Upon Reflection

About Upon Reflection

A podcast about what we think as well as how and why we think it.

Publisher

Nick Byrd

Category

science · science · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Jul 2019

Latest episode

28 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

18 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Aug 2026

   Ep. 17 – More Antibiotic Obligations Than You Think?

   Every year, many people receive antibiotics they don't need or they take them for longer than necessary. You might think this isn't a problem. After all, many antibiotics are cheap and have relatively mild side effects. But the more we use antibiotics, the more opportunities we create for bacteria to evolve immunity, making antibiotics so ineffective that otherwise common and treatable infections can become serious or even deadly — also known as antibiotic resistance. So who's responsible for making sure antibiotics are used only when necessary and only as long as necessary? In a short commentary in The American Journal of Bioethics, I argue that it is not just doctors that have duties to minimize and shorten antibiotic courses. If recent arguments are any indication, anyone who communicates about, studies, or reviews antibiotic decisions may have similar obligations. In this episode I'll lay out the argument and its implications for health systems. Byrd, N. (2026). The Patient and Pharmacy Sides of 'Shorter Is Better' Antibiotic Stewardship. The American Journal of Bioethics, 26(9), 132–134. https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2026.2709547 As always, free preprints of my papers are available on my CV at byrdnick.com/cv under "Publications". When selecting an affiliate partner for this episode, Homestyler reached out. But their website's products were missing too many details for me to feel comfortable. So instead I'll mention that I've been using PDF Expert for nearly a decade. Its interface is more attractive than Adobe products, and it usually costs less. In fact, I'm using PDF Expert to read this episode's commentary: You can find out more at readdle.8kpa2n.net/Byrd. You can find or tag me on BlueSky, Threads, Mastodon, or the legacy platforms if you want to engage more there. You can also send questions via the contact form on this website. I guess you could also do that in a podcast review. Related posts 25+ Cognitive Science Podcasts Do reflective people agree about ethics? Does Ethics Rest On A Mistake? Three Arguments That It Does

2. 

   8 Oct 2025

   Upon Reflection, Ep. 16: Strategic Reflectivism

   In late 2025, artificial intelligence companies like OpenAI popularized the idea of automating the process of selecting which model is best for a task. This allowed users to simply send their prompt or request and let the system determine whether to respond using a "fast" or a "slow" reasoning model. In a 2022 paper, I suggested that this kind of strategic deployment of slow, more reflective reasoning could be crucial to good judgment and decision-making. Since then, I have been synthesizing the arguments and evidence for this view in a paper titled, "Strategic Reflectivism in Intelligent Systems". Now that the new paper's accepted in Lecture Notes In Computer Science, I recorded a podcast of me reading the final proofs of the paper, which argues that one key to intelligence in humans and machines is pragmatic switching between intuitive and reflective thinking based on the goals of the system. The paper has a wide range of implications for applied science, computer science, decision science, and epistemology. Byrd, N. (2025). Strategic Reflectivism In Intelligent Systems. Lecture Notes In Computer Science. Preprint: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2505.22987 (https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2505.22987) As always, free preprints of my papers are available on my CV at byrdnick.com/cv (https://byrdnick.com/cv#publications) under "Publications". (https://roadrunnersports.sjv.io/byrdnick) This episode's affiliate partner is Road Runner Sports. For about a year I've been adding a weekly marathon to my exercise routine. So shoes, socks, headphones, shorts, and other fitness products have felt more important to me lately. What I like about Road Runner Sports is their integration of online and in-store retail; I can try things on in person, deliver to the store for free, return and exchange in person, etc. I am not stuck doing everything online. To get your running needs met, check out roadrunnersports.sjv.io/byrdnick (https://roadrunnersports.sjv.io/byrdnick). You can find the Upon Reflection podcast here (https://byrdnick.com/pod) or in your podcast app. If you like what you hear, you can subscribe wherever you find podcasts, follow on BlueSky at @ByrdNick.com (https://bsky.app/profile/byrdnick.com), on Mastadon (@ByrdNick (https://nerdculture.de/@ByrdNick)), and all the other platforms (https://byrdnick.com/contact).  If you end up enjoying the Upon Reflection podcast, then feel free to tell people about it, online, in person, or in your review. Related posts * The Bias Fallacy (https://byrdnick.com/archives/11072/the-bias-fallacy) * The Base Rate Fallacy (https://byrdnick.com/archives/16541/the-base-rate-fallacy) * The Appeal to Intuition: A Fallacy? (https://byrdnick.com/archives/4318/appeal-to-nature-appeal-to-intuition-fallacy) * Upon Reflection, Ep. 9: Bounded Reflectivism & Epistemic Identity (https://byrdnick.com/archives/23143/upon-reflection-podcast-ep-9-bounded-reflectivism-epistemic-identity) * 25+ Cognitive Science Podcasts (https://byrdnick.com/archives/10238/cognitive-science-philosophy-podcasts)

3. 

