Alle afleveringen
300 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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Acharya Prashant (Part 2) on Brahman Does Not Exist. Soul Is a Superstition.
28 oktober 2026 · 2 uur 9 min
Acharya Prashant challenges conventional ideas of God, the soul, and life after death by examining the ego behind these questions. Robert Lawrence Kuhn presses him on whether dissolving the ego represents genuine liberation or the loss of something essential to personal existence. Lees meer
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Thomas Nagel on What Is It Like to Be a Bat?
21 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 53 min
Thomas Nagel explains why the subjective character of experience may reveal something fundamental that our current understanding of the physical world leaves out. Lees meer
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Roger Walsh on Consciousness, Wisdom, and Meditation
14 oktober 2026 · 41 min
Roger Walsh, Professor of Psychiatry and Philosophy at UC Irvine, and Robert Lawrence Kuhn, Host of "Closer To Truth", talk consciousness, the search for wisdom, the science of meditation, the mystery of the universe and reality, and the merging of Eastern and Western philosophy. Lees meer
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Robert Stickgold on Dreams, Their Purpose, and the Science Behind Them
7 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 7 min
Why do we dream—and do our dreams serve a purpose? Lees meer
Sleep and dream researcher Robert Stickgold joins Robert Lawrence Kuhn to explore the science of dreaming, from the history and content of dreams to what happens in the brain during sleep. They discuss memory processing, emotional regulation, REM sleep, weak associations, nightmares, lucid dreams, creativity, and whether dreams help us explore possibilities and prepare for the future.
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Acharya Prashant on Is Ego or Consciousness Fundamental? (Part 1)
30 september 2026 · 47 min
What is consciousness, and can we understand it without first asking who is conscious? Lees meer
In this extended conversation, Acharya Prashant and Robert Lawrence Kuhn bring Western philosophy of mind into dialogue with Vedantic traditions. They explore consciousness and the ego, physicalism and idealism, self-inquiry, karma and reincarnation, animal and artificial consciousness, free choice, and whether anything about human existence lies beyond the physical. Their approaches converge at some points and sharply diverge at others—especially over what, if anything, is fundamental.
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Alex O'Connor on God, Faith and Philosophy
16 september 2026 · 2 uur 35 min
What do we mean when we talk about God—and how far can philosophy take us in answering the deepest questions of religion? Lees meer
In this wide-ranging conversation, Alex O’Connor joins Robert Lawrence Kuhn to explore competing conceptions of God, the ground of being, religious experience and faith, the problem of evil, divine omniscience and free will, morality, the philosophical challenges of the Trinity, and the diversity of religious traditions.
Along the way, O’Connor reflects on how his own thinking about God has evolved, why he doubts philosophical arguments alone could make him a religious believer, and why questions about consciousness and the fundamental nature of reality remain especially significant to him.
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George Smoot on Dark Matter, Cosmology and Gravitational Lensing
9 september 2026 · 51 min
How can we measure the universe—and determine what it is made of? Lees meer
Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist George Smoot joins Robert Lawrence Kuhn to explore precision cosmology, from measurements of the cosmic microwave background to dark matter, dark energy, and the expansion of the universe. They discuss how gravitational lensing is becoming an increasingly powerful tool for probing the cosmos and investigating what dark matter might actually be.
Smoot also looks ahead to new observations and technologies that could help answer some of cosmology’s biggest remaining questions.
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David Brin on the Future of Humanity
2 september 2026 · 1 uur 6 min
What might humanity look like decades, millennia—or even millions of years—from now? Lees meer
Science-fiction author and futurist David Brin joins Robert Lawrence Kuhn to explore humanity’s possible futures. They discuss artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, nanotechnology, space exploration, alien civilizations and the Fermi paradox, as well as consciousness, the nature of truth, and whether there is any deeper meaning to human existence.
Brin considers both the existential risks humanity faces and the possibilities that could emerge if civilization survives and continues to develop.
