What is consciousness?

Professor Brian Cox and an expert panel explore the elusive science of consciousness – what it is, how it arises, whether it can be observed in the brain, and the most compelling theories explaining it.

In a deep, often mind-bending discussion, the panel tackles the many ways of interpreting consciousness itself, and how fields like psychophysics can be used to quantify imagination and perception.

With questions from the audience, the conversation delves into hallucinations and reality, how memory helps to build identity, and whether AI could ever be conscious too.

Panellists

• Anil Seth – Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, University of Sussex
• Katharina Schmack – Consultant Psychiatrist and Group Leader, Neural Circuits and Immunity in Psychosis Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute
• Steve Fleming – Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL
• Alex O’Connor – Host of ‘Within Reason’ podcast

Watch the video version of this episode and read a transcript on our website: www.crick.ac.uk/podcast/consciousness

A BBC Studios Production for the Francis Crick Institute.

Music by John Biddle

© BBC Studios / Francis Crick Institute 2025

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