Food For Thought (with Melvin Poh)

Around the world, we all enjoy easy access to the internet that has led us to see its universality; but despite appearances, is the internet actually free? On a deeper look, there is an overarching transaction that is going on and that is the exchange of our data for accessing the internet. This currency has incredible ramifications for privacy in our society and the current trend seems to suggest a death to privacy. What does the death of privacy mean for us? What are its implications? Tonight, I

Most of us would consider an evening well spent to be one spent with our phones as we engage in satisfying digital entertainment from Netflix to Social Media to YouTube to Games. Why are we so transfixed on our phones? Philosophers such as Robert Nozick would provide unique answers to this perplexing question.

In tonight's drink chat, I ponder on what philosophical significance and meaning we can take away from the Coronavirus Pandemic. In my attempt, I am reminded of great French-Algerian philosopher Albert Camus' great work of fiction "The Plague" (originally "La Peste"), though fictional and published in 1947, the plot bears a striking resemblance to the current development of the pandemic. Does Albert Camus have clairvoyance or has he figured out human nature? "The Plague" is incredibly relevant to

The black swan has become one of the most important theories of recent times. Originally coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his 2007 book "The Black Swan". Taleb describes unpredictable events that can significantly transform any established order. In this podcast, I take a deep dive and offer my own explanation and thoughts on the significance of the black swan theory as well as any solutions that we can devise to allow us to conquer black swans.

When you look at a clump of random coloured clay being valued at USD $20 million and a piece of white canvas being sold at USD $15 million, you begin ask yourself what makes something art? And what makes art so valuable? Tonight, I bring you on a philosophical journey to understand the truth behind art, as I look at the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, Roland Barthes, Jacques Derrida and George Dickie.

As humans, we deeply want to be happy. All of us are united on our pursuit of happiness but what if, our chase of happiness is actually the source of our unhappiness? In tonight's late chat, I share with you the "happiness trap" that we may all be snared by, according to the theories of Dr. Russ Harris, the author of The Happiness Trap. I share with you my own interpretation and thoughts on the relevance of this theory towards our journey of happiness today.

In tonight's late chat, I talk about how chaos secretly rules our world and beyond the pristine image of order we believe defines our live, there is much more going on behind the scene. Specifically, I look into the "butterfly effect" conceived by Edward Lorenz in his paper 'Deterministic Nonperiodic Flow'. I explain his theories and explores their application to the world of today..