The Self is an Illusion – You Do Not Exist: (2017) Exploring Phenospace, Sam Harris, Susan Blackmore, Thomas Metzinger and Shunyamurti talk about the illusion of a separate self or ego. 14 March 17
In Conversation with Dan Dennett (2017) about his new book at the Bristol Festival of Ideas. 22 February 17.
David Chalmers
Patricia Churchland
Andy Clark
Michael Gazzaniga
Thomas Metzinger
Closer to truth broadcasts weekly, half-hour shows on many US public TV stations and its website “features over 4,000 video interviews with world-renowned scientists and philosophers searching the vital ideas of existence. ” Presented by Robert Lawrence Kuhn, it claims to be “the definitive source for cosmos, consciousness and meaning (God), exploring profound questions of universe, brain/mind, religion, and the search for ultimate reality and purpose.”
Kuhn has interviewed me several times over the years and some short chunks from these interviews are now available. They are linked below by topic and all of my contributions, plus some future releases, can also be found on their web site on my profile page.
I have done many interviews and some television presenting, including a “Horizon” programme on alien abductions and ‘The cleverest ape in the world‘ for Channel 4. I used to take part in programmes on ESP, ghosts, and reincarnation, but now prefer to do science programmes, especially those concerned with evolution, memetics, meditation, and consciousness – as well as the case for the legalization of recreational drugs. Here is a selected list:
For the UK:
2020
2009
- Did Darwin kill God? BBC 1 – 31 March 2009. Documentary Film. There are some who believe that Darwin’s theory of evolution has weakened religion, fuelled in part by Richard Dawkins’ publishing phenomenon The God Delusion. Conor Cunningham argues that nothing could be further from the truth.
2008
- The One Show BBC1 on near-death experiences. 27 Oct 2008
- The big questions BBC 1 TV, debate on drug policy.
2006
- Channel 4 “What makes us human” interview on memes, plus imitation games with children, 19.08.06
- Discovery Channel, Nostradamus : The Truth, 17.05.06
2004
- CBBC, interview and phone-in on sleep and dreams, 26.10.04
2003
- BBC2, Weakest Link Winner – “Boffins Special” edition, 4.12.03
- BBC2, The day I died, interview on NDEs, 1.03 (for my objections see NDEs on TV)
2002
- HTV, The trouble with home, interview on haunting, 9.8.02
- Channel 4, Richard and Judy, discussion on drugs, 22.1.02
2001
- The cleverest ape in the world, Channel 4, 03.09.01 Watch on Youtube
2000
- Channel 4, Everyman, interview on angels, 12.12.00
- ITV “Life, death and suchlike” interview with Geoffrey Milland, 14.11.00
- Channel 4, Ultimate Questions, panellist, 5.11.00
- Channel 4, “Big Brother”, comment on sleep and dreams, 4.9.00
- BBC, “Sins of the Flesh” interviews in 2 programmes, 10.9.00; 24.9.00
- Channel 4, “Secrets of the Dead”, interview on hallucinogens, 7.8.00
- Channel 5, Natural mystery, interview on Persinger, 6.00
- Channel 4, Witness, astrology 18.6.00
1999
- BBC 1, Nick Ross Show, panel on the paranormal (rec. 2.11.99)
- UK Today, Worldwide TV, interview on The Meme Machine.
- Channel 5, Stranger than Fiction, interview on alien abduction, 12.7.99
- BBC, Tomorrow’s World Plus, interview on memes, 13.4.99
- BBC News 24, interview on memes, 16.3.99
- HTV, “The Sunday Roast”, discussion on drug legalization, 17.1.99
1994
- Horizon “Close Encounters”, BBC2, 28.11.94
- Storyville Pepe The Frog Feels Good Man. The full length film is called Feels Good Man, it premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and even received an Emmy award. This is a shorter version of the film (but still 1.5 hours long) which was run on BBC’s storyville in 2021. My interview lasts about two minutes and starts at 11.48.
- For ZDF Germany: I was interviewed for this film, Blick in die Ewigkeit? Der Tod und das Danach. (on the subject of Life After Death). My interview starts at 17:40. Released 13.04.2020
2015
- Discovery Channel “Genes, Memes and Tremes” in Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, May 2015
2014
- In summer 2014 I carried out a number of interviews for Swedish TV station “Axess TV”. I grilled some of the world’s experts about the great mysteries of consciousness – (David Chalmers, Pat Churchland, Andy Clark, Michael Gazzaniga and Thomas Metzinger). The first of these interviews with Patricia Churchland is now available to watch online.
