This week’s guest is mathematician and cosmologist Brian Swimme, faculty at CIIS’ Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness Program and author of several books, including The Universe is a Green Dragon: A Cosmic Creation Story (which we discuss in this episode). Brian is a major voice in the conversation about the new myths required for us in an age of planetary culture, an articulate and approachable thinker whose warmth and generosity — virtues equal to his intellectual achievement — really shine through in this conversation.

Brian at CIIS

Brian at the Center for Humans and Nature

Brian’s documentary, Journey of the Universe

Brian’s Coursera class

“A lot of scientists will say, ‘I don’t have a metaphysics. I just deal with facts.’ But it’s not the case…”

“Locating ourselves in time I think is the fundamental scientific or spiritual challenge.”

“The Earth is closer to a living organism than it is a collection of objects.”

“One of the fundamental errors of the modern period is RUINING this idea of Singularity…it’s thinking of ourselves as the intelligent species in a world that is basically a collection of objects. And then we imagine that we with our clever minds are creating technology…rather than joining a process.”

“It could be that the future of science depends on the question of the within, the inner world…”

We Discuss:

Locating ourselves in time…

The Universe is a Green Dragon: A Cosmic Creation Story

Zak Stein (Episode 97)

What We Learn From Mass Extinctions

We Are Something The Planet Is Doing

Thomas Berry

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (although V.I. Vernadsky coined the term “noosphere”)

James P. Carse

Ernst Haeckel

Sean Esbjörn-Hargens (Episodes 60 + 113)

Dr. Blue (Episode 124)

Theme Music: “God Detector” by Evan “Skytree” Snyder (feat. Michael Garfield)

https://skytree.bandcamp.com/track/god-detector-ft-michael-garfield

Additional Music: “Valles Marineris” by Michael Garfield

https://michaelgarfield.bandcamp.com/album/martian-arts-ep

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