Freedom Pact

Nick Spencer an author, and Senior Fellow at Theos. He is the author of a number of books and reports, including Magisteria: the entangled histories of science and religion (Oneworld, 2023), The Political Samaritan: how power hijacked a parable (Bloomsbury, 2017), The Evolution of the West (SPCK, 2016) and Atheists: The Origin of the Species (Bloomsbury, 2014). He is host of the podcast Reading Our Times. Outside of Theos, Nick is Visiting Research Fellow at the Faiths and Civil Society Unit, Goldsmiths, University of London and a Fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion. Timestamps: 00:00 - The entanglement of science and religion 1:00 - Lessons To be taken from scientific conflicts 3:30 - Are scientific and religious views more similar than different? 6:53 - The religious worldview on immortality and ‘anti-aging’ 12:01 - Ray Kurzweil and resurrecting people from the dead with AI 14:00 - What does it mean to be human? 16:30 - what are humans for? 19:30 - Should elephants have human rights? 23:48 - What would it mean for society if animal did have human rights? 26:28 - Alien life 29:50 - Is AI a threat to Christianity? 32:00 - Was Stephen Hawking wrong about AGI? 34:20 - What AI can never replace 37:01 - Should humans play God? 43:40 - Are religious people happier? 45:30 - The invention of anti-depressants 50:10 Debating Steven Pinker on Christianity 52:30 - What makes a life worth living 53:30 - Connect with Nick Connect with us: https://freedompact.co.uk/newsletter​ (Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Newsletter) twitter.com/freedompactpod Email: freedompact@gmail.com https://Tiktok.com/personaldevelopment Connect with Nick: https://x.com/theosnick https://www.theosthinktank.co.uk https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ssf5XN5o9q4&pp=ygUaTmljayBhcGVuY2VyIHN0ZXZlbiBwaW5rZXI%3D

Professor Roy F. Baumeister is one of the world’s most prolific and influential psychologists. He has published over 700 scientific works, including over 40 books. In 2013, he received the highest award given by the Association for Psychological Science, the William James Fellow award, in recognition of his lifetime achievements. As of 2023, He holds affiliations with Harvard University (USA), Constructor University Bremen (Germany), Florida State University (USA), BetterUp, Inc. (USA), and the University of Bamberg (Germany). Additionally, Baumeister serves as the president-elect of the International Positive Psychology Association. In this interview, Roy & I discuss the following: 00:00 - Why We Need To Connect With Others 11:07 - Why does rejection make us numb? 16:55 - Social media's effect on relationships 29:50 - The myth of self-esteem 42:55 - Differences between the male and female sex drive 53:27 - What stifles the female sex drive 01:01:10 - How men can become more attractive 01:06:55 - What makes a life worth living for Roy Connect with us: https://freedompact.co.uk/newsletter​ (Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Newsletter) twitter.com/freedompactpod Email: freedompact@gmail.com https://Tiktok.com/personaldevelopment

Dr Darragh Ennis is a professional quizzer and scientist. He has researched ecology and animal behaviour at Maynooth University in Ireland, outbreak dynamics of forestry insect pests on maple syrup plantations in Canada as well as brain development and RNA biology at both the University of Oxford and the University of Glasgow. In recent years he has also worked as a quiz professional on the ITV game show ‘The Chase’. Check out Darragh’s new book here: https://amzn.eu/d/gobmkur Connect with us: https://freedompact.co.uk/newsletter​ (Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Newsletter) twitter.com/freedompactpod Email: freedompact@gmail.com https://Tiktok.com/personaldevelopment

In this engaging discussion, Oliver Burkeman, an author celebrated for his insights on productivity and life's purpose, challenges conventional productivity norms. He advocates for embracing imperfection and prioritizing meaningful experiences over unattainable ideals. Burkeman emphasizes living in the present, sharing how life's unpredictability fosters cherished memories. He also explores the liberating power of a cosmic perspective to alleviate anxiety, highlighting the essence of 'aliveness' as central to appreciating life's worth.

Ellen Langer is a professor in the Psychology Department at Harvard University. In 1981, she became the first woman ever to be tenured in psychology at Harvard. Dr. Langer has described her work on the illusion of control, aging, decision-making, and mindfulness theory in over 200 research articles and six academic books. Her work has led to numerous academic honors including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest of the American Psychological Association, the Distinguished Contributions of Basic Science to Applied Psychology award from the American Association of Applied & Preventive Psychology, the James McKeen Cattel Award, and the Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize. In this conversation today, Ellen & I discuss: 00:00 - The Power of the Human Mind 07:57 - How The Mind Can Heal the Body 10:49 - Perceptions of time influence healing 17:23 - Challenging fixed beliefs 28:02 - Stress Management and Decision-Making 32:04 - Embracing the imperfect decision 39:18 - The True Power of Mindfulness 44:49 - Re-write the rule book 55:00 - What makes a life worth living? 56:00 - Connect with Ellen Links: https://scholar.harvard.edu/langer/biocv http://ellenlanger.com Buy The Mindful Body: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mindful-Body...

