Annie Murphy Paul on the Power of Thinking Outside the Brain

Hardly Working with Brent Orrell

With automation changing the nature of work before our very eyes,

it is more important than ever that we begin to re-think our approach to

education, the workforce, and yes, even thinking itself.

In this episode of Hardly Working, Brent is joined by journalist

and acclaimed science writer Annie Murphy Paul to discuss how we can tap into

our bodies, surroundings, and other people to think better in an increasingly

complex economy and society. We discuss some of the insights from Murphy’s

latest book The Extended Mind, including why thinking of the brain as a

computer is problematic, the inherently social aspect of learning, and how to

shape a world that works for the kind of thinking our brains evolved to do.

Mentioned During the Show

The Extended Mind – Annie Murphy Paul

Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives

The Cult of Personality Testing

The Extended Mind – Andy Clark and David Chalmers

How Our Brains Make the World - Iain McGilchrist

Stanford University – Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence

The Master and His Emissary – Iain McGilchrist

St. John’s College

The Liberal Sciences and the Lost Arts of Learning