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PODCAST

Closer To Truth

Closer To Truth

Closer To Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions in Cosmos, Life, Consciousness, and Meaning. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Seek your own answers.

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All Episodes

01:03:31

Or Graur on the Big Bang and the Physics of Galaxies

Closer To Truth ·

2024/08/07

Help us continue exploring the greatest questions of the universe with a tax-deductible donation to Closer To Truth: https://shorturl.at/OnyRqAstrophysicist Or Graur offers a brief and fascinating overview of the history, physics, and astrophysical uses of galaxies. Starting with the history of the last two thousand years of galaxy studies, Graur discusses the types of galaxies we observe and the physics that drive them; the myths and physical structure of the Milky Way; how galaxies were used to

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26:33

Can We Survive Death?

Closer To Truth ·

2024/07/31

Register for a free CTT membership today to get exclusive benefits.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.

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27:17

Does Philosophy Help Science?

Closer To Truth ·

2024/07/24

What constitutes good science? Are there limits to science? If so, what are the boundaries? How deep can science dig into the foundations of the world?Featuring interviews with Steven Weinberg, Paul Davies, Colin Blakemore, and Scott Aaronson. Keep Closer To Truth's content free from paywalls! Make a tax-deductible donation of any amount today.

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27:02

Is Human Consciousness Special?

Closer To Truth ·

2024/07/17

Help us continue exploring the greatest questions of the universe with a tax-deductible donation to Closer To Truth.Scientists say my consciousness is just my brain. Theologians believe my consciousness reflects the God who created it. Mystics hold my consciousness is a drop in the ocean of cosmic consciousness. Who's right? Featuring interviews with Marvin Minsky, Marilyn Schlitz, J. van Huyssteen, Colin McGinn, and Roger Walsh. Closer to Truth presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring

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01:18:25

Ned Block on Perception, Cognition, and Consciousness

Closer To Truth ·

2024/07/10

Distinguished Philosopher Ned Block discusses perception, cognition, and consciousness as well as his latest book, The Border Between Seeing and Thinking, a model for bringing philosophy and the mind sciences into dialogue.Ned Block is an American philosopher working in philosophy of mind who has made important contributions to the understanding of consciousness and the philosophy of cognitive science. He has been professor of philosophy and psychology at New York University since 1996. Get

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47:47

Are Plants Sentient?

Closer To Truth ·

2024/07/03

Help Closer To Truth keep our content free from paywalls with a tax-deductible donation.To inquire whether plants are “sentient” sounds like pseudoscience but has become real science. What does a plant know? Plants can react to their environments, but can plants sense or feel? Can they remember long-term? Can they adapt and learn? Are plants intelligent? And are they in any sense aware? Daniel Chamovitz is an American-born plant geneticist and the 7th President of Ben-Gurion University of the

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27:16

Are Suffering and Ritual Vital?

Closer To Truth ·

2024/06/26

How do Buddhism, Chinese traditions, and Hinduism address the perennial problems of suffering, ethics, ritual and contemplative practices? Why is suffering so important in Buddhism? Why karma in Hinduism? Why systems of nature in Chinese traditions?Featuring interviews with Helen De Cruz Jay Garfield, Swami Sarvapriyananda, Swami Medhananda, Franklin Perkins, and Yang Xioa. Explore all CTT videos on Eastern Traditions.

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27:01

Why is There Anything at All?

Closer To Truth ·

2024/06/19

Why are we here? Why is there a world, a cosmos, something-instead of absolutely nothing at all? Of all the big questions, this is the biggest. Why? What can we learn from "nothing"? Featuring interviews with John Leslie, Bede Rundle, Max Tegmark, Simon Blackburn, Quentin Smith, Victor Stenger, Peter van Inwagen, John Polkinghorne, Richard Swinburne, and Paul Davies. Are you a Closer To Truth member? Register for free today to get event discounts, early access to episodes, and more.

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42:24

Brian Swimme on Consciousness, Cultural Evolution,...

Closer To Truth ·

2024/06/12

Professor Brian Swimme discusses cosmogenesis, our cultural evolution, human consciousness, the Noosphere, and more.Brian Thomas Swimme is a professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco where he teaches evolutionary cosmology to graduate students in the philosophy, cosmology, and consciousness program. His upcoming book, The Story of the Noosphere, will be published in October. Register for members-only perks like early access to episodes with a free Closer To

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27:16

What is Evolutionary Developmental Biology?

Closer To Truth ·

2024/06/05

Two big ideas in biology: the evolution of species via mutation, fitness and natural selection; and the embryological development of individuals, from fertilized egg to whole organisms. How do these two big ideas—“evo-devo,” as it’s called—relate? What novel ideas emerge?Featuring interviews with Alex Rosenberg, Alan Love, Rachell Powell, and Terrence Deacon. You can watch all episodes in Season 23 on our website.

