Robert Wright's Nonzero

Clayton's research into the psychology of religious belief ... The difference between awe and inspiration ... Evidence that inspiration causes belief in God ... The effects of remembering personally inspiring events ... What happens during moments of spiritual transcendence ... Believing in a loving God vs. a controlling God ...

The higher purpose in Megan’s life ... How exclusion can create meaning ... Megan’s test for being her best ... The challenge of understanding the other ... Getting to a global community ... Confronting death ...

How David finds meaning in his life ... Why does God have to be perfect? ... David: I like when politicians talk about their faith ... Imagining David Corn, coal company CEO ... The upsides of tribalism ... How to leave a meaningful legacy ...

Is the meaning of life a matter of taste? ... Suicidal despair vs. the wonder of existence ... John: We must believe in free will ... The downsides of free will ... Finding meaning in psychedelic experiences ... John's craziest drug trip: "God chewing his fingernails" ...

How Dacher became a science adviser for Pixar’s Inside Out ... What science tells us about emotions and their function ... How do you define an emotion? ... The science behind the islands of personality in Inside Out ... Do we remember our emotions accurately? ... The (many) ways your emotions mislead you ...

The Israel lobby and the Iran nuclear deal ... Does AIPAC really want to win the fight against the Iran deal? ... What some deal opponents fear more than Iran getting nukes ... How do we deal with the Islamic State if it sticks around? ... The case for patient containment of ISIS (and taking a chill pill) ... The incoherence of US policy toward the Islamic State ...

How Lucy, as Xena, became an icon for gay fans ... Why do we search for meaning? ... Bob tries to solve Lucy's spiritual crisis ... The psychological ups and down of a TV actor ... How Lucy makes herself happy ... Fighting worries about what others think of you ...

Maintaining mindfulness when “literally on fire” ... Regaining a meditative practice after severe trauma ... Separating suffering from pain ... How the plane crash made Allan’s life better ... Allan’s transformation from actor to meditation teacher ... Using technology to support a meditation practice ...

Why Adam is crucial to Christian theology ... What happens when the Biblical Adam encounters modern genetics ... The “slippery slope” of critical inquiry ... What do you need to believe to be a Christian? ... Trying to reconcile God as Creator with natural selection ... Evolutionary psychology and the doctrine of original sin ...

Paul is pro-“compassion” but anti-“empathy" ... Different types of empathy: emotional vs. cognitive ... Two examples of the damage done by empathy ... The myth of pure evil ... Are humans naturally moral? ... The unconscious biases that inform our sense of justice ...