Why is there something it’s like to be you – and could AI ever be truly conscious? In Episode 4 of Leafing Through Science, neuroscientist and bestselling author Anil Seth joins Hedi to explore the mystery at the heart of his acclaimed book Being You: A New Science of Consciousness.

From philosophical zombies and the purpose of dreaming, to measuring consciousness like temperature and why brains aren’t computers, Seth unpacks the idea that our experience of reality – and of ourselves – is a kind of waking dream, a “controlled hallucination”, shaped by prediction, perception, and the body’s primal drive to stay alive. His theory of what it means to ‘be you’ challenges how we understand perception – and turns what you thought you knew about yourself on its head.

Every two weeks, the new podcast series Leafing Through Science brings together host Hedi Young, Champalimaud Foundation neuroscientist and science communicator, with the authors behind some of the most fascinating non-fiction books in the life sciences. From new releases to timeless classics, we explore everything from consciousness and free will, to alien hands and minds under siege. Expect page-turning ideas, head-spinning science, and eye-opening stories.

🔗 Relevant links:

“Being You: A New Science of Consciousness” by Anil Seth

More about Anil

⏱️ Chapters:

(00:00) Turning People into Objects

(01:07) Introduction

(02:26) From Vitalism to Consciousness

(03:54) A Definition in Progress

(06:01) Why Aren’t We Just Zombies?

(10:22) The Real Problem of Consciousness

(13:34) A Yellow Mug, Not a Blue Teapot

(14:41) Can We Build a Consciousness Meter?

(25:55) Perception as Controlled Hallucination

(34:02) How the Brain Builds Time

(38:17) Dreams as Uncontrolled Perception

(42:28) Inferring the Body, Just Like the World

(44:46) Emotions Holding the Self Together?

(46:39) The Beast Machine Theory

(51:39) Brains Aren’t Computers

(56:08) Would This Robot Be Conscious?

(01:02:41) Wrapping Up

🎙️ Episode Credits:

Creator & Series Producer: Hedi Young

Concept Development & Curation: Ana Rita Mendes, António Monteiro, Carla Emilie Pereira, Catarina Ramos, Diana Cadete, Hedi Young, João Van Zelst, John Lee, Marta Correia, Thaïs Lindemann and Teresa Fernandes

Host: Hedi Young

Guest: Anil Seth

Graphic Design: Marta Correia

Sound Design: João Van Zelst

Dissemination: Ana Rita Mendes and Diana Cadete