Best Jim Baxter Podcasts (2025)

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50. What can comics such as Heartstopper teach us about ethics? With Simon Meisch 39:59

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4d ago39:59

39:59

A really interesting conversation with Simon Meisch this week. Simon is a Senior Lecturer for Applied Ethics at the Ethics Centre of the University of Tubingen, and until recently was also a visiting scholar here at IDEA. It's an unusual episode of the podcast in that we aren't talking about a specific ethical issue. Instead, we talk about a partic…

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49. Are We Deceiving Future Generations About Environmental Crises? With Catriona McKinnon 45:34

18d ago45:34

45:34

In this episode I talk to Professor Catriona McKinnon, a political philosopher based at the University of Exeter. The topic is the various environmental crises facing humanity today. Obviously lots to discuss there, but Catriona wants to highlight one issue in particular, which is the way one generation can, with or without knowing it, conceal info…

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48. How should you act as an in-house lawyer? With Sharon Bridglalsingh 42:44

1M ago42:44

42:44

For the last year and a half, Jim Baxter and the consulting team at IDEA, The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds, have been working with the Law Society of England and Wales on a project looking at the ethics of in-house law. That project has involved talking to lots of lawyers who are both passionate and insightful about the job and the ethi…

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47. Should we be worried about cancel culture? With Alfred Archer and Georgie Mills 47:26

2M ago47:26

47:26

Cancelling and cancel culture are terms that we hear a lot these days, and it's one of the many areas where there seems to be more heat than light. The phenomenon of cancelling has become a front in the so-called culture wars, with one side claiming it's a healthy form of protest, or simply confronting people with the consequences of their actions,…

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46. Should we be worried about words changing their meaning? With Robbie Morgan 46:39

2M ago46:39

46:39

Words such as 'woke', 'emotional labour' and 'gaslighting' get bandied around a lot, especially in online discourse. And as they get bandied around, their meaning can change over time. Of course, changes in the meaning of words are natural, inevitable and, usually harmless. However, Robbie Morgan, back for his record-setting third appearance on Eth…

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45. Are ethicists paying enough attention to social class? With Orla Carlin 45:23

3M ago45:23

45:23

Epistemic injustice is a broad category of injustice relating to knowledge. It can involve people from marginalised or oppressed groups being excluded, silenced, misrepresented, or not taken seriously — in conversations, education, or professional settings — because of their membership to that group. In academic contexts, this kind of injustice can…

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44. Do large language models gossip? With Lucy Osler 41:23

3M ago41:23

41:23

Gossip is an ethically interesting phenomenon when humans do it. It creates a bond between the people doing the gossiping, but it does so by implicitly excluding the person being gossiped about, and can cause harm, especially when the gossip is malicious, or simply isn't true. What I hadn't realised until I spoke to Lucy Osler, a Lecturer in Philos…

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43. How do you assure AI for bias and accessibility in the NHS? With Adam Byfield 48:09

5M ago48:09

48:09

Adam Byfield is a Principal Technical Assurance Specialist at NHS England. After his previous appearance on the podcast, discussing providing ethical assurance for AI applications in healthcare, we were keen to get him back to dive into some more specific issues. We chose bias and accessibility, two related issues that are clearly central for anyon…

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42. How should clinicians communicate with young people experiencing mental health difficulties? With Lisa Bortolotti 49:54

5M ago49:54

49:54

Professor Lisa Bortolotti is a philosopher at the University of Birmingham, who has been working on a fascinating interdisciplinary project looking at what happens when young people experiencing mental health difficulties talk to clinicians about those difficulties. The project has involved closely examining hours of audio and video material of the…

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41. How should we rebuild trust in journalism? With Tim Watkin 47:05

6M ago47:05

47:05

Tim Watkin is a journalist and media manager. He works as executive editor for audio at Radio New Zealand, but is currently on sabbatical at the University of Glasgow, studying how to rebuild trust in journalism as part of a project on Epistemic Autonomy. In this interview we discuss the nature of trust, why it's important, why journalists seem to …

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40. How do you decide whether law enforcement and national security operations are ethically justified? With Joe Fogarty 49:43

6M ago49:43

49:43

Joe Fogarty has spent over 30 years working in national security and law enforcement, in the UK and elsewhere. He's currently working on cyber-security risks and organised crime for the UK's central government, as the Head of the Government's Cyber Resilience Centre. Recently, he's been looking at security and law enforcement through a philosophica…

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39. How should we motivate cosmopolitanism? With Luke Ulas and Josh Hobbs 46:08

7M ago46:08

46:08

Luke Ulas from the University of Sheffield and Josh Hobbs from the University of Leeds are both interested in cosmopolitanism. Cosmopolitanism is a name used for a few different political ideas, but the core thought, according to the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, is "the idea that all human beings, regardless of their political affiliation,…

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38. Should we be using AI to predict patient preferences? With Nicholas Makins 43:53

7M ago43:53

43:53

This episode is part of what's becoming a bit of an informal series of Ethics Untangled episodes, on ethical issues relating to artificial intelligence applications. The particular application we're looking at this time comes from a healthcare setting, and is called a Patient Preference Predictor. It's a proposed way of using an algorithmic system …

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37. What is relationship anarchy? With Natasha McKeever and Luke Brunning 53:04

8M ago53:04

53:04

Relationship anarchy is a radical approach to relationships that goes beyond just rejecting traditional monogamy. Relationship anarchists believe that relationships should never involve having power over each other, in the form of holding each other to obligations. So, for example, relationship anarchists reject the idea of restricting one's partne…

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The Dangers of Synthetic Braiding Hair with Dr. Jim Rogers 54:39

8M ago54:39

54:39

I'm joined by Dr. James Rogers of Consumer Reports. Jim Rogers is the lead on the study that came out of Consumer Reports highlighting the potential dangers of synthetic braiding hair. Consumer Reports tested 10 of the most popular brands and varieties of synthetic braiding hair on the market. They found dangerous chemicals in all of their samples.…

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36. Is drag problematic? With Simon Kirchin 52:53

8M ago52:53

52:53

Drag is a type of performance which uses clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles. It's an activity with a long and varied history, and continues to be a very popular form of entertainment, as attested by TV shows such as Ru Paul's Drag Race. It's also distinctive in having faced criticism from s…

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CHRISTIANITY IN TRANSITION (w/ Christian Baxter) 1:39:44

8M ago1:39:44

1:39:44

Preparing for the second month in The Portal focused on Christianity in Transition: https://philosophyportal.online/christianity-in-transition

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Why Psychosis Is Not So Crazy (w/ Stijn Vanheule) 1:34:36

9M ago1:34:36

1:34:36

To join the next two months at The Portal focused on Christianity in Transition, see: https://philosophyportal.online/christianity-in-transitionOr get involved by joining The Portal: https://philosophyportal.online/event-space--Why Psychosis Is Not So Crazy: https://otherpress.com/product/why-psychosis-is-not-so-crazy-9781635424423/--The Portal @ W…

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35. What should we do about disruptive speech? With Carl Fox 47:36

9M ago47:36

47:36

By Jim Baxter

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34. Is AI stealing artists' labour? With Trystan Goetze 47:52

9M ago47:52

47:52

Recent developments in AI, including image generation and large language models, have created huge excitement and opened up some really interesting possibilities. But they've also attracted significant criticisms, not least of which is the accusation that they involve large scale theft. This is because they are trained on huge datasets that include…

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De/Reconstruction with Jim Palmer, Brendan Graham Dempsey 2:21:40

9M ago2:21:40

2:21:40

This video is a conversation Conversation with Jim Palmer, Brendan Graham Dempsey on "De/Reconstruction" inspired by our upcoming seminar series in The Portal on "Christianity in Transition". To learn more: https://philosophyportal.online/christianity-in-transition

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Emerging Church, Capitalist Religion, Genesis Experience, Marxism & Politics (w/ Rob Zahn, Kevin Crouse, Helen Rollins, Timothee Bres, Pamela von Salbjar, Rebecca Rose Prentice) / The Portal Feb 2025 4:40:03

