Welcome to “Prosthetic Gods,” the podcast where bioethicist James Hughes and philosopher Nir Eisikovits engage in spirited debates on the ethics and politics of emerging technologies. Hughes, a pro-technology transhumanist, and Eisikovits, with his Luddite stance, explore topics from brain-computer interfaces to artificial intelligence. Tune in and explore the promise and perils of technological advancements with us!
Episode 51 - Uploading Yourself to the Cloud
This week on Prosthetic Gods, Nir and J discuss the transhumanist concept of brain uploading, exploring everything from cutting-edge connectomics and artificial intelligence to ancient philosophical views on personal identity. We debate the metaphysics of “substrate independence,” “computational functionalism,” and religious views of the soul to weigh the prospects of preserving consciousness. They also examine the practical and ethical implications of creating digital simulacra, including duplication problems, machine suffering, and moral responsibility.
Show Notes:
Connectome 2.0 Project: A National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiative utilizing an advanced MRI scanner to map brain connections down to a single micron level.
Eon Systems Fly Cyborg: A simulated fruit fly connectome connected to a virtual body to simulate behaviors like walking and grooming.
Carboncopies Foundation - research and development toward whole brain emulation.
Blue Brain Project - a Swiss project to model the brain that concluded work in 2024.
Virtually Human: The Promise and the Peril of Digital Immortality by Martine Rothblatt
State of Brain Emulation 2025: A comprehensive report featuring contributions from 45 authors and the Allen Institute that outlines the roadmap for animal and human brain emulations.
“The Soul of Trans-humanism” by Ted Peters, reflecting on the various interpretations of the soul in Christianity, and their compatibility with uploading
San Junipero - Black Mirror episode on uploading
Duncan Bell on transhumanism on David Runciman’s Past, Present and Future podcast
As always, listeners can contact us at prostheticgods@gmail.com with questions, comments, and suggestions for future topics.
Credits:
Hosted by James Hughes and Nir EisikovitsMusic & Production by Jake Burley
30 Sept 2026
Animal Testing
Episode 50 - Animal Testing
This week on Prosthetic Gods, Nir and J. dissect the rapid dismantling of the animal-testing paradigm. We explore the legal and political shifts sweeping the EU and the United States—including the surprising federal momentum under the current HHS framework. From the utilitarian calculus of sentient consciousness down to the moral weight of insect neurology, we interrogate whether high-tech alternatives like organoids and AI models can and should finally render mammalian sacrifice obsolete.
Show Notes:
“The global push to reduce animal testing in drug development” Drug Target Review
“HHS Accelerates Shift to Human-Based Research, Reduces Reliance on Animal Testing” US Department of Health and Human Services
“The FDA Finalizes Rule Recognizing Non-Animal Testing Methods, Building on Year-Long Reduction Push” PharmTech
“The future of science without animal testing” Humane World for Animals
“A Kantian Case for Animal Rights” Christine Korsgaard
Animal Liberation Now: The Definitive Classic Renewed Peter Singer and Yuval Noah Harari
Lanterns on HBO
Piers Morgan interview with AI actress derailed by Cantonese
As always, listeners can contact us at prostheticgods@gmail.com with questions, comments, and suggestions for future topics.
Credits:
Hosted by James Hughes and Nir EisikovitsMusic & Production by Jake Burley
16 Sept 2026
War at Machine-Speed
Episode 49 - Targeting at Machine Speed
This week on Prosthetic Gods, Nir and J speak with Major Michael Brodka, a U.S. Army military intelligence officer and author of the July 2026 Military Review article “By Algorithm or Order.” Major Brodka argues that the U.S. Army's human-paced targeting doctrine is dangerously misaligned with the rapid emergence of machine-speed, AI-enabled warfare being pursued by adversaries like China and Russia. It asserts that to close this critical "velocity gap," the military must reform its doctrines, organizations, and training to integrate lethal autonomous weapon systems under lawful human-on-the-loop control.
Show Notes:
“By Algorithm or Order” Michael Brodka
DoD Directive 3000.09: Autonomy in Weapon Systems
Department of Defense Law of War Manual
Field Manual (FM) 3-60:Army Targeting
2023 DoD Data, Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence Adoption Strategy
Michael A. Santoro, “Designing Lethal Decisions: AI, Accountability, and the Future of Military Judgment,” Modern War Institute (16 Apr 2026)
Jesse R. Crifasi, “Targeting at Machine Speed: The Capabilities—and Limits—of Artificial Intelligence,” Modern War Institute (17 Jul 2025)
As always, listeners can contact us at prostheticgods@gmail.com with questions, comments, and suggestions for future topics.
Credits:
Hosted by James Hughes and Nir EisikovitsMusic & Production by Jake Burley
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 27 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
41
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
Contact Prosthetic Gods
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