Dom Joly is a multi-award winning comedian and the author of several books, including 'The Conspiracy Tourist.' In this episode of the Freedom Pact podcast, Lewis and Dom discuss the world of conspiracy theories and the psychology behind them. Dom shares his fascinating encounters with conspiracy theorists, including a flat earther who he travelled l to 'the edge of the earth’ with, and discusses the allure of topics like UFOs and Bigfoot. He also delves into the psychology behind conspiracy theories and the impact of social media algorithms. The guys explore the challenges of debunking conspiracies and the role of experts in countering misinformation. They also touch on the tribalism and belonging that can drive conspiracy theorists, as well as the entertainment value of conspiracy content. Dom shares his experiences with conspiracy theorists during his tour and highlights the absurdity of some theories, including the belief that Finland doesn't exist. Timestamps: 0:00 The World of Conspiracy Theories 03:40 The Yeti & Bigfoot Obsession 05:30 Speaking To Flat Earthers 09:30 UFOs & Aliens 13:25 ‘Square Flat Earth’ Theorists 17:40 The Conspiracy Rabbit Hole 20:50 Terrance Howard, Joe Rogan and Eric Weinstein 24:40 The People In Power 26:30 Tribalism & Conspiracy 30:00 Alex Jones 32:30 Taking A Flat Earther To ‘The Edge of The World’ 34:00 Finland Doesn’t Exist Theory 38:30 Being Heckled By Conspiracy Theorists 40:00 What Makes Life Worth Living? 40:55 Connect With Dom Joly More from Dom including the book and U.K. tour: https://www.domjoly.tv Connect with us: https://freedompact.co.uk/newsletter​ (Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Newsletter) twitter.com/freedompactpod Email: freedompact@gmail.com https://Tiktok.com/personaldevelopment

Lawrence Krauss is an internationally known theoretical physicist and bestselling author, as well as being an acclaimed lecturer. He has also appeared regularly on radio and television, as well as in several feature films. He received his PhD from MIT and then moved to the Harvard Society of Fellows. Following eight years as a professor at Yale University, he was appointed to an endowed chair while still in his thirties. He has made significant contributions to our understanding of the origin and the evolution of the Universe and has received numerous national and international awards for his research and writing. 00:00-09:00 Religion 09:00-14:20 How Something Came From Nothing 14:20-20:30 Modern Academia 20:30-24:20 Multiverse Theory 24:20-29:20 Brian Cox & Carl Sagan 29:20-32:40 Physics of Star Wars & Star Trek 32:40-37:00 Space Exploration 37:00-41:05 The Question That Keeps Lawrence Up At Night 41:04-42:07 What Makes Life Worth Living? 42:02-43:29 Connect with Lawrence You can find everything mentioned in this podcast over on Lawrence's website: https://lawrencemkrauss.com Connect with us: https://freedompact.co.uk/newsletter​ (Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Newsletter) twitter.com/freedompactpod Email: freedompact@gmail.com https://Tiktok.com/personaldevelopment

Dr Emily Leeming PhD MSc RD is a microbiome scientist, registered dietitian, and chef. She is a Research Fellow at King's College London. Dr Emily writes for The Daily Mail and frequently appears in media outlets such as BBC radio 4, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph and The Guardian. She is the author of the brand new book, Genius Gut: The Life-Changing Science of Eating for Your Second Brain. Timestamps: 00:00 The Second Brain 04:20 Why You Should You Take Gut Health Seriously 06:00 Biomarkers For Gut Health 09:00 How It Can Change Your Life 12:50 How Much Fibre You Need 17:20 Supplements 20:10 The Supercharged Breakfast 23:00 Gut-Brain Connection 27:30 Neurodiversity & Microbiome 29:40 Brain Deterioration 34:00 Gut Health Red Flags 36:20 Why Processed Foods Aren't As Bad As You Think 40:20 Daily Ferment 44:00 Chocolate Is Good For You? 47:30 You Should Know THIS About The Gut 49:25 What Makes Life Worth Living? 50:00 Connect With Dr Emily You can find more from Dr Emily, including her newsletter, substance & her new book, Genius Gut by heading to https://www.emilyleeming.com

Keith Thompson is the author of The UFO Paradox, an independent journalist, talk radio host, former TV talk show host, and former U.S. Senate staff member. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, Esquire, San Francisco Chronicle, Idaho Statesman, and the Pacific Sun. In this episode, we discuss Keith’s paranormal approach to UFOs, ‘abductions,’ famous UFO sightings, disclosure and much more. Connect with Keith & find The UFO Paradox book: https://www.thompsonatlarge.com Connect with us: https://freedompact.co.uk/newsletter​ (Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Newsletter) twitter.com/freedompactpod Email: freedompact@gmail.com https://Tiktok.com/personaldevelopment #UFO #paranormal

Michelle Dowd is a journalism professor and contributor to The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, TIME magazine, Alpinist, and other national publications. She was raised on a mountain in the Angeles National Forest where she learned to identify flora and fauna, navigate by the stars, forage for edible plants, and care for the earth. Her memoir, Forager: Field Notes on Surviving a Family Cult, showcases her life growing up on an isolated mountain in California as part of an apocalyptic cult, and how she found her way out of poverty and illness by drawing on the gifts of the wilderness. Connect with us: https://freedompact.co.uk/newsletter​ (Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Newsletter) twitter.com/freedompactpod Email: freedompact@gmail.com https://Tiktok.com/personaldevelopment Connect with Michelle: https://mdowd.substack.com/ https://www.michelledowd.org/ Find the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1643755773?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_N5YH96GYNS595Y3TYVG2