contributions to understanding the genetic program shaping the brain's wiring.

Mitchell's research focuses on genes influencing neuronal connectivity and their implications for psychiatric and neurological diseases. His groundbreaking work extends to his 2023 book, "Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will," exploring, among many other important things, the role of free will in overcoming existential threats like climate change and nuclear weapons.

As a leading scholar in neurodevelopmental disorders, Mitchell's 2018 book, "Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are," solidifies his position in integrating behavioral genetics, developmental neurobiology, neuroscience, and psychology. Active on Twitter (@WiringtheBrain) and through his blog, he engages the public to promote understanding of genetics and neuroscience.

Kevin Mitchell's multifaceted contributions extend beyond academia, making him a thought leader on the complexities of the human mind.

Professor Mitchell's website: https://www.kjmitchell.com
Blog: http://www.wiringthebrain.com/

Time Stamp:

00:00 -- Introductory sequence
01:17 -- Why "Free Agents" is timely and unique
04:19 -- The connection of Free Agents to collective decisions
08:10 -- Mitchell's attempts to re-legitimize purpose
14:05 -- The physics and math of biology and democracy
19:10 -- Mitchell's thoughts about interpretation
21:14 -- BF Skinner and the decline of behaviorism
27:44 -- The fatalism and nihilism of denying free will
28:25 -- The pragmatism of living organisms
32:05 -- The human capacity to think across time horizons
35:20 -- Aharanov's two-state approach and free will
39:00 -- Constraints as causes and top-down causality
44:08 -- Earl Miller and cytoelectric coupling
45:50 -- The role of attraction and repulsion in Mitchell's work
53:40 -- Electromagnetism and the inverse square law
54:30 -- The mathematics of informational causation
56:25 -- Is the principal of least action relevant to Mitchell's work?
59:10 -- Least action and Karl Friston's free energy
62:02 -- What's next for Kevin Mitchell and the book?