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The Helix Center

The Helix Center

The primary objective of The Helix Center for Interdisciplinary Investigation is not to obtain knowledge, per se, but to aspire to an unhurried search for wisdom, emphasizing the centrality of a sense of wonder in this endeavor.

Philosophically, we stand against the trivialization of thought and the balkanization within and between the sciences and the arts. Fundamental to our promotion of these views is our roundtable format of open, spontaneous discourse, one facilitating novel encounters of questioning and understanding among participants. Each program endeavors to expand the boundaries of inquiry by facilitating a creative encounter with uncertainty in the face of scientific and artistic advances. To further nurture opportunities for creative social and intellectual exchange, we also sponsor musical performances, poetry readings, film screenings, and other opportunities for imaginative experience.

Visit https://www.helixcenter.org for more!

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  • 20 episodes
  • Avg 1 hr 35 min
  • English

Episodes 20

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  • September 19 · 1 hr 37 min

    It’s About TIME

    This roundtable explores the tension between the physics-based view of time—which explains its directional arrow through cosmic entropy and statistical mechanics—and the human experience of time as a continuous, fluid flow championed by philosophers like

  • May 16 · 1 hr 47 min

    Reading and The Brain

    This roundtable explores the power of words across brain development, medicine, and community, while highlighting the importance of critical thinking in the age of AI and screens.

  • April 18 · 1 hr 22 min

    Medicine and AI

    This roundtable examines how AI is transforming medicine, from genomic modeling to clinical tools used in healthcare systems. It focuses on challenges of trust, evidence, and equity, including how to evaluate AI, ensure fairness, and responsibly integrat

  • March 7 · 1 hr 23 min

    Where Have All the Isms Gone?: On the Evolution of Knowledge

    This roundtable explores how traditional intellectual movements and paradigms have fragmented in the postmodern era, challenging the idea of coherent disciplinary progress. It considers how the internet, social fragmentation, and AI are reshaping how kno

  • February 21 · 1 hr 34 min

    Why We Write

    This roundtable explores the motivations and purposes behind writing, challenging the idea that words simply convey facts. It examines how writing can express ambiguity, emotion, intention, and persuasion, shaping both meaning and experience.

  • Nov 8, 2025 · 1 hr 25 min

    Fail Again, Fail Better

    This roundtable explores the meaning and value of failure, examining whether persistence leads to growth, success, or its own kind of reward. It considers how cultural, psychological, and philosophical perspectives frame failure as an essential part of t

  • Oct 4, 2025 · 1 hr 8 min

    See Memory

    This roundtable explores how memory, neuroscience, and storytelling intersect, highlighting memory as a dynamic process that shapes identity, healing, and self-understanding. It examines how art and science together can help us reinterpret and reshape ou

  • Sep 20, 2025 · 1 hr 40 min

    Resurgence of Freud

    This roundtable explores the resurgence of psychoanalysis, examining its enduring appeal despite scientific criticism and changing therapeutic practices. It considers how Freudian ideas continue to influence therapy, the humanities, and contemporary deba

  • May 10, 2025 · 1 hr 33 min

    Neurodiversity

    This roundtable explores the concept of neurodiversity – recognizing variations in neurological function – challenging conventional notions of deficit and considering empathetic approaches to support individuals with diverse cognitive experiences.

  • Apr 19, 2025 · 1 hr 32 min

    Mindfulness Meditation: Benefits and Dilemmas 

    This roundtable critically examines the widespread practice of mindfulness meditation, exploring both its potential benefits and emerging concerns regarding commodification, efficacy, and possible adverse effects on mental wellbeing.

  • Mar 22, 2025 · 1 hr 32 min

    Music and Mind

    This roundtable explores the profound connection between music and human experience, investigating its mathematical foundations, neurological impact, cultural significance, and ability to evoke emotion and community.

  • Jan 11, 2025 · 1 hr 53 min

    Why War?

    This roundtable delves into the complex roots of warfare, examining psychological, sociological, and political factors – from innate aggression to social oppression and nationalism – in pursuit of understanding how to mitigate conflict.

  • Nov 16, 2024 · 1 hr 47 min

    Otherness

    This roundtable discusses the concept of Otherness, its origins, significance, and its role in current political polarization, with insights from philosophers, psychoanalysts, social theorists, and historians.

  • Sep 24, 2024 · 1 hr 27 min

    The Poetry of Aging

    This roundtable brings together poets, psychoanalysts, critics and a translator to discuss the relationship between dementia and language, the impact of aging on reading and writing poetry, the distinction between lived experience and the lyrical, and th

  • Apr 27, 2024 · 1 hr 55 min

    Striking a Chord: Hearing and Space

    The roundtable discusses the evolution and impact of sound and vibration, particularly in relation to speech and music, and how it influences our emotions and perception of space.

  • Mar 23, 2024 · 1 hr 35 min

    A ≠ B → Taste & Discernment

    This roundtable explores the evolution and role of taste and discernment in human life, from basic survival to refined pleasure and art, and discusses its implications in aesthetics and practical reason.

  • Feb 24, 2024 · 1 hr 37 min

    Synthetic Consciousness: Seeing and Believing

    This roundtable explores the intricate relationship between vision and attention, the role of vision in our perception of truth and falsehood, and the implications of these concepts on our understanding of animal consciousness, sensory perception, and cu

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes