Michael Pollan's new book, How to Change Your Mind ... Dissolving the ego via meditation and via psychedelics ... Brain, self, and personal narrative ... The underground subculture of psychedelic guides ... Michael feels the love and sees the unity (you had to be there) ... Do psychedelics validate scientific materialism or undermine it? ... Scientific vs. religious descriptions of psychedelic experience ... Why is the brain capable of psychedelic experiences? ... The future of psychedelics in research and society ...

First Reformed, Paul Schrader's new film that takes Christianity seriously ... Schrader's European art-house influences ... The film contrasts two versions of American Protestantism ... Ethan Hawke's restrained lead performance ... Spoiler alert! Analyzing the film's shocking twists ... The intentionally ambiguous ending ... Reaction to the film from the Christian press ...

Dan and Massimo on ontology: What exists and what doesn’t? ... What, if anything, do Saturn’s rings have in common with virtue? ... Materialism as a product of scientism ... The immaterial features of human life and society ... The most important philosopher you’ve never heard of ... What does Daniel Dennett mean by “self,” anyway? ... Massimo: A single ontology isn’t enough to describe reality ...

The Hameroff-Penrose theory of quantum consciousness ... Why we'll never construct a true artificial intelligence ... The implications of quantum consciousness for free will ... Do microtubules in the brain explain consciousness? ... How quantum physics could help us understand anesthesia ... Why Stuart doesn't dismiss paranormal research ... Could quantum entanglement explain paranormal phenomena? ...

Defining transhumanism ... Why David is pessimistic about the Singularity ... Becoming happier by shifting our "hedonic set points" ... Could we phase out suffering by tackling its genetic roots? ... Can chemicals deliver enduring happiness? ... Why David has never tasted meat ... Is transhumanism a secular religion? ...

Jemar’s path from educator to historian ... How racial history shapes the landscape of the Deep South ... The “quiet exodus” of black Christians from white evangelical churches ... Not a “skin problem,” but a “sin problem” ... Jemar: Kindness isn’t just being polite to avoid offense ... Bill explains the historic racial divide within the Cumberland Presbyterian Church ...

Jim's new book of essays, When Einstein Walked with Gödel ... The Platonists who believe mathematics is transcendent ... Against viewing math as transcendent ... The implications of Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem ... What's so special about light? Einstein can explain ... Tachyons, the hypothetical particles that travel faster than light ... How Jim became a "rigorous dilettante" (with cameos by B.F. Skinner and Bette Midler) ...

Where do culture, emotion, and cognition intersect? ... Is altruism a fluke of humans’ inherently selfish nature? ... How Western individualism clouds our view of human nature ... Stephen: The strongest cultural adaptations are shared unconsciously ... An evolutionary explanation of Trump’s cult of personality ... Complicating the narrative on immigrant cultural values and success ... Reactions to Stephen’s new book, Why We Need Religion ...

Why Connie has grown sick of the cultural appropriation debate ... Nicki Minaj and the flattening of Asian cultures ... How social media escalated the cultural appropriation wars ... Why are these fights so often over fashion and food? ... Appropriation, mockery, and Halloween ... The Met Gala and Catholic-inspired fashion ... Who gets to decide that a particular outfit is "okay"? ...

Adam's new book, Light of the Stars: Alien Worlds and the Fate of the Earth ... Adam: Climate change is a civilizational inevitability ... How many planets are in our galaxy? Guess again. It’s more than that. ... How pessimists about the existence of extraterrestrial life became optimists ... Why haven't we heard from any aliens? ... Does fighting climate change require spiritual change? ... Why the Gaia hypothesis isn't new-age hooey ... The theoretical archaeology of exo-civilizations ...