Joel wrassles with mortality ... Bob reflects on his two-week silent meditation retreat ... The existential angst of a broken iPhone ... Meditation and a toothache ... What gives Joel's life meaning ... All about MeaningofLife.tv! ...

Stoic Week is almost here—get that catering order in! ... Wrestling philosophy out of the ivory tower and onto the street ... Neo-Stoicism: Like the ancient kind, but with less Zeus ... A day in the life of a practicing modern Stoic ... Can Stoicism be a secular replacement for traditional religion? ... That guy who always cries at weddings? Probably a philosopher ...

The case against "scientism" ... Quantum mechanics can't help us understand a dollar bill ... What's the point of knowledge? ... Beyond the Enlightenment ... What is science, exactly? ... Extrascientific ways of knowing ...

Why understanding "no-self" matters: it might get you to Nirvana ... "Tanha"—the root of our suffering ... Miri's maverick interpretation of the no-self doctrine ... Miri and Bob talk about their meditation retreats ... Things get weird: A universal field of consciousness? ... Does losing your self making you a better (non-)person? ...

Prominent physicists bash philosophy ... Can materialism explain consciousness? ... The problem with Lawrence Krauss's "universe from nothing" ... Why "mathematical mysticism" leaves John cold ... Are mathematical truths discovered or invented? ... Environmentalists who want more energy usage ...

The psychology of "you're not the same person anymore" ... Jim gets a microchip in his brain. Is he still Jim? ... When Grandma starts getting nicer ... Why morality matters to identity ... The psychopathic difference ... Memory loss and moral responsibility ...

Three varieties of suffering ... Western misconceptions about Buddhism ... Are emotions real? ... Does the self exist? ... Who you callin’ an enlightened vegetable? ... Goodness, righteousness, and truth ...

The Buddhist concepts of mindfulness and awakening ... Feelings, meditation, and the struggle with fear ... Aversion, impermanence, and the Four Noble Truths ... The foundations of mindfulness ... Joseph: Our thoughts are like dictators ... Reconnecting with the self ...

On The Posner Show, Sarah talks with Katie about the successes and challenges of the Sunday Assembly, the "atheist megachurch." How did the Sunday Assembly spread from East London to forty cities around the world? What caused a split between the Sunday Assembly and a group in New York, which complained about prohibitions on talking about atheism? They discuss why atheist church is appealing—or not—to atheists. Katie says when you create a new church, schisms are inevitable. What is the role of charismatic leaders in keeping churches afloat? Finally: What does the future hold for atheist churches?

Why loving your enemies is easier said than done ... How meditation can reduce anger ... Metta Meditation and Loving-kindness ... Empathy for people you can't stand ... The Buddhist concept of the self ... The epidemic of self-loathing ...