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In this episode, sociologist Brandon Vaidyanathan interviews MIT Physicist Dr. Alan Lightman about his spiritual materialism.

Alan Lightman is an American physicist, writer, and social entrepreneur. He holds a PhD in physics from Caltech. He has served on the faculties of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was the first person at MIT to receive dual faculty appointments in science and in the humanities. He is currently professor of the practice of the humanities at MIT. Lightman is the recipient of six honorary doctoral degrees. He is the author of numerous books, both nonfiction and fiction, including Einstein’s Dreams, an international bestseller, and The Diagnosis, a finalist for the National Book Award in fiction. His essays concern the intersection of science, culture, philosophy, and theology. Lightman is the host of the public television series “SEARCHING: Our Quest for Meaning in the Age of Science,” funded by the John Templeton Foundation. In 2005, Lightman founded Harpswell, a nonprofit organization devoted to empowering young women leaders in Southeast Asia, and he has served as chair of its board. In August 2023, Lightman was appointed a member of the United Nations’ Scientific Advisory Board. His latest book is The Transcendent Brain: Spirituality in the Age of Science (2023).

In this first part of our conversation, we talk about:

• Balancing interests in art and science from a young age
• The role of beauty in scientific discovery
• Alan's concept of spiritual materialism
• Transcendence and the Hindu concept of "darshan"

To learn more about Alan and his work:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-lightman-6bb7191b6
• Website: https://cmsw.mit.edu/alan-lightman/
• Email: lightman@mit.edu
• Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000APY6Q4
• Scientific Publications: https://cmsw.mit.edu/alan-lightman/#SCIENTIFIC%20PUBLICATIONS
• Harpswell Organization: https://harpswell.org/ 

This episode is sponsored by:

• John Templeton Foundation (https://www.templeton.org/) and
• Templeton Religion Trust (https://templetonreligiontrust.org/)

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