Knowledge in Crisis: The Podcast

In this episode, we ask whether academic philosophy is facing a crisis of knowledge — and what that might mean for science.

What does objectivity really mean today? Is it a timeless ideal, or a set of established standards shaped by particular perspectives? If we all speak from our own positionality, can we ever be truly objective?

Our guest Sophie Veigl (University of Vienna) explores the idea that science doesn’t deliver truth as a finished product, but operates as a process — one that is reliable, yet not without weaknesses. Could philosophy play a stronger role within the sciences, helping to address structural problems and shift the conversation away from abstract ideals like “pure objectivity” and toward a more honest engagement with positionality?

Tune in for a conversation about knowledge, perspective, and whether rethinking objectivity might actually strengthen — rather than undermine — science.

This episode was produced by Jason Means and edited by Anni Räty.
Music by Tuomo Tiisala and Gregor Greslehner.
Special thanks to Matt Dougherty, Gregor Greslehner and Sophie Veigl.

Questions or comments? Write to [email protected].

Knowledge in Crisis: The Podcast is supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) under the Clusters of Excellence programme (10.55776/COE3). Check out www.knowledgeincrisis.com to learn more.

What do our emotions actually tell us about the world?

In this episode, we explore emotions from a philosophical perspective—and why they matter for knowledge. Emotions are rapid evaluations of events around us, shaping what we notice, what we care about, and how we respond. They reveal what is important to us and offer a form of evaluative knowledge about the world and ourselves.

But emotions are not infallible. As our first responses, they can mislead; they need to be checked against reflection and other forms of feedback. By examining how emotions connect to perception, judgment, and attention, we ask: what can emotions really reveal about our reality—and how do they shape the way we understand it?

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This episode was produced by Jason Means and edited by Anni Räty.
Music by Tuomo Tiisala and Gregor Greslehner.
Special thanks to Matt Dougherty, Cathy Mason, and Juliette Vazard.

Please note: At the time of recording, Juliette Vazard was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Central European University. She is currently a Senior Teaching and Research Assistant at University of Zürich.

Questions or comments? Write to [email protected].

Knowledge in Crisis: The Podcast is supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) under the Clusters of Excellence programme (10.55776/COE3). Check out www.knowledgeincrisis.com to learn more.

What do we give our attention to—and why does it matter? Our second episode explores attention from moral, political, philosophical and personal dimensions.

Elusive and ever-shifting, attention shapes what we notice—but also what we miss. From propaganda and distractions to the difference between "loving" and "irritating" attention in our relationships, philosophers Cathy Mason, Paulina Sliwa, and Juliette Vazard take us through the importance of attention in our lives, how it shapes the world around us, and asking: "What happens when we start to examine our own patterns of attention?"

This episode was produced by Jason Means and edited by Anni Räty.
Music by Tuomo Tiisala and Gregor Greslehner.
Special thanks to Cathy Mason, Paulina Sliwa, and Juliette Vazard.

Please note: At the time of recording, Juliette Vazard was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Central European University. She is currently a Senior Teaching and Research Assistant at University of Zürich.

Questions or comments? Write to [email protected].

Knowledge in Crisis: The Podcast is supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) under the Clusters of Excellence programme (10.55776/COE3). Check out www.knowledgeincrisis.com to learn more.

From JFK to 9/11 and QAnon, we all recognize the stories — but why do they come about in the first place? Are conspiracy theories simply attempts to make sense of big, chaotic events?
Or do they reveal something deeper, like growing distrust in authorities?

This week, philosophers Cathy Mason and Fabio Lampert talk to Keith Harris (Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Vienna) and take us deep into the world of conspiracy theories: what are they, why do people believe in them (or are they just pretending?), and what can we do to best avoid falling into them?

Dive into belief, knowledge and the stories we choose to trust.

This episode was produced by Jason Means and edited by Anni Räty.
Music by Tuomo Tiisala and Gregor Greslehner.
Special thanks to Cathy Mason, Fabio Lampert, and Keith Harris.

Knowledge in Crisis: The Podcast is supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) under the Clusters of Excellence programme (10.55776/COE3). Check out www.knowledgeincrisis.com to learn more.