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Michio Kaku on The God Equation
26 augustus 2026 · 1 uur 9 min
Could a single theory explain the fundamental workings of the universe? Lees meer
Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku joins Robert Lawrence Kuhn to discuss The God Equation and the quest for a Theory of Everything. They explore string theory, the multiverse, higher dimensions, time travel, the Big Bang, and what a final theory might reveal about reality and our place in the cosmos.
This conversation was originally recorded following the publication of Kaku’s The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything.
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Woodenfish Forum on Buddhism, Science & Future — Landscape of Consciousness — Robert Lawrence Kuhn
19 augustus 2026 · 1 uur 3 min
Can your theory of consciousness determine your answers to the biggest questions in philosophy, science, and religion — AI sentience, life after death, free will, personal identity? Lees meer
Robert Lawrence Kuhn presents his landmark taxonomy of consciousness theories — spanning materialism, quantum theories, information, panpsychism, dualism, idealism, and more — and argues that every serious question about mind and perhaps even about existence depends on which theory you hold. Recorded at the 7th Woodenfish Forum on Buddhism, Science & Future ("Rewriting Reincarnation in the Light of Frontier Biotechnology"), held at The Grand Hotel, Taipei, June 5–7, 2026, and introduced by the forum's founder, Venerable Dr. Yifa.
Robert Lawrence Kuhn is the creator, producer, writer, and host of _Closer To Truth,_ the long-running PBS series and global resource on cosmos, consciousness, and meaning. He holds a PhD in anatomy and brain research from UCLA and is the author of "A Landscape of Consciousness: Toward a Taxonomy of Explanations and Implications," editor-in-chief of the Landscape of Consciousness website, which currently catalogues nearly 450 theories of consciousness. The Landscape of Consciousness website: https://loc.closertotruth.com/
Venerable Dr. Yifa is the founder and director of the Woodenfish Foundation, an international, nonsectarian nonprofit dedicated to building a global network of ethical and compassionate leaders. A Yale-educated Buddhist nun and Associate at the Harvard University Asia Center, she has appeared on Closer To Truth exploring Buddhist philosophy. The Woodenfish Forum on Buddhism, Science & Future was founded by Venerable Dr. Yifa with the aspiration of engaging Buddhist thought through the lens of scientific inquiry. The 2026 forum brought together leading scientists, philosophers, and religious thinkers to explore reincarnation, consciousness, and the ethics of frontier biotechnology.
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How do Brains Work?
12 augustus 2026 · 27 min
Everything we know, everything we think, comes from our brain. Are brains our window to reality, seeing what truly exists? Or are we bound by brains, mental slaves of the meat in our heads? Featuring interviews with Christopher Evans, Kelsey Martin, Robert Bilder, Jared Diamond, and Rodney Brooks. Lees meer
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Celia Deane-Drummond on the Evolution of Wisdom and the Nature of Evil
5 augustus 2026 · 1 uur 10 min
Celia Deane-Drummond talks the evolution of wisdom, COVID-19 and the boundary between natural and moral evil, Christian theology, and redeeming sin. She also discusses her book, Shadow Sophia, the second volume in her Evolution of Wisdom series. Lees meer
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What Would Multiple Universes Mean?
29 juli 2026 · 27 min
Is there more than one universe? According to current cosmology, our entire gigantic universe is only one of innumerable universes, each universe like one tiny bubble in a limitless ocean of universes. What could all this mean? Featuring interviews with Max Tegmark, Anthony Aguirre, Alan Guth, Andrei Linde, and Paul Davies. Lees meer
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What is Nothing?
22 juli 2026 · 27 min
What is “nothing”? Lees meer
What does it mean for nothing to exist—or for nothing to have ever existed? In this episode, Robert Lawrence Kuhn explores one of philosophy’s deepest questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? Through conversations with philosophers and physicists, the discussion examines the nature of nothingness, whether absolute nothing is possible, and how different philosophical and scientific perspectives attempt to explain the existence of the universe.
Featuring Richard Swinburne, Simon Blackburn, Robert Spitzer, Peter van Inwagen, Steven Weinberg, John Leslie, Timothy O’Connor, Victor Stenger, John Hawthorne, and Peter Forrest.
