Hugo’s theory about why people reason and argue ... When can arguments change minds? ... How trust and argumentation work together ... The virtues of speaking directly to an adversary ... Debating whether the mind is designed to delude ... How publicly expressing beliefs affects them ...

What Buddhim really is (and isn't) about ... What various Buddhist traditions have to offer ... The Buddha as a practical philosopher ... How the Buddha revolutionized meditation ... The idea of not-self, and its connection to an ethical life ... Why death is not the end even if there's no rebirth ... The ethical dimension of enlightenment ...

Roger's work on emotions that drive ethnic conflict ... Perceived threats that unite Trump supporters ... The new identity of the white working class ... The "basket of deplorables" and the politics of indignation ... How Middle American and liberal elites see each other ... Are the perils of our time exaggerated? ...

Hillary’s history of supporting regime change ... Why Neocons back Hillary and fear Trump ... Imagining a better handling of Syria ... Why terrorism poses a problem for Realists ... Max’s biggest concerns about Trump as president ... Looking at the Iran deal through a Realist lens ...

How is Hillary's 'basket of deplorables' different from Romney's '47 percent?' ... The root causes of xenophobia ... Trump's policy proposals as 'emotional metaphors' ... Struggling to empathize with Trump voters ... Political correctness and its opposites ... The warping effects of fear ... Who marginalized Middle America? ... Trumpism after Trump ...

Erik's book The Birth of Insight and its hero, Ledi Sayadaw ... Three marks of existence: impermanence, suffering, and not-self ... Origins and characteristics of American Buddhism ... How Burmese politics shaped Western Buddhism ... Ledi's take on how meditation leads to enlightenment ... The ethical side of Buddhist practice ... Erik's meditation practice ...

Can smartphones help you meditate? ... Bringing virtual reality and meditation together ... Vincent’s experience teaching meditation online ... Circumventing the rational mind via inquiry meditation ... Becoming conscious of consciousness ... Vincent's "modular" approach to meditation ... Is Vincent enlightened? ...

Why Robby refuses to support Trump ... Is history shaped more by social forces or human agency? ... Robby gives an insider’s view on why Appalachia is Trump country ... The declining influence of religion ... How a lack of humility poisons politics ... Contempt in current political rhetoric ... Robby: Politicians need to get out of the identity politics game ...

A defense of Gary Johnson's, "What's Aleppo?" ... Ann: Political-speak is evolving ... Does Trump deserve more credit than he gets? ... Does Hillary lie more than other politicians? ... Bob on Hillary's biggest mistake and Trump's hair ... The media's anti-Trump bias ... The possibility of party realignment (on both sides) ...

What Mark learned writing the New York Times “Beliefs” column ... Wittgenstein on religion ... What does the “spiritual” in “spiritual but not religious” mean? ... Crossfit and other secular communities that seem religious ... The puzzle of Jewish identity ... Being religious but not spiritual ...