Naked Humanity

Did you know there are more than 190 biases that plague every one of us? Try as you might to be objective, it is impossible. To even THINK you are unbiased is itself a bias. In this episode Stefani explores the concept of bias trough racism, her perspective on how to handle racism, and a test you can take to find out how racist you are -- even if you are certain you are not. Head over to http://stefaniruper.com/podcast for details on how to get books from my personal library!

Bias is arguably the biggest problem facing the modern West. As the world globalizes and political divisions intensify, it becomes easier and easier for us to become entrenched in our biases. In this episode, Stefani chats with organizer and founder of The Plenary Steph Sasse about how instinctive and unavoidable human biases are, and what we can do to manage them in the modern world - from using state-of-the-art neuroscience to throwing themed parties. Head over to http://stefaniruper.com/podcast for instructions on entering the book giveaway!

Admittedly, there are a lot of dark sides of science. But today, Stefani discusses one way we completely misunderstand science that has given rise to problematic cultural phenomena such as fundamentalist Christianity and many cultural issues such as insularity, defensiveness, polarization, anxiety, anguish, loss, and more.

Usually we think of ignorance as a bad thing--but what if appreciating and cultivating ignorance is the key to our success? Stefani chats with Columbia neurobiologist and best-selling author Stuart Firestein about our cultural obsession with facts and why that’s so limiting. Professor Firestein is a lively and entertaining guest who spills all about his journey as a scientist, the balance between the known and the unknown, and what we need in order to thrive. Enter the giveaway at http://stefaniruper.com/bookgiveaway!

How do you cope when you lose religious faith? How do you live in times of ambiguity or despair? In this podcast Stefani shares what she’s learned working with religious people and groups over time and discusses real strategies for reinventing your spiritual life without religion. Find the show notes at stefaniruper.com/6x and enter the book giveaway at stefaniruper.com/podcast!

Can you have religious ideas and feelings without God? Stefani chats with philosopher Eric Steinhart who believes you can have wonder, morality, spirituality, and even immortality without God. He does it by thinking about the universe like one giant computer. Tune in for this fascinating ride and learn how people are reinventing spirituality in the twenty first century. Show notes can be found at stefaniruper.com/6. Learn about the book giveaway at stefaniruper.com/podcast!

Popular culture today focuses on science as a source of wonder--but is that enough? What else is wonderful in our world, and how can you experience it? In this episode Stefani briefly adds context to the earlier discussion of science and wonder and suggests intentionally seeking out a wide variety of forms of wonder to engage.

What happens when you treat science like a religion? Stefani chats with Professor Lisa Sideris about our cultural infatuation with science and what happens when we become overly invested in it: religion. One significant by-product is science becomes a source of wonder--but Professor Sideris demonstrates how dangerous that can be not just for our spirituality but also for the future of animal life and the planet. Head over to stefaniruper.com/podcast for the shownotes or instructions on how to enter the book giveaway!

Did you know the idea of religion has been used to oppress people for centuries? Stefani tells you all about the history of how the idea of religion came to  be in the first place, from the Protestant Reformation to Western colonialism and more.

Stefani chats with specialist in ancient religious texts Brent Nongbri about the great mistake we all make about religion: thinking it’s real. Crazy as it sounds, it’s true: in some ways, religion doesn’t really exist. Tune in to this first interview episode to have your mind blown about how wrong you’ve been about religion all along--and what this means for culture and politics today. Get into the weekly drawing for a free book at stefaniruper.com/bookgiveaway ; find show notes and more at stefaniruper.com/podcast. If you prefer to watch this on video, check out stefaniruper.com/watch.