Memory Maestros And Well Dressed Algorithms

We don't necessarily talk about the countryside on this podcast as much as we used to or should do, maybe. You, the listeners, now send in questions for us to conversate around. We don't see the questions until we press record, and we always try to spin it back to the environment in some way.

In this episode we have two guests in the listener’s chair, the first guests in a long while, or should we say chairs? One returning guest, and one podcast newbie, those being Suzi Darrington, and Alex Kauffmann.

Jess, from Bishop’s Tatchbrook, Warwickshire, England asks the first question  - “Can we trust our memories, or do they alter our perception of reality in the moment and over time?”

Stuart kicks off with two oldies, two newbies—this’ll be fun!. He suspects age might split opinions. 

Suzi, the memory maestro, says perception’s shaped by memories but isn’t totally unreliable (even if your brain sometimes edits like a bad film director). 

Stuart wonders if we can trust memories at all. 

Alex chimes in: nostalgia is basically Photoshop for the past. 

William notes childhood memories are fuzzy, recent ones clearer—but we all cherry-pick. 

They all agree: memory messes with reality, but it’s still useful. Final takeaway? Use your warped recollections to fuel eco-action. Just don’t trust them to find your lost keys.

Unity, from Paddock Wood, Kent, England sets todays second question  - “What role does genetics play in the debate between free will and determinism?”

Suzi wonders if we’re just meat robots running on genetic Wi-Fi. 

Alex compares determinism to infinity—huge, mysterious, and not great dinner party material. 

William shrugs: He acts like he has free will, even if he’s just a well-dressed algorithm.

Stuart brings up Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation to prove some things are just too bonkers to grasp. 

Suzi asks: if we’re coded, can we still be blamed for binge-watching reality TV? 

Tribalism and cognitive dissonance get a shoutout—because ignoring facts is basically a hobby. 

Alex muses that evolution is slow genetic editing. 

William says we’re built to adapt, even to climate chaos. 

Final takeaway? Whether you’re free or pre-programmed, use your mysterious powers for good—especially for the planet.

What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to ⁠[e-mail]

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This podcast's overall themes are nature, philosophy, climate, the human condition, sustainability, and social justice. 

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