Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 13 hours ago
In this episode, Dr. Nader sits down with Professor Donald Hoffman, to discuss the long-held belief that evolution shapes our sensory systems to keep us alive. It has been assumed that our senses were shaped to show us truths about our environment that were necessary for our survival. But the question arose, can we truly perceive the truth through our sensory systems?
Professor Donald Hoffman, is a Professor of Cognitive Science, at the University of California, Irvine, and author of "Visual Intelligence: How We Create What We See". He also co authored "Observer Mechanics: A Formal Theory of Perception". Dr. Hoffman's research interests and theories are in the areas of Vision, Cognitive Science, Consciousness, and Evolutionary Models of Perception. He's received the Troland Research Prize of the US National Academy of Sciences and the Early Career Award of the American Psychological Association.
Dr Donald Hoffman | Twitter
twitter.com/donalddhoffman
Dr Donald Hoffman | LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/donald-hoffman-8b92b613
Dr Tony Nader | Books
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Dr Tony Nader | Website
drtonynader.com
Dr Tony Nader | Instagram
instagram.com/drtonynader
Dr Tony Nader | Twitter
twitter.com/drtonynader
Dr Tony Nader | YouTube
youtube.com/DrTonyNader
Dr Tony Nader | LinkedIn
linkedin.com/company/dr-tony-nader
Consciousness Is All There Is | Podcast
iTunes: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/consciousness-is-all-there-is/id1472371019
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/0xeUiVxTJP4kxI5Sb6vnLU?si=ad05aa5763cc48e6
SoundCloud:
soundcloud.com/drtonynader
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
1:50 Dr. Hoffman’s Research into Deeper Levels of Reality
3:05 Bayesian Inference and The Senses
5:02 Do Our Senses See the Truths of Reality? Evolution by Natural Selection
7:50 The Ontology of Physicalism and Methodology of Reductionism
9:34 The Power of the Scientific Method
10:41 Consciousness Is Primary: Ultimate Objectivity Meeting Ultimate Subjectivity
13:23 Mechanics of Vision vs Mechanics of Perception
16:38 Physics says “Space-Time is Doomed”
17:44 A Theory of Everything Requires Assumptions
19:29 Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem
22:04 Consciousness Being Fundamental Beyond Space and Time
26:43 Analyzing Idealism and Panpsychism from Dr. Hoffman’s Viewpoint
30:48 A Mathematical Model of Consciousness: Qua Consciousness
32:06 Thought Can Never Capture the Whole of Reality
35:18 Science and Spirituality as Pointers in Understanding Reality
37:26 There’s No End For Consciousness to Explore Its Own Possibilities
43:20 Having Consciousness vs Being Consciousness
44:43 What is the Nature of Consciousness?
46:57 Self-Reference in Consciousness
49:35 A “Conscious Agent”
51:59 Exploring Consciousness Through Direct Experience
58:55 Evolution Will Ultimately Reveal True Reality
1:00:31 Mind-Blowing Technology Beyond Space-Time
In this episode, Dr. Nader sits down with Professor Donald Hoffman, to discuss the long-held belief that evolution shapes our sensory systems to keep us alive. It has been assumed that our senses were shaped to show us truths about our environment that were necessary for our survival. But the question arose, can we truly perceive the truth through our sensory systems?
Professor Donald Hoffman, is a Professor of Cognitive Science, at the University of California, Irvine, and author of "Visual Intelligence: How We Create What We See". He also co authored "Observer Mechanics: A Formal Theory of Perception". Dr. Hoffman's research interests and theories are in the areas of Vision, Cognitive Science, Consciousness, and Evolutionary Models of Perception. He's received the Troland Research Prize of the US National Academy of Sciences and the Early Career Award of the American Psychological Association.
Dr Donald Hoffman | Twitter
twitter.com/donalddhoffman
Dr Donald Hoffman | LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/donald-hoffman-8b92b613
Dr Tony Nader | Books
drnaderbooks.com
Dr Tony Nader | Website
drtonynader.com
Dr Tony Nader | Instagram
instagram.com/drtonynader
Dr Tony Nader | Twitter
twitter.com/drtonynader
Dr Tony Nader | YouTube
youtube.com/DrTonyNader
Dr Tony Nader | LinkedIn
linkedin.com/company/dr-tony-nader
Consciousness Is All There Is | Podcast
iTunes: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/consciousness-is-all-there-is/id1472371019
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/0xeUiVxTJP4kxI5Sb6vnLU?si=ad05aa5763cc48e6
SoundCloud:
soundcloud.com/drtonynader
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
1:50 Dr. Hoffman’s Research into Deeper Levels of Reality
3:05 Bayesian Inference and The Senses
5:02 Do Our Senses See the Truths of Reality? Evolution by Natural Selection
7:50 The Ontology of Physicalism and Methodology of Reductionism
9:34 The Power of the Scientific Method
10:41 Consciousness Is Primary: Ultimate Objectivity Meeting Ultimate Subjectivity
13:23 Mechanics of Vision vs Mechanics of Perception
16:38 Physics says “Space-Time is Doomed”
17:44 A Theory of Everything Requires Assumptions
19:29 Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem
22:04 Consciousness Being Fundamental Beyond Space and Time
26:43 Analyzing Idealism and Panpsychism from Dr. Hoffman’s Viewpoint
30:48 A Mathematical Model of Consciousness: Qua Consciousness
32:06 Thought Can Never Capture the Whole of Reality
35:18 Science and Spirituality as Pointers in Understanding Reality
37:26 There’s No End For Consciousness to Explore Its Own Possibilities
43:20 Having Consciousness vs Being Consciousness
44:43 What is the Nature of Consciousness?
46:57 Self-Reference in Consciousness
49:35 A “Conscious Agent”
51:59 Exploring Consciousness Through Direct Experience
58:55 Evolution Will Ultimately Reveal True Reality
1:00:31 Mind-Blowing Technology Beyond Space-Time