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Saleem Ali on Natural Laws and Human Life
15 juli 2026 · 1 uur 21 min
How do natural laws shape human societies? Lees meer
In this conversation, Saleem Ali discusses Earthly Order: How Natural Laws Define Human Life, exploring connections between natural systems, social organization, economics, and political order. Ali examines how concepts such as order, chaos, emergence, hierarchy, and complexity operate across scales—from physics and ecology to governance and global sustainability.
Saleem H. Ali is the Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware. His research focuses on environmental conflicts, sustainability, natural resources, and ecological cooperation in international relations.
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Mario Livio on Galileo, Science Denial, and the Future of the Universe
8 juli 2026 · 1 uur 6 min
What can Galileo still teach us about science, truth, and discovery? Lees meer
In this conversation, Mario Livio discusses Galileo’s scientific legacy, the Hubble Space Telescope, science denial, exoplanets, cosmology, and the future of life in the universe. Drawing from his book Galileo: And the Science Deniers, Livio explores Galileo’s role in the development of the scientific method and examines how scientific understanding evolves through observation, experimentation, and self-correction.
Mario Livio is an astrophysicist and author who worked for 24 years at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which operates the Hubble Space Telescope.
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Gregg Caruso on Free Will: Philosophy and Moral Responsibility
1 juli 2026 · 1 uur 19 min
Do we really have free will? Lees meer
In this conversation, Gregg Caruso explores the philosophy of free will, moral responsibility, determinism, compatibilism, libertarian free will, and free will skepticism. Discussing themes from Just Deserts: Debating Free Will, co-authored with Daniel Dennett, Caruso examines whether human beings possess the kind of control required for moral responsibility and how neuroscience and philosophy shape the debate.
Gregg D. Caruso is Professor of Philosophy at SUNY Corning and Honorary Professor of Philosophy at Macquarie University.
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Wendy Freedman on the Hubble Constant, Standard Candles, and Cosmology
24 juni 2026 · 50 min
How do we measure the expansion of the universe? Lees meer
In this conversation, Wendy Freedman discusses the Hubble constant, standard candles, redshift, and the ongoing effort to determine the age, size, and evolution of the universe. Exploring Cepheid variables, supernovae, cosmic expansion, and the tension between competing cosmological measurements, Freedman explains how increasingly precise observations are reshaping modern cosmology.
Wendy Freedman is an astronomer known for her measurements of the Hubble constant and for her leadership of the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, California, and Las Campanas, Chile.
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Michael Ruse on Evolution, Human Exceptionalism, and Philosophy of Biology
17 juni 2026 · 1 uur 11 min
What does evolution imply about human nature and human value? Lees meer
In this conversation, Michael Ruse explores the philosophy of biology, the mechanistic view of life, human exceptionalism, and the relationship between evolution and meaning. Discussing themes from his book A Philosopher Looks at Human Beings, Ruse examines whether the world is best understood as an organism or a machine, how Darwin transformed our understanding of humanity, and whether values can exist within a mechanistic picture of nature.
Michael Ruse was a philosopher of science specializing in the philosophy of biology, evolution, science and religion, and the creation–evolution controversy. He taught at Florida State University.
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Thomas Hertog on the Origin of Time
10 juni 2026 · 1 uur 14 min
How did the universe begin—and what determines the laws of physics we observe? Lees meer
In this conversation, Thomas Hertog discusses On the Origin of Time: Stephen Hawking’s Final Theory, presenting a new approach to cosmology developed through years of collaboration with Stephen Hawking. Exploring quantum cosmology, the multiverse, fine-tuning, and the “no-boundary” proposal, Hertog argues for a profoundly evolutionary picture of the cosmos and our place within it.
Thomas Hertog is Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Leuven. His research focuses on the quantum nature of the big bang and the origins of the universe.
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David Chalmers on Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy
3 juni 2026 · 1 uur 15 min
Can virtual worlds be genuinely real? Lees meer
In this conversation, David Chalmers explores the philosophical implications of virtual reality, simulation theory, and digital existence. Discussing themes from his book Reality+, Chalmers examines whether we could be living in a simulation, whether virtual worlds can contain real meaning and value, and how emerging digital realities challenge our understanding of consciousness, knowledge, and existence.
