Tempting fate is often seen as a fine line between courage and foolishness. It’s rooted in the belief that pushing certain boundaries or showing too much confidence might invite some kind of cosmic retribution.Even those who don’t believe in fate hesitate to take chances, driven by an instinctual fear of what might go wrong. Matthew Syed explores why we’re both drawn to and wary of tempting fate, and why our minds often trick us into a bit of magical thinking.By unpacking the dynamics of hubris, overconfidence, and the possibility of universal retribution, we explore whether challenging fate is a self-defining act - or a dangerous game.With pilot Amelia Rose Earhart, professor of Behavioural Science Jane Risen and philosopher Simon Critchley.Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten
Series Editors: Georgia Moodie
Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson
Theme music by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
--------
29:27
70. Digital Ghosts
Amy Kurzweil’s dad is a famous inventor, futurist and pioneer in the field of AI. In 2015, she discovers his aspiration to make an AI chatbot of her late grandfather, Fred. Fred was a musician who dramatically escaped the Holocaust, but he died before Amy was born. Matthew Syed delves into Amy’s fascinating journey with her father to build the ‘Fredbot’ and have an online conversation with the grandfather she never met. He also hears from Lynne Nieto, who worked with her late husband to make an interactive AI video of him before he passed away. Today, she struggles to engage with it. The idea of using AI to simulate conversations with the dead troubles Matthew and raises all sorts of ethical questions. With the help of experts, he discovers how similar concepts were once debated by ancient Chinese philosophers and explores how digital ghosts could affect the grieving process. With cartoonist and writer Amy Kurzweil; Alexis Elder, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Minnesota Duluth and author of the forthcoming book The Ethics of Digital Ghosts: Confucian, Mohist, and Zhuangist Perspectives on AI and Death; grief therapist and author of The Loss Prescription, Dr Chloe Paidoussis-Mitchell; and Lynne Nieto. Featuring references to the graphic novel Artificial: A Love Story by Amy Kurzweil, published in 2022 by Catapult Books.Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Vishva Samani
Series Editor: Georgia Moodie
Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson
Theme music by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
--------
28:48
69. Memento Mori
The passing of time brings inevitable change - corrosion, disintegration and, eventually, disappearance. While the certainty of this process may seem like cause for despair, Matthew Syed explores the beauty that can be found in the process of decay.American composer William Basinski, watching his old reel-to-reel tapes disintegrate into a masterpiece of ambient music, discovered how even decay can lead to something unexpectedly profound.In Detroit’s abandoned neighbourhoods, the ruins tell a story of transformation, where the decline of once-thriving industry serves as both a stark reminder of impermanence and a catalyst for reflection and artistic expression.With composer William Basinski, cultural historian Professor Dora Apel, Detroit artist Scott Hocking, and religion professor Ankur Barua. Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten
Series Editors: Georgia Moodie and Max O'Brien
Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson
Theme music by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
--------
29:07
68. Bliss in Suffering
When David Wright went to Iraq as an 18-year-old soldier - he had no idea the battlefield would become a place where he’d enter deep states of bliss. For decades, David remained silent about the intense joy he experienced alongside the horrors of war. Matthew Syed ponders the extraordinary possibility of experiencing joy while suffering and hears more about the remarkable potential of the brain to respond to trauma in unexpected ways. He discovers how others too, like actor Renu Arora, experienced something similar when she was hit by a bus - and considers how such stories might help us shift our perspective on pain. With ex-soldier David Wright, actor/singer/writer Renu Arora, neuroscientist Dr Andrew Newberg, Director of Research at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital in Philadelphia and Dr Steve Taylor, lecturer at Leeds Beckett University in transpersonal psychology and author of the book Extraordinary Awakenings. Featuring an excerpt sung by Renu Arora from the RSC Enterprise performance recording of Anything Could Happen from The Magician’s Elephant. Music by Marc Teitler and lyrics by Nancy Harris. Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Vishva Samani
Series Editors: Georgia Moodie and Max O'Brien
Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson
Theme Music by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
--------
29:24
67. Reality Shifting
In 2020, a curious trend went viral on social media, especially among teenagers and young adults. As much of the world stayed at home to curb the spread of COVID-19, Reality Shifters began claiming they could move from one reality to another, referencing multiverse theory.Beyond the actual possibility of switching between realities, this craze raised intriguing questions about the fabric of the reality we experience. Philosophers and scientists have long speculated about the existence of multiple realities. Today, Matthew Syed explores the blurry line between what we perceive as reality and what may lie beyond it, inviting us to question the very nature of existence.With Reality Shifter Kristin Dattoo, clinical psychologist Professor Eli Somer, neuroscientist Professor Anil Seth, and theoretical physicist Professor Ulf Danielsson.Presenter: Matthew Syed
Producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten
Series Editors: Georgia Moodie and Max O'Brien
Sound Design and Mix: Daniel Kempson
Theme music by Ioana Selaru
A Novel production for BBC Radio 4
Österreich