Conversations on Consciousness: What is consciousness?
Date & Time
Thu, 29 Jan 2026
19:00
Venue
Fitzhugh Auditorium, Cohen Quad
Cohen Quad, Exeter College, Oxford
Tickets
Get ticketsWhy you should come
AI-powered• Hear Susan Blackmore explain why our sense of subjectivity might be a delusion
• Learn from Paul Pettitt how Ice Age art reveals the evolution of Neanderthal consciousness
• Explore Ole Jensen's adversarial collaboration for evaluating theories of consciousness
About this event
This seminar is part of the 'Conversations on Consciousness' series, which explores fundamental questions about the nature of existence and the mind. The event addresses profound inquiries such as 'What does it mean to say I am?', whether the sense of subjectivity is a delusion, and if consciousness extends beyond humans to whales, AI, or even electrons. The series aims to bridge various academic disciplines to examine how we should use our consciousness. Perspectives from a wide spectrum of ac...
Event Highlights
- •Interdisciplinary panel featuring experts in psychology, archaeology, and neuroscience
- •Exploration of consciousness in Neanderthals and the emergence of Ice Age art
- •Discussion on whether human subjectivity is a psychological delusion
- •Free event open to University members, Alumni, and their guests
Speakers
Susan Blackmore
Psychology, University of Plymouth
Paul Pettitt
Archaeology, Durham University
Ole Jensen
Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford
Professor Charles Foster
Organiser and Moderator
Professor Kerry Walker
Organiser and Moderator
Programme
Why are we deluded about consciousness?
Presentation by Susan Blackmore from the University of Plymouth.
What was consciousness in the Ice Age?
Paul Pettitt discusses Neanderthals, Cro-Magnons, and the emergence of art.
An adversarial collaboration to evaluate theories of consciousness
Presentation by Ole Jensen from the University of Oxford.
What to bring / Requirements
- •Open to University members, Alumni, and their guests
- •No registration necessary
Organized by: Exeter College, Oxford
Contact: charles.foster@exeter.ox.ac.uk; kerry.walker@exeter.ox.ac.uk