Chalmers' book, Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy, is available for purchase: https://bookshop.org/books/reality-virtual-worlds-and-the-problems-of-philosophy/9780393635805
David Chalmers is Professor of Philosophy at New York University and Co-Director of the Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness. His work focuses on consciousness, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, epistemology, and the foundations of cognitive science.
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Anil Seth on a New Science of Consciousness
27 mei 2026 · 1 uur 2 min
In this conversation, Anil Seth discusses a new scientific approach to consciousness — moving beyond the traditional “hard problem” toward explaining the actual properties of conscious experience. Robert Lawrence Kuhn and Seth explore phenomenology, neural correlates of consciousness, predictive perception, conscious selfhood, and why measuring consciousness may be essential for understanding it. Lees meer
Anil Seth is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex and Co-Director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science. His research brings together neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, computer science, mathematics, and psychiatry to investigate the biological basis of consciousness.
Seth's book, Being You: A New Science of Consciousness, is available for purchase in the UK and the US: https://amzn.to/3jI9ss7
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Why Philosophy of Evolutionary Biology?
13 mei 2026 · 27 min
Why do we need philosophy to understand evolution? Lees meer
Robert Lawrence Kuhn explores the philosophy of evolutionary biology — not just how evolution works, but what its core concepts really mean. Through conversations with Elliott Sober, Richard Dawkins, Samir Okasha, John Dupré, Dennis Noble, and Michael Ruse, this episode examines natural selection, common ancestry, challenges to evolutionary theory, and the deeper implications of evolution for science, religion, and human identity.
Featuring interviews with Elliott Sober, Richard Dawkins, Samir Okasha, John Dupré, Dennis Noble, and Michael Ruse.
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Arnold Zuboff on Why You Are Every Conscious Being
6 mei 2026 · 33 min
What if the boundaries between you and every other conscious being are an illusion? Philosopher Arnold Zuboff makes the case for Universalism — the radical view that first-person immediacy, not any particular body or origin, is what makes an experience yours. And if that's right, then you exist wherever consciousness exists. Lees meer
Arnold Zuboff is an American philosopher known for his work on personal identity, consciousness, and probability. He took his PhD at Princeton in 2009 under Thomas Nagel and spent most of his academic career at University College London.
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Rebecca Newberger Goldstein on The Mattering Instinct
29 april 2026 · 35 min
Philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein introduces the idea of the “mattering instinct”—the deep human drive to see our lives as significant. In this conversation, she explores how our longing to matter may arise from the very material reality we often try to transcend. Lees meer
Rebecca Newberger Goldstein is an award-winning philosopher, writer, and public intellectual. She is the author of 10 books of acclaimed fiction and non-fiction — including 36 Arguments for the Existence of God, Betraying Spinoza, and her landmark new work The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us. She holds a PhD in philosophy of science from Princeton University and has taught at Yale, Columbia, NYU, Dartmouth, and Harvard. She is a MacArthur Fellow and recipient of the 2014 National Humanities Medal, presented by President Obama in 2015.
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What Is The Far Future Of Intelligence
22 april 2026 · 27 min
What might intelligence become—not just in centuries, but across millions or even billions of years? Lees meer
Robert explores the deepest questions about the far future of intelligence in the universe. While we often think in terms of decades, extending our perspective to vast cosmic timescales challenges our assumptions about meaning, purpose, and what may ultimately be real. If the future holds clues, how far can we reasonably speculate, and what might we discover about intelligence itself?
Featuring interviews with Freeman Dyson, Lawrence Krauss, Raymond Kurzweil, Frank Tipler, Robin Collins, and Paul Davies.
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Roman Yampolskiy on How Dangerous Is Artificial Intelligence
15 april 2026 · 47 min
We may be creating something a million times smarter than all of humanity combined — and we have no plan for what happens next. AI safety pioneer Roman Yampolskiy lays out the risks, the arguments, and whether any solution exists. Lees meer
Roman V. Yampolskiy is a tenured Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Louisville's Speed School of Engineering, where he founded and directs the Cyber Security Lab. Widely credited with coining the term "AI safety" in 2011, he is the author of AI: Unexplainable, Unpredictable, Uncontrollable.
