Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman Ep146 "Who Counts as Human in Your Mind?" with Lasana Harris
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Mar 23, 2026 Lasana Harris, social neuroscientist at UCL who studies mind perception and dehumanization, joins the conversation. He explains when our brains fail to see others as having minds and how that silence of social circuitry can enable harm. They explore why we sometimes treat people like objects, why we anthropomorphize AI and robots, and whether growing up with AI might change future moral intuitions.
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Social Brain Network Shuts Down For Stigmatized Groups
- A specific cortical social network supports mind perception and is typically active when viewing people.
- Lasana Harris found this network fails to engage when participants view stereotypically dehumanized groups like homeless people.
Dehumanization As Functional Shortcut
- Dehumanization can be an adaptive shortcut for triage or emotion regulation, letting you ignore abundant suffering to function.
- Harris cites bystander studies and medical training as examples where dampening empathy preserves task performance.
Dehumanization Protects Moral Self Image
- Dehumanization also protects moral self-image by reducing guilt after harmful acts.
- Harris notes narratives (e.g., portraying groups as superhuman) justify suffering by claiming they endure pain differently.