Public Dialogues

YHouse continues its program of lectures, events, and conversations on exciting and provocative topics at a number of venues around New York City.

Consciousness Club NYC

YHouse invites you to the Consciousness Club, a study group to promote broadly transdisciplinary discussions on the neural and computational bases of consciousness, and how these concepts can be applied to other fields of interest. Our weekly meetings are for you if you are into awareness, science, technology, philosophy, art, and design.

For more information and meeting schedule, check out our Facebook page, or tune in to our Twitter updates.

Although the meetings are open to all, we encourage technical and scientific discussions for this series of meetings.

Cognition Lunch Salon

YHouse continues to organize informal Lunch Salon events hosted by the Program in Interdisciplinary Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study, 1 Einstein Drive, Princeton, N.J., West Building Seminar Room, 2nd floor. The format is an informal chat, followed by longer open-ended discussions among the participants, on the topic of consciousness and cognition. This event is by invitation only. To request an invitation, please email us at info@yhousenyc.org

  • Wework (map)
  • Park Avenue South
  • New York, NY
  • United States

Speaker: Piet Hut and a Special Guest

ABSTRACT

The greatest scientific discoveries are made upon the realization that a generally accepted idea is in fact wrong.  And once the new idea is accepted, it is tempting to ask: why did it take so long to see the flaw in the old idea?  Perhaps the simple answer is: when we grow up with a set of ideas, forming a coherent worldview, we get so habituated to them that we grow increasingly unwilling to question any specific idea, afraid that it will threaten the comfort zone of our life as we know it.

In some recovery communities, addiction is described as a disease of perception. What is the relationship between addiction and consciousness? Can we be addicted to thoughts and mental habits? Is a strongly held worldview a type of addiction? As recovery from addiction often requires a transformative change in thinking, outlook, and behavior, could the process of recovery from addiction have any lessons for scientists in search of breakthrough thinking and new ideas?

A YHouse member will share his experience as a recovering addict with decades of sobriety and discusses possible insights that may have applications for non-addicts and be joined in conversation by Piet Hut, who will argue that in a wider sense all of us are addicts to world views.  Together they will explore ways that tools for recovery from addiction may yield results for scientists looking to re-imagine their approaches to science.

WeWork Park South, New York, NY (NOTE: This event will be held in the lounge on floor 8.)

Registration Required. Click to Register.

Wednesday, November 8, 6 p.m.