Closer To Truth
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Philosopher Helen De Cruz discusses her new book, Wonderstruck: How Wonder and Awe Shape the Way We Think. De Cruz explores the transformative role of wonder and awe in an uncertain world and reveals how they are catalysts that can help us reclaim what makes life worth living and preserve the things we find wonderful and valuable in our lives. Helen De Cruz is a Belgian philosopher and Danforth Chair in the Humanities at Saint Louis University who specializes in philosophy of religion, experimental philosophy, and philosophy of cognitive science. Watch more Closer To Truth Chats here https://t.ly/jJI7e.
Get 20% off tickets https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/hay?utm_source=MP%2BCloser%2BTo%2BTruth&utm_medium=Website%2BBanner&utm_campaign=HTLGI%2BHay%2B2024&utm_id=Media%2BPartner to this year's HowtheLightGetsIn Hay Festival with code CTT24 at checkout. Philosophy of biology has two sides: the process of science and the content of biology. We address key questions. What is the nature of life? How does evolution work and what are its challenges? How to consider race, sex/gender, cognition, culture, morality, healthcare, religion, alien life, and alien intelligences. Featuring interviews with Michael Ruse, Elliot Sober, Elisabeth Lloyd, Peter Godfrey-Smith, John Dupré, Paul Griffiths, Richard Dawkins, Josh Swamidass, Quayshawn Nigel Julian Spencer, Denis Noble, Alexander Rosenberg, Samir Okasha, Massimo Pigliucci, Alan Love, and Philip Kitcher.
Theoretical physicist and astronomer Marcelo Glesier offers compelling argument for including the human perspective within science, and for how human experience makes science possible. He discusses his new book, The Blind Spot: Why Science Cannot Ignore Human Experience, which urges us to create a new scientific culture that views ourselves both as an expression of nature and as a source of nature's self-understanding, so that humanity can flourish in the new millennium. The Blind Spot is available for purchase now: https://shorturl.at/ghu34 https://shorturl.at/ghu34 Marcelo Gleiser is the Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy at Dartmouth, the 2019 Templeton Prize laureate, and author of seven widely translated books. Get free subscriber-only exclusives with a Closer To Truth membership: https://closertotruth.com/register/
Does consciousness require a radical explanation? What causes consciousness? Our inner sense of awareness is at once most mundane and most bizarre. No explanation makes sense. Here are three novel candidates for explaining consciousness. Featuring interviews with Giulio Tononi, David Chalmers, Sean Carroll, Max Tegmark, David Wallace, Bernard Carr, and Paul Davies. For early access to episodes in our new season, login or register for free today: https://closertotruth.com/playlist/season-23/
The astonishing effectiveness of mathematics in the natural sciences, especially in physics, borders on the mysterious—and there seems no rational explanation. Our bafflement stimulates novel thinking. How to assess the meaning of math’s “unreasonable effectiveness"? Featuring interviews with Michio Kaku, David Wallace, Michael Hopkins, Stuart Kauffman, Jim Holt, and Paul Davies. Register for free on our website to receive subscriber-only exclusives: https://closertotruth.com/register/ https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmExUGtJNFRVLVFlNzNpWDBkcW9YLWhhaFBnQXxBQ3Jtc0tud18tTTVJSmIxNFFkQ3JTTTNQcHB2TDRBWXVXVGFJdkNCRWVPdXljbUVjS1NfLU90OVYyLXZWcXE1TDhYX2VQaWRublpGYjNrTmZWZHFsdDU3M0tYd1hubDRCdGRSdmkzZ216RFlKMHZ6S3dhdUhMYw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fclosertotruth.com%2Fregister%2F&v=b9FzDH-XGyE
Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli discusses his book, White Holes https://bookshop.org/a/86576/9780593545447, which traces the ongoing adventure of his own cutting-edge research and outlines some of the most astounding ideas in astrophysics and cosmology. Rovelli investigates whether all black holes could eventually turn into white holes, equally compact objects in which the arrow of time is reversed. Carlo Rovelli is a physicist and writer. He is currently a Distinguished Visiting Research Chair at the Perimeter Institute and core member of the Rotman Institute of Philosophy of Western University. For subscriber-only benefits, register for a free membership at closertotruth.com http://www.closertotruth.com.
Innovative theologian and neuroscientist Ilia Delio discusses Teilhard de Chardin, technology and AI, the pursuit of extraterrestrial life, and the roles of evolution, quantum physics, and neuroscience in theology. Dr. Ilia Delio is a Franciscan Sister and a theologian from the Catholic tradition specializing in science and religion. She holds the Josephine Connelly Endowed Chair in Theology at Villanova University and is the founder of the Center for Christogenesis. She has earned two PhDs in neuropharmacology and historical theology, and is the author of twenty books including The Hours of the Universe and The Primacy of Love. For subscriber-only benefits like discounts and bonus content, register for a free membership at closertotruth.com https://closertotruth.com/register/.
