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MeaningofLife.tv

Latest episodes

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Jun 8, 2021 • 60min

Should Darwin Be Cancelled? (Robert Wright & Agustín Fuentes)

Agustín on what he was and wasn’t saying in his controversial Science piece on Darwin ... What is biological anthropology? ... What social media critiques of Agustín’s editorial missed ... Untangling Darwin’s attitudes toward race and genocide ... Darwin’s worries about his theory’s acceptance ... What do female gibbons want? ... Agustín: Commonly used racial categories are unscientific ... The changing rules for competition among males ... Okay, so should we cancel Darwin or not? ...
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Jun 7, 2021 • 60min

Quantum Mechanics and the Quest for Final Knowledge (John Horgan & Philip Ball)

Philip Ball, a renowned science writer and author of 'Beyond Weird,' joins the conversation to tackle the perplexities of quantum mechanics. He discusses whether science can ever fully merge with the arts and humanities. The duo delves into the idea that simply knowing quantum math isn’t the key to understanding its mysteries. Topics like the role of information in quantum mechanics and the limitations of quantum computing spark fascinating insights. They also reflect on the bizarre nature of existence and the philosophical quests that intertwine science with human experience.
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May 27, 2021 • 60min

Thinking in Tongues (Nikita Petrov & David Poleski)

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May 25, 2021 • 60min

Saving the World One Podcast at a Time (Robert Wright & Rob Wiblin)

Defining effective altruism ... Rob explains the meaning of ‘80,000 Hours’ ... Should young people dedicate their careers to fighting climate change? ... The Apocalypse Aversion Project ... How cognitive biases fuel tribalism ... Bob: We need a psychological revolution ... Are external threats the best way to bring people together? ... The balance between surveillance and public safety ... Bob: Let's retire the word 'apologist' ... Making rationality cool ... Rob challenges Bob to find flaws in "The Moral Animal" ...
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May 11, 2021 • 60min

The Dharma of Bob 5: Mindful Defiance (Robert Wright & Josh Summers)

Josh tries to help Bob retool his meditation practice ... Identifying the purpose of your practice ... What to do when your mind wanders ... Tuning your mind ... The Four Rs ... Can mindfulness help us bolster our courage? ... Learning to tolerate blowback from your tribe ... Suffering and the psychology of tribalism ... Developing a non-zero-sum relationship with your own mind ... So you say you've been called a neofascist... ...
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May 5, 2021 • 60min

Despite Our Best Intentions (Robert Wright & Paul Bloom)

The value of defying your tribe ... Egocentric bias and attribution error ... The thin line between between courage and acting like an asshole ... Why do we punish people for unintentional transgressions? ... To understand all is to forgive all … ... … but forgiveness won’t get you retweets ... Are people’s politics as irrational as they seem? ... William James’ preternatural insight into human psychology ... Should the Philip Roth biography have been pulled? ... Reliving the worst day of your life ...
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Apr 27, 2021 • 60min

Circling the Elephant (Robert Wright & John Thatamanil)

John’s new book, Circling the Elephant: A Comparative Theology of Religious Diversity ... John’s early religious sensibility ... The Advaita Vedanta tradition in Hinduism ... Grappling with the human predicament ... Approaches to ultimate reality ... John’s brush with non-dualistic experience ... Why John doesn’t consider himself a perennialist ... Touching the infinite elephant ...
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Apr 12, 2021 • 60min

Science, Fiction, and the Mind-Body Problem (John Horgan & Erik Hoel)

Erik's new novel, The Revelations ... How Erik became a writer and a neuroscientist ... Erik defends integrated information theory ... The agnosticism of the novelist ... Should the mind-body problem have a single solutions? ...
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Apr 7, 2021 • 60min

DMT and Plato's Cave (Nikita Petrov & John Horgan)

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Mar 23, 2021 • 60min

The Dharma of Bob 4: Averting the Apocalypse (Robert Wright & Josh Summers)

Who you callin' bodhisattva? ... Outlining the Apocalypse Aversion Project ... How meditation can make us better global citizens ... Why we need “cognitive crampons” ... Transcend and include ... The varieties of meditative experience ... Achieving micro-enlightenment ... The benefits of confronting your dark side ... Building a cognitively empathetic grassroots movement ...

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