If you loved
Being There
Andy Clark · Book · 1998
You appreciate how Being There blurs the boundaries between biological consciousness, physical environment, and the tools we create.
Start with the source
Adaptation
Being There
Hal Ashby · Film · 1979
Films on the same thread
Ex Machina
Alex Garland · Film · 2015
Much like the robotics focus in Being There, this film forces you to confront the ethical implications of artificial consciousness and where the machine ends and the mind begins.
Solaris
Andrei Tarkovsky · Film · 1972
This film mirrors the circular causation explored in Being There by depicting a planet that functions as a vast, thinking entity, fundamentally challenging your perception of reality and consciousness.
I Origins
Mike Cahill · Film · 2014
If the inquiry into the nature of the mind in Being There intrigued you, this film provides a similarly rigorous bridge between biological evidence and the weight of existence.
Chappie
Neill Blomkamp · Film · 2015
Drawing directly from the robotics themes in Being There, this story examines how an artificial entity develops through environmental interaction, testing the limits of free will and machine sentience.
Series on the same thread
Perception
Kenneth Biller · Series · 2012
The focus on a neuroscientist protagonist in this series echoes the academic exploration of cognitive processes found in Being There, grounding complex mental functions within a practical, investigative framework.
POSE
Brad Falchuk · Series · 2018
This series reflects the embodied cognition discussed in Being There by showcasing how social structures and physical performance shape the identity and lived reality of its diverse characters.
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage
Carl Sagan · Series · 1980
This documentary shares the intellectual curiosity of Being There, expanding your understanding of the universe by connecting human history to the broader scientific laws that govern our existence.
Humans
Jonathan Brackley · Series · 2015
This show explores the human-robot relations central to Being There, depicting a world where the lines between organic life and highly-developed synthetic technology are permanently and ethically blurred.
Podcasts on the same thread
Making Sense with Sam Harris
Sam Harris · Podcast · 2026
Sam Harris tackles the same foundational questions regarding the mind and moral philosophy that Andy Clark investigates in Being There, providing a modern, rationalist extension of those complex ideas.
Lex Fridman Podcast
Lex Fridman · Podcast · 2026
These deep-dive conversations mirror the breadth of Being There by bridging neuroscience, robotics, and philosophy, offering the same level of intellectual rigor you demand from your scientific discourse.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Being There by Andy Clark a novel or a scientific text?
Being There, published by Andy Clark in 1998, is a non-fiction work that explores the embodied mind. It examines how the brain, body, and world interact through circular causation and extended computational activity rather than serving as a fictional narrative.
Is the 1979 movie Being There related to the 1998 book Being There?
No, the 1979 film Being There and the 1998 book Being There by Andy Clark are distinct works. The book is a scientific exploration of the embodied mind and robotics, while the movie is a separate creative production sharing only the same title.
Does Being There by Andy Clark discuss robotics?
Yes, Being There by Andy Clark integrates ideas and techniques from the field of robotics. The author utilizes these concepts to address foundational questions regarding the tools and techniques required to understand the emerging sciences of the embodied mind and circular causation.
What topics are covered in Being There by Andy Clark?
Being There by Andy Clark covers the complex relationship between the brain, body, and world. It explores the concept of circular causation and extended computational activity, providing a framework for understanding the new sciences that analyze the embodied mind through robotic and computational techniques.