Podcast

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This is Punching Cards, the SCIoI podcast about all things intelligent

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What makes a person, a cat, a bonobo, a dolphin, an octopus, a cockatoo intelligent? What is it that these living organisms have or do, when we say that they are intelligent? And what about things, computer programmes, robots? Can they be intelligent? If so, how? If not, why not?

Follow us through six episodes of interviews, special guests, quotes, big and small questions, trivia, and curiosities to explain intelligence.

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Ideas, content, and moderation by Dimitri Coelho Mollo, Aravind Battaje, Olga Shurygina, Nicolas Roth, and Benjamin Lang.
Music by Solveig Steinhardt, Dimitri Coelho Mollo, Aravind Battaje. 
Production and editing by Solveig Steinhardt and Valeria Becattini.

One
Human Intelligence

When we talk about intelligence, we often mean human intelligence. But what is that? How can we study it? In this episode, we try to understand and define human intelligence.

With: Dimitri Coelho Mollo, Aravind Battaje, and Olga Shurygina.
Special Guests: John-Dylan Haynes and Matthias Ziegler.

Two
Animal Intelligence

In this episode, we are impressed by the craftsmanship of cockatoos, discuss whether apes use language, and learn about the pitfalls of testing animal intelligence.

With: Nicolas Roth, Benjamin Lang, and Olga Shurygina.
Special Guests: Richard Moore and Alice von Auersperg.

Three
Artificial Intelligence

Now that we kind of know what we mean by intelligence, can we actually build it? What do we need in order to do that? In this episode, we discuss computers, robots, and a surprising paradox in Artificial Intelligence.

With: Dimitri Coelho Mollo, Nicolas Roth, and Olga Shurygina.

Special Guests: Lisa Miracchi and Oliver Brock.

Four
Collective Intelligence

What’s more intelligent, the ant or the ant colony? How do beehives and flocks of birds display their incredibly complex behaviors? And do those count as intelligent? In this episode we will find out how intelligence may emerge from collections of individuals, from ants to humans.

With: Dimitri Coelho Mollo, Aravind Battaje, Solveig Steinhardt.
Special Guests: Guy Theraulaz and Jens Krause.

Five
Evolution of Intelligence

Where does intelligence come from? Where is it going? In this episode, we talk about the biological and cultural aspects that may be behind the evolution of intelligence.

With: Dimitri Coelho Mollo, Olga Shurygina, Solveig Steinhardt.
Special Guests: Cecilia Heyes and Ali Boyle.

Six
Boundaries of Intelligence

“Plants, cells, and other organisms do very impressive things, but we tend not to call them intelligent. Is that a mistake? In the final episode of this season, we ask: What are the boundaries of intelligence?”

With: Dimitri Coelho Mollo, Nicolas Roth, Solveig Steinhardt.
Special Guests: Paco Calvo and Michael Levin.

Research

An overview of our scientific work

See our Research Projects