Get access to over 5,000 videos by signing up for a free Closer To Truth membership: https://closertotruth.com/register/
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Michael James on What the World Is According to Sri Ramana
8 april 2026 · 35 min
Is the world we experience truly real, or is it more like a dream we haven't yet woken up from? Michael James, a leading scholar and translator of the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, explores how Ramana's philosophy challenges our most basic assumptions about the self, the world, and the nature of reality. Lees meer
Michael James has spent nearly 50 years studying, practicing, and translating the works of Sri Ramana Maharshi. He studied under Sri Sadhu Om, a direct disciple of Ramana, and is the author of Atma-Vidya: The Science of Knowing Oneself. He is regarded as a leading authority on Ramana's primary sources and experiential practice.
Make a donation to Closer To Truth to help us continue exploring the world's deepest questions without the need for paywalls: https://shorturl.at/OnyRq
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Current Arguments for God
1 april 2026 · 27 min
Make a donation to Closer To Truth to help us continue exploring the world's deepest questions without the need for paywalls. Lees meer
I like arguments about God, whether based on science, philosophy or personal experience. I like to push and to be pushed, explore the possible existence of a Creator. I must also consider defeaters of God.
Featuring interviews with Rebecca Goldstein, Ian Barbour, John Polkinghorne, Robin Collins, Anthony Grayling, Yujin Nagasawa, and Alvin Plantinga.
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Can Brain Alone Explain Consciousness?
25 maart 2026 · 27 min
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Can physical facts about the brain account for mental experiences of the mind? Has philosophy of mind made progress? We take a 15-year journey with John Searle and David Chalmers.
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Asking Ultimate Questions
18 maart 2026 · 27 min
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We like pushing boundaries, trying to discern existence, searching the foundations of reality, knowing all that can be known. Overly ambitious? Sophomoric? We don't care. We do it anyway. Here are ultimate questions.
Featuring interviews with Lawrence Krauss, John Leslie, Max Tegmark and Paul Davies
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Why a Landscape of Consciousness?
11 maart 2026 · 27 min
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Explore diverse theories of consciousness, like materialism, dualism, panpsychism, idealism, and diverse ways of thinking about consciousness, like neuroscience, philosophy, wisdom traditions. Compare theories of consciousness on a ‘Landscape of Consciousness'.
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What Life Might Come After Death?
8 maart 2026 · 27 min
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What kinds of afterlives do the world’s religions offer? Soul/spirit in heaven or hell, with or apart from God? Reincarnation with innumerable rebirths, seeking liberation and nirvana? Resurrection of the body, reuniting with a soul/spirit?
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Could Theories of Consciousness Affect Life After Death?
25 februari 2026 · 27 min
Life after death is a haunting and deeply personal longing. Can we explore life after death in relation to theories of consciousness, ranging from strict materialism to imaginative philosophy to ancient wisdom traditions?
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Raymond Tallis on the Mystery of Human Beings
18 februari 2026 · 25 min
Explicitness is one of the fundamental mysteries in which our lives are wrapped. Our capacity, as conscious subjects, to make things explicit, so that what-is presents itself as “that-it-is” or “that-it-is-the-case” is at the heart of the mystery of human being. Philosopher Raymond Tallis explores how explicitness connects with fundamental ontological, metaphysical, and epistemological questions. Lees meer
Tallis' latest book, Circling Round Explicitness: The Heart of the Mystery of Human Being, is available for purchase now: https://amzn.to/3MUX5Ke
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What do Theories of Consciousness Mean?
11 februari 2026 · 1 uur 10 min
What causes consciousness, our inner felt experience, like the smell of garlic cooking in olive oil? Explore diverse theories from quantum consciousness to consciousness as fundamental reality. We seek the edges of consciousness.
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Can Art Harmonize Diverse Religions?