If life is a vast space of possibilities, then mathematics can engage with biology. Statistics analyze biological data, and mathematical models improve biological theories and reveal hidden commonalties. But could the mathematics of biology touch fundamental realities? Featuring interviews with Leon Glass, Martin Nowak, Geoffrey West, Paul Davies, and Robbert Dijkgraaf. For free subscriber-only exclusives, register today at closertotruth.com http://www.closertotruth.com.
Roger Penrose—mathematician, physicist, philosopher—was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics. We speak with Roger about our favorite, fundamental questions. What things exist? What is math and why does it work? What’s fundamental in the cosmos? All episodes of Season 22 are available now on our website: https://bit.ly/3QwMzIA https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWFHYVdMVG9MSmhmVEloWFdtQVhwS1dtU2dlQXxBQ3Jtc0ttYmc2b0c0Q2F0R0lOMURPOTl6WVdWT3RMMktvMFVnTUZWbkJrWTg2UGhhSV9PX1h3R2RBY2tXcVYzS1cyVVduUHU4S3dwRTFudlowVDFURDJ3UkhxQXc4U1Y4NTYzaTdkU3pqYzRkcmFDOVNNMWNMQQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F3QwMzIA&v=Bl7xvKY_kmI For subscriber-only exclusives, register for free today: https://closertotruth.com/register/ https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqazNGM0NzM05xYUlhWUFOLXc0WEZXelNTNlVOQXxBQ3Jtc0ttUGQ1TXJyMmtUV20zcUVMSTVGOE41bFc4bG9IeGhybThmcDRmSWxqeWZLSFNxdUUxbTdYeEIxOE1Jb0VhbXNtaUg3RjRHMUpBS0s0ODdXbjVScWhnYk85bGVIa0puOXVfZWtZZzhXZjlhaERmX1M4SQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fclosertotruth.com%2Fregister%2F&v=Bl7xvKY_kmI
Mathematics describes the real world of atoms and acorns, stars and stairs, with remarkable precision. So is mathematics invented by humans-like chisels and hammers and pieces of music? Or is mathematics discovered-always out there, somewhere, like mysterious islands waiting to be found? Featuring interviews with Roger Penrose, Mark Balaguer, Gregory Chaitin, Stephen Wolfram, and Frank Wilczek. Register for free https://closertotruth.com/register/ to get subscriber-only exclusives like early access to episodes and more.
Consider three powers of probability: refining data, assessing theories, probing ultimate reality. Watch how these work in cosmology: confidence in precise measurements; assessing competing models; revealing how quantum fluctuations became galactic structures. Featuring interviews with Ivan Corwin, Licia Verde, Sabine Hossenfelder, David Wallace, and Aaron Clauset. For access to subscriber-only exclusives, register for a free membership at closertotruth.com https://closertotruth.com/register/.
Robert Lawrence Kuhn speaks with Martin Rees—Astronomer Royal and co-founder of Centre for the Study of Existential Risk—about the James Webb Space Telescope, black holes, existential risk, and more. Martin Rees is an astrophysicist and cosmologist, and the UK's Astronomer Royal. He is based at the University of Cambridge where he has been Professor of Astronomy and Director of the Institute of Astronomy. Martin is a Fellow, and was the former Master, of Trinity College, Cambridge. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for free today: https://t.ly/Bk9Vd
What does brain damage do to people? By observing strange behaviors in brain-impaired patients, scientists discern how normal brains work. For example, what happens to “the self”? Featuring interviews with Barry Smith, Donald Hoffman, Susan Greenfield, and Christopher Evans. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for a free membership today: https://rb.gy/5japji
Why the astonishing claim that Jesus is God? Not like God. Not representing God. But literally God? One need not be a Christian, or even a theist, to appreciate the arguments. Featuring interviews with Sarah Coakley, N.T. Wright, Oliver Crisp, Eleonore Stump, C. Stephen Evans, and Ian McFarland. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for a free membership at closertotruth.com https://closertotruth.com/register/.
Freeman Dyson, visionary extraordinaire, was one of the most inventive thinkers of our age: discovering new mathematics, challenging fundamental physics, colonizing space, searching for signatures of alien civilizations, imagining the far future of intelligence. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for a free membership today: www.closertotruth.com http://www.closertotruth.com.
There is more to our mental lives than the current content of our awareness. Our subconscious affects what we sense, think, feel and do. How does the subconscious work its magic? For subscriber-only exclusives, register for free at www.closertotruth.com /?%20We%20seek%20cosmic%20origins.%20How%20things%20start%20helps%20reveal%20what%20things%20are.%20How%20to%20conceive%20the%20beginning%20of%20the%20universe?%20What%20are%20latest%20theories?%20Are%20they%20all%20speculation?%20What%E2%80%99s%20the%20recent%20evidence?%20Featuring%20interviews%20with%20Alan%20H.%20Guth,%20Andreas%20Albrecht,%20James%20Hartle,%20Laura%20Mersini-Houghton,%20and%20Don%20Page..
Call mathematics the purest form of knowledge, universal messaging anyone, anywhere, can understand. For math to advance, there must be breakthroughs, which may seem like magic. What are mathematical breakthroughs? How do they happen? How do they work? Featuring interviews with Karen Uhlenbeck, Edward Witten, Michael Hopkins, Ivan Corwin, Gregory Chaitin, and Paul Davies. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for free at closertotruth.com http://www.closertotruth.com.
