Lex Fridman Podcast

#149 – Diana Walsh Pasulka: Aliens, Technology, Religion, and the Nature of Belief

Dec 28, 2020

Diana Walsh Pasulka, a philosophy and religion professor at UNCW and author of American Cosmic, dives into compelling discussions about belief, technology, and extraterrestrial life. She explores how personal beliefs shape reality and the influence of religious narratives on societal norms. The conversation touches on Nietzsche’s declaration that 'God is dead,' the evolving intersection of spirituality and UFOs, and the philosophical implications of consciousness in relation to artificial intelligence. It's a thrilling journey through the mysterious realms of belief and the cosmos.

03:01:49

Creator website

Episode guests

Diana Walsh Pasulka

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

What Is Loomo?

05:01

The History of Christianity

02:06

What Do Angels Look Like?

02:10

The Russians Believed in Stargates

02:22

Intro

4min

Promoting Sponsorships and Technology Insights

4min

Belief and Reality: A Philosophical Exploration

10min

Exploring Skepticism and Consciousness

22min

The Power of Belief: Religion, Control, and Evolution

17min

The Philosophical Impact of 'God is Dead'

4min

Reimagining Belief: Aliens, Technology, and Spirituality

24min

Exploring the Mysteries of Consciousness and Psychedelics

3min

Exploring Artificial Intelligence as the New Divine

2min

10.

Metahumans and the Technology Nexus

19min

11.

Exploring the Tic Tac UFO Incident: Skepticism and Firsthand Accounts

3min

12.

Money and the Pursuit of Knowledge

5min

13.

Mythology and Science: The Roswell Connection

22min

14.

Exploring Humanity, Technology, and Extraterrestrial Life

22min

15.

Philosophical Perspectives on Technology and Morality

11min

16.

Mortality and Meaning: A Reflection on Life

7min

17.

Exploring the Universal Nature of Love and Existence

3min

Diana Walsh Pasulka is a professor of philosophy and religion at UNCW and author of American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, and Technology. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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EPISODE LINKS:
Diana’s Website: https://uncw.edu/par/faculty/faculty-pasulka.html
American Cosmic (book): https://amzn.to/3aK2kaj

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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(08:28) – What is real?
(13:56) – Can beliefs become reality?
(18:59) – Donald Hoffman
(22:57) – Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason
(26:27) – Ayn Rand
(33:25) – How do religions start?
(48:38) – Religion is an evolutionary advantage
(53:59) – Religion used in propaganda
(58:32) – What did Nietzsche mean by “God is Dead”?
(1:03:59) – American Cosmic
(1:07:45) – What do aliens look like?
(1:16:28) – History of space programs
(1:19:30) – Jacques Vallee
(1:28:55) – Artificial intelligence
(1:34:25) – Ufology community
(1:45:38) – Psychedelics
(1:49:35) – Tic Tac UFO
(1:58:09) – Roswell UFO incident
(2:09:14) – Bob Lazar
(2:12:50) – Monoliths in the desert
(2:23:39) – Humans will co-evolve with AI
(2:26:58) – Neuralink
(2:31:48) – Singularity
(2:41:39) – Books: Nietzsche
(2:46:44) – Books: Hannah Arendt
(2:51:43) – Fear of death
(2:56:11) – Meaning of life

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