9M ago4:40:03

4:40:03

https://philosophyportal.substack.com/p/emerging-church-capitalist-religion Conversation time stamps: Beyond the Emerging Church w/ Rob Zahn, Kevin Crouse (0:09) Capitalist Religion w/ Helen Rollins (1:07:33) Genesis Experience w/ Timothee Bres, Pamela von Sabljar (2:25:20) Reflecting Marxism & Politics w/ Rebecca Rose Prentice (3:26:19) Throughout…

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33. Is Internet access a human right? With Merten Reglitz 45:46

10M ago45:46

45:46

When I was doing my undergraduate degree back in the 90s, the Internet was a bit of a novelty. It was fun to play with, and you could see theoretically how it was probably going to be quite important. I'm not sure I would have predicted how completely it now pervades every area of human life, though: work, civil society, leisure and social interact…

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32. Where's the harm in health and safety? With Simon Cassin 46:07

10M ago46:07

46:07

After time in the army and the fire service, Simon Cassin became a health and safety professional, and is now the managing director of a training and development consultancy called Ouch. Unusually for someone working in health and safety, he's dedicated some serious study to understanding the deep philosophical ideas underlying the profession, focu…

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31. Why is sex work so gendered? With Natasha McKeever 40:16

11M ago40:16

40:16

*CONTENT WARNING: This podcast contains some frank discussion of sex and sex work.* While there are all kinds of sex work, by far the most common scenario involves a man paying a woman for sex. It is, in other words, a highly gendered activity. Why? It turns out the answer to this question isn't as obvious as it might at first seem. It turns out, i…

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EP 10: Neuroscience and Science Communication with Dr. Ben Rein 1:16:14

11M ago1:16:14

1:16:14

Join me as I chit chat with perhaps one of the most fun neuroscientists that you'll ever meet, Dr. Ben Rein. We talk about all things neuroscience as well as my most favorite thing on the planet, science communication.By Dr. Raven Baxter

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30. What should doctors be doing with your data? With Jon Fistein 49:07

11M ago49:07

49:07

Do you know what medical information is held about you? Do you know who is allowed to have access to it? Doctors collect lots of data - often quite personal - about their patients. This data needs to be collected, stored, and shared, sometimes quite widely, so that the patients can receive effective care, but also so that the medical profession can…

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EP 09: The Mysterious Origins of Life with Evolutionary Biologist Dr. Olivia Judson 59:02

12M ago59:02

59:02

Okay, friends. Gather round. So, this podcast is called The Science of Life, but we need to get to the MEAT of it all... what even IS life? Today we begin on our deep dive, deeper than the Mariana Trench. Microbes on Earth that make magnets? Are we aliens? We're getting into it ALL with evolutionary biologist Dr. Olivia Judson, author of Dr. Tatian…

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29. What is touching through? With Robbie Morgan and Will Hornett 51:50

1y ago51:50

51:50

Today's question is one which you might not immediately recognise as important or, so to speak, pressing. The question is, what is touching through? It also might not be immediately apparent why this is an ethical question. As Robbie Morgan from the IDEA Centre and Will Hornett from the University of Cambridge explain, however, it's a metaphysical …

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EP 08: My psychiatrist, Dr. Mike Magarefteh 43:50

1y ago43:50

43:50

We're back after a hiatus, because: LIFE BE LIFE-ING! Today, we're talking to my psychiatrist, Dr. Mike Magarefteh. Yes, I brought my psychiatrist on my podcast! Why? Because he's awesome, and it's really important to talk about mental health and destigmatize it. I hope that hearing a little bit about my journey can inspire someone to do some intro…

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28. What's wrong with conspiracy theories? With Patrick Stokes 47:25

1y ago47:25

47:25

Conspiracy theories seem to be an increasingly prevalent feature of public discourse. No sooner has some significant event taken place, but the internet is full of alternative explanations for that event, involving hidden and nefarious decision-makers. These theories run the gamut from the wildly outlandish to the somewhat plausible, and your view …

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27. How do you assure AI in the NHS? With Adam Byfield 47:55

1y ago47:55

47:55

Adam Byfield is Principal Technical Assurance Specialist at NHS England. His job involves providing ethical assurance for technical systems which are used in the NHS, including those which employ artificial intelligence. It's well known that AI, as well as providing some really exciting benefits, raises some distinctive ethical issues, but it was r…

