The Stranger Inside of You

From Big Questions with Cal Fussman by Curiosity Media

April 21, 2026 · 30 min · Season 4 · Episode 173

About this episode

Cal Fussman explores the intricacies of the human brain and consciousness in a conversation with Claude, an AI from Anthropic.

Cal was 12 years old, bored out of his mind in junior high science class, waiting for the bell to ring. He had no idea his wandering brain was doing exactly what it was built to do – tell stories. We all carry the most extraordinary thing in the known universe around with us every day — and never really stop to look into it. This episode of Big Questions does just that. Cal sits with Claude — Anthropic's AI — for a chat about consciousness, memory, gut intelligence, and what the brain is actually up to when we think it's doing nothing. Along the way, Cal finds out how a boy from Michigan who also wasn't paying attention in class changed the digital world. And how a scientist on the cutting edge is asking the most important performance question of our time. But mostly, this episode is an invitation. To slow down and get acquainted with the blob between your ears that has been with you every moment of your life. You might be surprised by what you find. . .

People in this episode

Host: Cal Fussman

Guest: Claude

Topics covered

consciousness
memory
gut intelligence
storytelling
brain function

Keywords

consciousness
memory
AI
storytelling
brain

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Anthropic

Places: Michigan