- Closer to Truth Consciousness 2014
- Closer to Truth, PBS.
- “Into God” trailer, and video on YouTube
- Debate on Aljazeera‘s “Frost over the world”.
2006
- Should religion be banned? 17.11.2006
2005
- Barbara Walters special on “Heaven”, interview on NDEs, ABC December 2005, repeated 6 July 2012 US viewers can watch
2001
- NOVA/WBGH contribution to 8-part series on Evolution, Sept 2001
- Also contributions to: ABC 2020 (USA), ABC “Turning Point” (USA), Unsolved Mysteries (USA), various Nova (USA), Good Morning Australia, The Sci-Fi Channel, Newsnight New Zealand, WDR Fernsehen (Germany), VPRO The Netherlands, “OverLeven” Belgium.
I do frequent interviews for local, national, and foreign radio programmes. In the past I have often talked about parapsychology, near-death experiences, alien abductions, and other unusual experiences, but I am now more interested in memes, evolution, and consciousness. I am happy to talk about science and religion or drug legalisation. Here is a selected list – many have links to “listen again”.
Radio Interviews
UK: (excluding local radio)
- BBC Radio 4, The Moral Maze 2025, 19 November, on Moral Luck. My contribution starts at 23.30.
- BBC Radio 4’s ‘The Moral Maze’ – 15 February 2023. Why does God allow natural disasters to happen?
2022
- An Encounter with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby talks to Susan Blackmore on BBC Radio 4 – 27.02.2022
2019
- “Sunday Morning with Sally Magnusson” on BBC Radio Scotland. I was happy to be asked, Who am I? What’s the mind? What’s the point of it all? As well as about my childhood, my religious background, how I became a scientist, and whether I believe in a soul or spirit (No). 04.08.2019
2018
- BBC Radio 2, the Jeremy Vine Show. The Difference between male and female brains. 2 October 2018
- My discussion with Jordan Peterson on Premier Christian Radio, part of The Big Conversation video series from Unbelievable? “Do we need God to make sense of life?”. 8 June 2018
2015
- Listen to this Interview with me on Radio West (KUER). Ask yourself this question: Am I conscious now? The answer is probably yes, but what does that really mean? What exactly is consciousness? December 2015
- BBC Radio Four “A Good Read“. Adam and I talk about books we’ve enjoyed with Harriet Gilbert, 21 July 2015
2014
- BBC Radio 4 Short Cuts, Episode 1 Waking Life my OBE, 2014
2013
- Viruses – from biology to memes on the BBC World Service Forum.March 2013 and
Plastic-eating bugs: 60 second idea to change the world from Susan Blackmore- BBC Radio 2 Nope to the Pope on the Jeremy Vine Show Thursday Sept 16th
2010
- Morality and meaning without God. Listen again toBBC Radio 4 “Beyond Belief” broadcast 16 August 2010, or download the podcast.
- BBC Radio Scotland, “A Life in Limbo“, Emily Troscianko and I discuss her ten years of anorexia and how she finally recovered from it. 4.07.2010 There’s a transcript on Emily’s blog.
2009
- BBC Radio 4 Beyond Belief 17 August 2009. Discussion on God and Neuroscience
2008
- BBC Radio 4, 9 a.m. Start the Week, discussion on memes and the value of experience, with Andrew Marr, 27.10.08
- BBC Radio 4 “What’s the point of the archbishop?” Listen again.04.03.08
- BBC Radio 4. Beyond Belief. Debate on free will. 04.08.08
- BBC Radio Five Live Discussion on the Pope. 17.04.08
- BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine show. Discussion on the Pope. 17.04.08
- BBC Radio 4 “What’s the point of the archbishop?” Listen again. 4 March 2008
- BBC Radio 4 Discussion on meditation, on “Beyond Belief” 7.01.2008
2007
- BBC Radio 4 “Jon Ronson on… waking up from a dream” (in my case changing my mind about the paranormal) 05.06.2007, 23.00.
2006
- BBC Radio 4, “A good read” – I chose Sam Harris “The end of faith”, 24.10.06
- BBC Radio 2, Jeremy Vine show, the expressions of faith, 16.10.06
- BBC Radio 4, Sunday, discussion on religious experiences, 3.9.2006
- BBC Radio 2, Jeremy Vine show, the (non) effects of prayer, 03.08.06
- BBC Radio 3 “Belief“. A half-hour interview with Joan Bakewell, 10.04.06
- BBC Radio 4 “Analysis” on humanism. 16.03.06.