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26. Should we be worried about teledildonics? With Robbie Arrell 39:52

1y ago39:52

39:52

Should we be worried about teledildonics? *CONTENT WARNING. This episode contains frank descriptions of sexual practices of various kinds, and discussion of sexual assault and rape, including rape by deception.* Teledildonics is a word that refers to the use of networked electronic sex toys to facilitate sexual or quasi-sexual interactions between …

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25. Should lawyers be fighting for a cause? With Alex Batesmith 47:39

1y ago47:39

47:39

Alex Batesmith has had a fascinating career. After beginning as a criminal barrister in Leeds, he went on to work as a United Nations prosecutor in Cambodia and Kosovo, working on cases involving genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. He's now a legal scholar working at Leeds University, and has been researching the values and motivation…

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24. Is your gender like your name? With Graham Bex-Priestley 51:10

1y ago51:10

51:10

Gender is, of course, one of the most contentious ethical and political topics you can find at the moment. There are numerous practical and policy debates - for example those relating to medicine, prisons and sport - which can seem completely intractable, and which provoke the strongest possible opinions on all sides. Sitting behind these practical…

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23. What is trust? With Christopher McClean 34:19

1+ y ago34:19

34:19

Chris McClean is the global lead for digital ethics at Avanade, a large tech innovation and consulting firm. He's also studying for his PhD at the University of Leeds, spending his time thinking about risk and trust relationships, especially in cases with a significant power imbalance, and where the people making the decisions are different from th…

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EP 07: It is rocket science, with Naia Butler-Craig 1:18:58

1+ y ago1:18:58

1:18:58

How many times have we said, "Well, it's not like it's rocket science." Well, TODAY is your lucky day! Today it IS rocket science, and we have none other than aerospace engineer Naia Butler-Craig to hold our hand while teaching us one of the toughest subjects. Today we're learning rocket science.By Raven Baxter

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22. How should we think about informal political representation? With Wendy Salkin 49:27

1+ y ago49:27

49:27

For this episode, I spoke to Wendy Salkin, a philosophy professor at Stanford University, about informal political representatives: people who speak or act on behalf of groups in the political sphere without being elected to do so. Familiar examples include Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malala Yousafzai, and Greta Thunberg. Informal political r…

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EP 06: Ultimate dolphin shenanigans, with Dr. Heather Spence 1:34:43

1+ y ago1:34:43

1:34:43

This episode is going to blow your mind. Learn about all things dolphins, music, and dolphin music with Dr. Heather Spence on my podcast!By Raven Baxter

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21. Should we be worried about academic freedom and no-platforming? With Gerald Lang 39:16

1+ y ago39:16

39:16

In May 2023, the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill received Royal Assent after two years of debate in Parliament. The new Act will strengthen the statutory duty already imposed on English higher education providers by previous legislation to secure freedom of speech within the law. Arif Ahmed, a former philosophy professor at Cambridge Univ…

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EP 05: The microbes that live inside and on us, with Dr. Amy Proal 49:54

1+ y ago49:54

49:54

In this episode, I talk with CEO of PolyBio Research Foundation, Dr. Amy Proal, who is a microbiologist passionate about advancing science in a way that we understand the roots and drivers of the chronic illnesses that impact millions of people every day. We talk about everything from persistent pathogens, to breaking down elitism in science, and s…

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20. What's the meaning of life? With Predrag Cicovacki 49:25

1+ y ago49:25

49:25

Never let it be said that we don't tackle the big questions on this podcast. This week we're discussing no less a subject than the meaning of life, with Predrag Cicovacki. Predrag is Professor of Philosophy at the College of the Holy Cross (USA), where he has been teaching since 1991. He has served as a visiting professor in Germany, Russia, Luxemb…

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19. What is technological bias and what should we do about it? With Meredith Broussard 33:14

1+ y ago33:14

33:14

Meredith Broussard is a data journalist and associate professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University, as well as research director at the NYU Alliance for Public Interest Technology. Her book More Than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech explores the way technology reinforces inequality and as…