4 februari 2026 · 27 min
Almost all religions use art in their sacred spaces and many use art forms in their worship rituals. Certainly, there is powerful social cohesion at work. Can cross-religion communications in art, largely nonverbal, work to enhance similarities and mitigate differences among religions that, at least superficially, have significant differences? Can art be a much-needed unifier? Featuring interviews with Oludamini Ogunnaike, Jamal Elias, Kutter Callaway, Garrick Allen, and Anjan Chatterjee. Lees meer
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Vlatko Vedral on Portals to a New Reality
21 januari 2026 · 40 min
Oxford physicist Vlatko Vedral seeks to shatter complacency in modern physics and show why five revolutionary experiments in quantum physics promise to open the gates separating us from a true understanding of the universe. They may sound very strange—one essentially involves entangling a human with Schrödinger’s cat—but they lay bare elements of our theories that are particularly problematic, such as the widespread belief that nothing truly exists unless it is observed. Lees meer
Vedral's book, Portals to a New Reality: Five Experiments to Unlock the Future of Physics, is available for purchase: https://amzn.to/3LGqd77
Vlatko Vedral is a Serbian-born British physicist. He is best known for his contributions to quantum information theory, quantum mechanics, and quantum entanglement. He earned his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Imperial College London, where he graduated with a PhD.
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Can Art Affect Belief Systems?
14 januari 2026 · 27 min
Many belief systems, religions in particular, use art for promoting their messages and furthering their missions. What makes art so effective in building and solidifying religious traditions? Can art attract and motivate converts? Is affecting or changing belief systems a proper use of art? Lees meer
Featuring interviews with Justin Barrett, Marlene Altenmüller, Mario Gollwitzer, Jamal Elias, Robin Jensen, and Stacie Friend.
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Roger Penrose on Cosmology, Quantum Mechanics, and Deep Reality
7 januari 2026 · 1 uur 48 min
Throughout his career, Penrose has challenged conventional wisdom in physics, mathematics, and the philosophy of science. He has tackled some of the most profound questions of the universe: How do quantum mechanics and cosmology shape our understanding of reality? Can human consciousness be fully explained by physical laws, or does it transcend computation? This wide-ranging conversation spans Penrose’s most influential ideas, from black holes and the Big Bang to Gödel’s incompleteness theorems, quantum gravity, and the role of mathematics in uncovering ultimate reality. Lees meer
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Toward a Cognitive Science of Transcendence
31 december 2025 · 27 min
Understanding the nature of transcendence requires careful experimentation and innovative ways to reveal essence and tease out aspects of aesthetics. What are key characteristics of transcendence? Tracking imperceptible eye movements, or brain blood flow during mental activity, reflect neural activity, which is always ready to spring surprise. Lees meer
Featuring interviews with Elisabeth Schellekens, Helen De Cruz, Kutter Callaway, Joshua Wilt, Bahador Bahrami, and Oludamini Ogunnaike.
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Dean Radin on The Science of Magic and The Fabric of Reality
24 december 2025 · 42 min
There is an idea that shakes the core of our scientific principles: That our consciousness participates in creating our physical reality. It’s an idea that runs counter to the materialist worldview we’re all taught in school. But the outer edges of scientific inquiry bleed into what can only be called ‘magic.’ With a uniquely science-backed approach, parapsychologist Dean Radin explores the "magical" elements of consciousness including telepathy, spell casting, conjuring spirits, and more. Lees meer
Radin's book, The Science of Magic: How the Mind Weaves the Fabric of Reality, is on sale now.
Dean Radin is an American parapsychologist. Following a bachelor and master's degree in electrical engineering and a PhD in educational psychology Radin worked at Bell Labs, as a researcher at Princeton University and the University of Edinburgh, and was a faculty member at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
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Is Mathematics Invented or Discovered?
17 december 2025 · 51 min
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? Whenever mathematics is will help define reality itself. Lees meer
Featuring interviews with Roger Penrose, Stephen Wolfram, Max Tegmark, David Gross, and George Lakoff.
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Global Philosophy: Why Inner Life Practices?
10 december 2025 · 27 min
Compare inner-life practices among diverse religions/traditions. Islamic prayer as the core of Muslim belief. Buddhist meditation calms the mind. Hindu meditation can be theistic-devotional or non-dual inner exploration. Embodied practices in Chinese traditions. Lees meer
Featuring interviews with Helen De Cruz, Venerable Dr. Yifa, Swami Sarvapriyananda, Franklin Perkins, Aaron Segal, and Hamza Yusuf.