- BBC Radio 4 “Today”, discussion on whether there is a philosophical equivalent to Darwin’s natural selection for species, 13.02.06.
2005
- BBC Radio 4 PM, discussion on the drug Ketamine, 14.7.05.
- BBC Radio Wales, discussion on drugs, 10.6.05
- BBC Radio 2, Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine show, discussion on drugs, 25.5.05
- BBC Radio 5 Live, discussion on coincidences, 27.04.05
- BBC Radio 4, “Sunday” discussion on the brain and religious experience, for Easter, with John Bowker, 27.3.05. Listen
- BBC Radio 4, “From this moment on – the first trip”. Interview on LSD, 1.1.05
2004
- BBC Radio 4, “The Eureka years: 1938“, interview on LSD with Adam Hart-Davis, 30.10.04
- BBC Radio 5 Live, interview on drug use, 1.8.04
- BBC Radio 4, “Beyond Belief”, discussion on religion without God, 23.2.04
- BBC Radio 4, “Feedback” discussion on “sex” and “gender”, 13.02.04
- BBC Radio 4, “Inspiration” Science Quiz, with Adam Hart-Davis and Louis Wolpert, 10.12.03 and 7.1.04
2003
- Radio 4, “You and yours” – why I support legalization of drugs, 14.10.03
- BBC Radio 4, “Beyond Belief”, discussion on happiness, 4.8.03
2000
- BBC Radio 4, “Off the page”, scripted piece on memes, with discussion, 6.8.00
- BBC Radio 4, “Today” interview with Geoffrey Miller on evolution, 1.5.00
- BBC Radio 4, “Off the page”, scripted piece on memes, and discussion on the Internet, 6.8.00
- BBC Radio 4, “Today” interview with Geoffrey Miller on evolution, 1.5.00
1999
- BBC Radio 4, “Today” interview on the future of technology, 5.11.99
- Radio Scotland, “Being Human; 4. The end of evolution”, 18.8.99
- Radio Scotland, “Being Human; 2. Obsessions and dreams”, 4.8.99
- BBC Radio Scotland, The Usual Suspects, interview on memes, 15.4.99
- BBC Radio 4, Q and A, science and the soul, 18.3.99
- BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, memes, 3.3.99
- BBC Scotland, Colin Bell Show, interview on memes, 3.2.99
- BBC Radio 4, Frontiers, interview on blindsight, 20.1.99
- The Forum, BBC World Service, panel discussion on Invisibility July 2014
2013
- Viruses – from biology to memes; a discussion on the BBC World Service Forum. March 2013
and
Plastic-eating bugs: 60 second idea to change the world2006
- The Sci Phi Show – Outcast #8, 21.08.06. Interview on Memes with Jason Rennie. Listen here.
- Radio New Zealand, Saturday Morning with Kim Hill, 22.07.2006.
2005
- Newstalk, Dublin, Ireland, discussion on drugs, 9.6.2005
2004
- ABC Australia, debate on consciousness with Dave Chalmers and Paul Davies, in Sydney 28.8.04 http://abc.net.au/rn/allinthemind/stories/2004/1183559.htm and 4.9.04 http://abc.net.au/rn/allinthemind/stories/2004/1184056.htm
- Classic Fm Australia, interview and choice of music with Margaret Throsby, 20.8.04. Details of my choice of music can be found athttp://www.abc.net.au/classic/daily/stories/s1151250.htm
- Radio Netherlands, Vox Humana, interview on memes for documentary “Seducing the mind”, 9.3.2004
2001
- Radio New Zealand, interview on the Internet, 30.10.01
2000
- Sveriges Radio P1, monologue on memes (recorded Tucson, April 2002)
Johannesburg, South Africa, “Believe it or not” discussion and phone-in on The Meme Machine, 4.6.00- Johannesburg, South Africa, “Patricia’s People”, interview on The Meme Machine, 10.3.00
1999
- ABC (Australia), ‘Late Night Live’ interview on The Meme Machine, 27.10.99
- Radio New Zealand, Sunday Edition, interview on The Meme Machine, 20.6.99
- Radio 3, Belgium, interview on The Meme Machine, 6.99
- ABC (Australia), The Science Show, interview on memes, (recorded 25.5.99)
- National Public Radio, USA, Talk of the Nation, discussion and phone in with Robert Wright, on The Meme Machine, 20.5.99
- BBC World Service, interview on sleep paralysis, 19.4.99
- Science Talk, Pasadena, discussion and phone-in on memes, 21.4.99
- Radio PR Perth, Australia, discussion on memes, 25.3.99