Neuroanthropologist and co-chair of the N2 Conference Terrence Deacon discusses the noosphere, biological evolution, and the upcoming N2 conference hosted by scientific multimedia non-profit organization Human Energy to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of the Noosphere. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for free at closertotruth.com https://closertotruth.com/.
Why are we here? What's the point of existence? Philosopher and consciousness researcher Philip Goff tackles these questions and more in this discussion of his new book, Why? The Purpose of the Universe https://bookshop.org/a/86576/9780198883760. Goff argues that it's time to move on from both God and atheism and instead look to cosmic purpose to understand the universe. Philip Goff is a philosophy professor at Durham University, UK whose research focuses on philosophy of mind and consciousness. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for free at closertotruth.com http://www.closertotruth.com today.
Does mathematics have two transcendent attributes: truth and beauty? What makes math true? What makes math beautiful? Are there different kinds of mathematical existence? How can math combine idealized perfection and explanatory simplicity? Featuring interviews with Robbert Dijkgraaf, Edward Witten, Max Tegmark, Sabine Hossenfelder, and Jim Holt. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for free at closertotruth.com https://closertotruth.com/.
Do I disappear at death? My body? Sure, it's gone. But my awareness? Does my consciousness end forever? What could be more frightening! Is there any hope here? Featuring interviews with Charles Tart, Richard Swinburne, Robert Park, James Tabor, and Keith Ward. Register for a free membership today at closertotruth.com https://closertotruth.com/.
Creativity generates art. How to discern the creative process in order to inform the nature of art? Conversely, how to discern art in order to inform the nature of the creative process? Featuring interviews with Aaron Rosen, Antonius Roberts, Alfonse Borysewicz, Murray Watts, and Carl Plantinga. Register for a free-membership at closertotruth.com http://closertotruth.com to receive subscriber-only exclusives today.
Everything I know -- everything! -- comes from my brain. Consciousness, our private sense of inner awareness, is the one big question to which we might find answers. Featuring interviews with Arnold Scheibel, John Mazziotta, Christof Koch, Joseph LeDoux, and Stephen Chorover. Register today for free for subscriber-only exclusives: www.closertotruth.com http://www.closertotruth.com.
Philosopher and cognitive scientist Daniel Dennett discusses his new memoir, I've Been Thinking https://bit.ly/3rsDfM1, about the dominant themes of twentieth-century philosophy and cognitive science—including language, evolution, logic, religion, free will, consciousness, and AI. Dennett's book, I've Been Thinking https://bit.ly/3rsDfM1, is available for purchase now. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for free at closertotruth.com http://www.closertotruth.com today.
Cosmologist and physics professor Will Kinney discusses his latest book, An Infinity of Worlds: Cosmic Inflation and the Beginning of the Universe https://bookshop.org/a/86576/9780262547222. Kinney considers what happened before the primordial fire of the Big Bang. What is the origin of structure in the cosmos? Can we come to terms with the possibility that our entire observable universe is one of infinitely many, forever hidden from our view? Will Kinney is a professor in the department of physics at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York. His areas of expertise are cosmology, dark matter, astronomy, black holes, and gravitational waves. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for free at closertotruth.com http://www.closertotruth.com.
Einstein showed that space and time are essentially the same thing-a single entity, space-time. But space and time seem so radically different. How could space and time be literally the same thing? Featuring interviews with Max Tegmark, J. Gott, Juan Maldacena, Fotini Markopoulou, and John Leslie. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for a free membership at closertotruth.com http://www.closertotruth.com.
In honor of Rosh Hashanah, this week's podcast presents the arguments for, and against, the existence of God in Judaic history. From pogroms to the Holocaust, how to deal with the Problem of Evil — with respect to the existence of God and attributes of God? From a Jewish Orthodox perspective, do all religions worship the same God? Samuel Lebens is an academic philosopher and an ordained Orthodox rabbi, having studied at various Israeli Rabbinical schools. He is an associate Professor in the philosophy department at the University of Haifa and co-founder of the Association for the Philosophy of Judaism.
What exists? Lots of things exist. But what’s truly fundamental? The challenge is to discern the minimum number of basic categories that explains the entirety of existence. Featuring interviews with Sean Carroll, David Wallace, David Chalmers, and Don Page. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for free at closertotruth.com http://www.https//closertotruth.com/.
Throughout history, dreams have fascinated and mystified. Messages from God? Images of the subconscious? Much about dreams is myth. What's real? Featuring interviews with Robert Stickgold, Deirdre Barrett, Christopher Isham, and Patrick McNamara. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for free at closertotruth.com https://closertotruth.com/.
To appreciate Time is to touch the texture of reality. Does Time differ from our common perceptions of it? Is Time fixed or flexible? What is time, really? Featuring interviews with Huw Price, Julian Barbour, David Albert, Jeff Tollaksen, and John Polkinghorne. For subscriber-only exclusives, register for a free membership at www.closertotruth.com http://www.closertotruth.com.
