Azrieli Fellows and alumni from across the STEM fields gathered on April 22, 2025, at the Council for a Beautiful Israel in Tel Aviv. The keynote lecture, titled “Is the Human Brain Going to Lose Its Status as the Primary Producer of Conscious Experience?”, was delivered by Professor Liad Mudrik, a faculty member at the School of Psychological Sciences and the Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University, whose research centers on the neural mechanisms and theoretical foundations of conscious experience.
In her thought-provoking talk, Professor Mudrik presented an overview of leading theories of consciousness, highlighting both experimental approaches and philosophical perspectives. She discussed the ongoing challenges of defining consciousness and assessing its presence, including in non-human or artificial systems. Her presentation underscored the significant scientific and theoretical disagreements shaping this controversial field.
This year’s seminar was one of two interdisciplinary gatherings hosted by the Program, underscoring its commitment to fostering cross-disciplinary exchange within the Azrieli community. In addition to the STEM seminar, a parallel event was held in January for Fellows in the Humanities, Education, Architecture, and Social Sciences, featuring a keynote by renowned archaeologist Professor Israel Finkelstein. These events bring together current and past Fellows from different tracks and career stages, sparking meaningful dialogue among researchers with shared intellectual interests.