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Blaise Agüera y Arcas: What is Intelligence in an AI Future?
3 december 2025 · 29 min
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What is intelligence, and how is AI emergence a natural consequence of evolution? In his book "What Is Intelligence?" and in this conversation, Google's Blaise Agüera y Arcas takes up the idea that prediction is fundamental not only to intelligence and the brain but to life itself, and explores the wide-ranging implications. These include radical new perspectives on the computational properties of living systems, the evolutionary and social origins of intelligence, the relationship between models and reality, entropy and the nature of time, the meaning of free will, the problem of consciousness, and the ethics of machine intelligence.
Blaise Agüera y Arcas is a VP/Fellow at Google, where he is the CTO of Technology & Society, and the founder of Paradigms of Intelligence, an organization dedicated to fundamental AI research. He is the author of Who Are We Now?, and his research has included work on privacy-preserving machine learning, on-device AI, large language models, and human identity.
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Global Philosophy: What is the Person?
26 november 2025 · 27 min
Giving Tuesday is around the corner! Make a donation to Closer To Truth to help us continue exploring the world's deepest questions without the need for paywalls. Lees meer
How do diverse religions/traditions treat the “person,” present status and afterlife future? Buddhism’s no self. Hinduism’s soul illuminating the mind. Prior lives in Eastern and African traditions. Body and soul, resurrection and judgment, in Abrahamic traditions.
Featuring interviews with Jay Garfield, Yang Xiao, Oludamini Ogunnaike, Imran Aijaz, Andrew Loke, and Swami Medhananda.
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Stephen Wolfram on The Concept of the Ruliad
19 november 2025 · 36 min
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The Ruliad is a term that Stephen Wolfram developed, which he describes as the entangled limit of everything that is computationally possible, the result of following all possible computational rules in all possible ways.
Stephen Wolfram is a British-American computer scientist, physicist, and businessman. He is known for his work in computer algebra and theoretical physics. In 2012, he was named a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. He is the founder and CEO of the software company Wolfram Research, where he works as chief designer of Mathematica and the Wolfram Alpha answer engine.
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Global Philosophy: Is God Ultimate?
12 november 2025 · 27 min
This giving season, contribute what you can to help Closer To Truth continue exploring the world's deepest questions. Lees meer
Concepts of God/deities/ultimates in diverse, non-Western religions/traditions: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, African. Is God/deities a “person?” Islam’s one transcendent God. Hinduism’s many schools: personal, impersonal, both. Buddhism’s no God but many deities.
Featuring interviews with Hamza Yusuf, Mohammed Saleh Zarepour, Oludamini Ogunnaike, Swami Medhananda, Venerable Dr. Yifa, and Yujin Nagasawa.
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Daniel Whiteson on Aliens, Physics, and the Nature of Reaity
5 november 2025 · 1 uur 22 min
Support the show with a tax-deductible donation of any amount so we can continue exploring the world's biggest questions without the need for paywalls. Lees meer
When the long-awaited day dawns and the aliens finally arrive on Earth, they might eat us and destroy the planet―or, just maybe, they might share the secrets of the Universe with us. When that time comes, will we be able to cross the communication barrier to beg for our lives? If the aliens do hold out those precious jewels of knowledge, will we even be able to grasp them? Professor Daniel Whiteson and Warner explode what we thought we knew about talking to our cosmic neighbors―and even science itself―by asking and answering questions both lighthearted and profound.
Whiteson's book, Do Aliens Speak Physics?: And Other Questions about Science and the Nature of Reality, is available for purchase now.
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Death, Life After Death, & Reincarnation
29 oktober 2025 · 51 min
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What happens after we die? Is there life after death? If so, what kind of life? From heaven and hell to systems and cycles of reincarnation, we explore Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Chinese traditions, as well as Christianity.
Featuring interviews with Hamza Yusuf, Carol Zaleski, Tao Jiang, Andrew Loke, and Yujin Nagasawa.