   19 May 2025

   Ep. 15 - A Two-Factor Explication Of ‘Reflection’

   Nicholas Byrd explicates a two-factor account of reflective thinking, synthesizing philosophical and cognitive science perspectives to unify the understanding of reflection and its measurement.

4. 

   2 Apr 2025

   Ep. 14 - Analytic Atheism & Analytic Apostasy Across Cultures

   Host Nick Byrd discusses a study with Steve Stich and Justin Sytsma about analytic atheism and apostasy across cultures, revealing that those who shed religion are more reflective than lifelong atheists in this interview episode.

5. 

   5 Mar 2025

   Ep. 13 - Reflection-Philosophy Order Effects and Correlations Across Samples

   Nicholas Byrd discusses his experiment exploring the relationship between reflective thinking and acceptance of philosophical orthodoxy, investigating potential order effects and correlations across different samples.

6. 

   25 Apr 2023

   Ep. 12 - Tell Us What You Really Think (with B. Joseph, G. Gongora, and M. Sirota)

   Nicholas Byrd discusses a paper with co-authors Brianna Joseph, Gabriela Gongora, and Miroslav Sirota that analyzes the Verbal Cognitive Reflection Test and its methods for testing reflective thinking in this interview episode.

7. 

   1 Jun 2022

   Ep. 11 - Testing Implicit Bias (with Morgan Thompson)

   Host Nick Byrd and Morgan Thompson discuss their WIRES Cognitive Science paper, reconstructing arguments and revealing value judgments within debates surrounding implicit bias measures in this interview episode.

8. 

   4 May 2022

   Ep. 10 - Great Minds Do Not Think Alike

   Nicholas Byrd reads his paper, "Great Minds Do Not Think Alike," exploring how psychological factors predict philosophers' diverse answers to classic questions, impacting both scientific psychologists and academic philosophers.

9. 

   6 Apr 2022

   Ep. 9 - Bounded Reflectivism & Epistemic Identity

   NICK BYRD reads his article on bounded reflectivism and epistemic identity, exploring how reflective reasoning impacts judgment and defends beliefs essential to one's identity.

10. 

    23 Mar 2022

    Ep. 8 - Reflective Reasoning & Philosophy

    Nicholas Byrd reads his 2021 article, "Reflective Reasoning and Philosophy," exploring how philosophical thinking relies on intuitive versus reflective reasoning and reviews claims and evidence.

11. 

    10 Aug 2021

    Ep. 7 - Do Unreflective Intentions Undermine Free Will?

    NICK BYRD analyzes his 2021 paper, exploring how unconscious intentions and predictability impact the concept of free will, revealing a shift away from magical thinking.

12. 

    18 Jul 2021

    Ep. 6 - Your Health vs. My Liberty (Pandemic Psychology Research)

    Nicholas Byrd and Michał Białek explore how philosophical beliefs, like valuing liberty over equality, significantly influenced compliance with public health recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of messaging about identifiable victims.

13. 

    10 Aug 2020

    Ep. 5 - Reflective Reasoning For Real People (Dissertation Defense Overview)

    Host Nick Byrd reviews his dissertation, "Reflective Reasoning For Real People," discussing cognitive science terms, empirical measurement of reflection, and its impact on reasoning and biases.

14. 

    4 May 2020

    Ep. 4 - Online Conferences: Some History, Methods, and Benefits

    NICK BYRD reviews the history and advantages of online academic conferencing since the 1970s, urging scholars to create a more sustainable and inclusive academy by replicating online conferences.

15. 

    12 Jan 2020

    Ep. 3 - Causal Network Accounts of Ill-being

    Nicholas Byrd reads his chapter on causal network accounts of ill-being, exploring how well-being and ill-being are understood through causal networks studied by various scientists.

16. 

    2 Sept 2019

    Ep. 2 - Not All Who Ponder Count Costs (with Paul Conway)

    Nicholas Byrd interviews Paul Conway about their paper on moral dilemmas, revealing that consequentialist responses are influenced by mathematical information rather than reflection, offering new insights into dual-process theories.

17. 

    19 Aug 2019

    Ep. 1 - What We Can Infer About Implicit Bias

    Nicholas Byrd reads his paper, exploring the nuances of implicit bias and arguing that it is associative rather than entirely unconscious, offering a deeper understanding of cognitive processes.

18. 

    29 Jul 2019

    Episode 0 - Welcome to Upon Reflection with Nick Byrd

    Host Nick Byrd introduces "Upon Reflection," a podcast exploring the intersection of cognitive science and philosophy, focusing on topics like intuition, reflection, and implicit bias.

Who has been a guest on Upon Reflection

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Steve Stich
• Justin Sytsma
• Brianna Joseph
• Gabriela Gongora
• Miroslav Sirota

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

66,469

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 58 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

72

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

32

Contact Upon Reflection

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Upon Reflection