What is the mind? And what is consciousness? Is the mind/consciousness the brain? Is the brain a computer? If so, can computers be said to think? Is your mind restricted to the brain, or do external artefacts- like phones- literally form a part of your mind? Do beliefs and desires exist? Can they be scientifically studied? Will future scientific discoveries rule out all of these questions non-sensical (because minds have as much a claim to reality as witches and goblins)?

These are the sorts of questions we consider— and perhaps answer— when doing philosophy of mind and cognitive science at Trinity College Dublin.