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26:33

Eastern Traditions: What is the Human Person?

Closer To Truth ·

2024/05/29

How do Buddhism, Chinese traditions and Hinduism address the essenceof human sentience? What is consciousness? What is the self? What is qi? Do humans have souls or spirits? Are humans dualistic beings? Or pure souls/spirits? Featuring interviews with Swami Sarvapriyananda, Swami Medhananda, Jay Garfield, and Franklin Perkins. Get early access to watch Season 24 by registering for a free membership on our website.

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58:06

Sean Carroll on Physics, the Multiverse, and Quantum...

Closer To Truth ·

2024/05/24

Why is matter solid? Why is there antimatter? Where do the sizes of atoms come from? Theoretical physicist and philosopher Sean Carroll cuts to the bare mathematical essence of our most profound theories, explaining every step in his new book, Quanta and Fields: The Biggest Ideas in the Universe. In this interview, Carroll uses the basics of quantum mechanics itself to explain measurement and entanglement before exploring how the world is really made of fields.Carroll's book, Quanta and Fields,

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27:45

What are Scientific Breakthroughs in Biology?

Closer To Truth ·

2024/05/15

What is the world fundamentally, deeply made of? What is life? We are always searching for Scientific Breakthroughs: those leaps in knowledge and jumps in understanding that change how we see the world. Now, we focus on Biology. What are Scientific Breakthroughs in Biology? Featuring interviews with Geoffrey West, Stuart Kauffman, V.S. Ramachandran, Antonio Damasio, and Michio Kaku. Watch all of Season 21 on the Closer To Truth website.

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26:32

Why are Black Holes so Astonishing?

Closer To Truth ·

2024/05/08

In honor of NASA's Black Hole Week (May 6-10, 2024), we're re-running our episode from Season 2 of Closer To Truth. They warp space and time, squeeze matter to a vanishing point, and trap light so that it cannot escape. How can black holes perform such stupendous tricks, and what can we learn from them? Featuring interviews with Robert Laughlin, Peter Atkins, Francisco Ayala, and Philip Clayton.

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01:11:47

Anna Abraham on the Neuroscience of the Creative Brain

Closer To Truth ·

2024/05/01

Professor Anna Abraham discusses her book, The Creative Brain: Myths and Truths, and provides a science-based understanding of the creative mind that dispels the pervasive myths we hold about the human brain—but also uncovers the truth at their cores. Drawing on cognitive psychology and neuroscience, Abraham offers an examination of human creativity that reveals the true complexity underlying our conventional beliefs about the brain.Abraham's book, The Creative Brain, is available for purchase

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57:30

Robert Wright on Evolution and the Future of Humanity

Closer To Truth ·

2024/04/24

Creative thinker and media visionary Robert Wright discusses a fascinating variety of topics including social media's effect on society, sexual psychology and monogamy, the concept of non-zero, biological and cultural evolution, and more. Robert Wright is an author and journalist known for his wide-ranging interests in philosophy, society, science (especially evolutionary psychology), history, politics, international relations, and religion. He has published five books and is the co-founder and

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27:18

Eastern Traditions: What is World? What is Reality?

Closer To Truth ·

2024/04/17

How do Buddhism, Chinese traditions, Hinduism and Shintoism addresscausality, consciousness, energies, God, ultimate reality? What is non- dualism? How is the world interconnected? How are metaphysics and morality related? Featuring interviews with Venerable Dr. Yifa, Jay Garfield, Yujin Nagasawa, Swami Sarvapriyananda, Swami Medhananda, Franklin Perkins, and Helen De Cruz. Get subscriber-only benefits like early access to episodes by registering for a free membership at closertotruth.com.

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01:11:38

Nick Bostrom on Superintelligence and the Future of AI

Closer To Truth ·

2024/04/10

Philosopher Nick Bostrom discusses his new book, Deep Utopia: Life and Meaning in a Solved World, where he asks: In the face of incredible technological advances, what is the point of human existence? Will AI make our life and labor obsolete? In a "solved world," where would we find meaning and purpose?Bostrom's book, Deep Utopia, is available for purchase now. Nick Bostrom is a Professor at Oxford University, where he is the founding director of the Future of Humanity Institute. He is the

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01:12:26

Paul Thagard on AI, Animal Consciousness, and Human...

Closer To Truth ·

2024/04/03

How do animals and smart machines measure up to human intelligence? Can fish feel pain and do dogs get jealous? Paul Thagard—a philosopher and cognitive scientist—explores hotly debated issues about animal and artificial intelligence to conclude that current bots and beasts fall far short of human capabilities.Thagard's book, Bots and Beasts: What Makes Machines, Animals, and People Smart?, is available for purchase now. Paul Thagard is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the

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57:45

Helen De Cruz on What Makes Life Worth Living

Closer To Truth ·

2024/03/27

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,

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