Noshing With David Lawrence – October 6, 2022

Author, Are We Really BioChemical Robots: Sam Harris’ Crusade Against Free Will

This week, Ira spoke with David Lawrence, author of Are We Really BioChemical Robots: Sam Harris’ Crusade Against Free Will. In this willing episode of Ira’s Everything Bagel, David talks about determinism deriving from The Big Bang, which results in everything following being foreordained; the reason so many people are determinists; the conundrum that determinists face; why determinists are determined to be determinists; why the scientific outlook has a huge influence; why both groups root for their paradigms as if it were their football team; what could be a nominal middle ground between the two sides; and moving from a causal universe to a probable universe.

A former lawyer with 30+ years of experience and a philosophy degree from UCLA, David is a philosophical proponent of free will, opposing the determinist views held by many new media personalities. He wrote his book as a response to the 10th anniversary of Sam Harris’ book, Free Will, in an effort to expose what he believes is the flawed thinking behind what Harris’ book and determinist ideology present, and to address the central arguments against the existence of free will. Follow BioChemical Robots on Instagram.

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Noshing With Jon Krampner – October 13, 2022 »

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“Bagels are the only bread that are boiled before baked. Once the bagel dough is shaped into a circle, they are dipped in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. After that, they are drained and baked for about 10 minutes.”

Bagels have been to space! “It’s safe to say that the treats from Fairmount Bagels in Montreal are out of this world. In 2008, Astronaut Greg Chamitoff boarded Discovery for a 14-day flight into space. Accompanying him? Eighteen bagels from Fairmount, a shop owned by his aunt.”

“The word Bagel comes from the German word “bougel,” meaning “bracelet,” and by way of the Yiddish “beygl” which means “ring.” So, if it is not in the shape of a ring or bracelet, it is NOT a bagel.”

“What sets bagels apart from other types of bread is the fact that they are boiled. Some imitations are steamed, but they do not have the same chewy and crunchy crust and are not true bagels.”

“The first beugel bakeries were founded in New York City in the 1920s. Later the name was changed and called a bagel.”

“The hole in the middle of your bagel is no mistake. In fact, this bread was baked with a hole so vendors could slide them on to dowel rods, making it easy to transport them to wherever they would be selling their bagel that day.”

“Bagels are the only bread that are boiled before they are baked.”

World Champion Competitive Eater Joey Chestnut won Siegel’s Bagelmania Bagel Eating Competition in Las Vegas January 13, winning the title, a championship belt and $5,000 of the total $10,000 prize pool.