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Introducing The Seer Stone and the Prophet from Magic in the United States.

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DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Tonight, we’ll read excerpts from “Healthful Sports for Boys”, written by A.R. Calhoun and published in 1882. Also known as Alfred Rochfort, born in 1844, Calhoun was an American soldier, author, journalist and critic. He served in the Union army during the U.S. Civil War.

"Healthful Sports for Boys," was a guide to engaging in physical activities that promoted health and well-being. One popular game covered in the book was marbles. Calhoun likely saw the value in marbles not just as a fun pastime, but also as a way to develop hand-eye coordination, strategic thinking, and social skills. Glass marbles ultimately came into being around the middle of the 1800's, not too long before this book was written. It is believed that they were first created by glassmakers who shaped bits of leftover glass at the end of the day to take home for their children.

For Calhoun, games like this wasn't just about exercise. His book emphasized the importance of sportsmanship, fair play, and the development of character. Our episode tonight offers a glimpse into the sporting world of a bygone era, reflecting the values and ideals of the time.

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Introducing Near Death Experiences from How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality.

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People have been having Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) all over the world for as long as we can look back into history. And the strange thing is… these experiences seem to have a lot in common. Why? Is it a look into the afterlife? Is it just our neurons firing in weird ways as the brain dies? 

We’ll talk to psychiatrist Bruce Greyson, one of the world’s leading experts on Near-Death Experiences, about the research that led him to rethink his understanding of the nature of life, death, and the continuity of consciousness. We’ll explore the science behind how these experiences can provide comfort, heal past trauma, and even create transcendent experiences that help us make as much sense of our lives as of impending death. And we’ll also consider the bigger question of what NDEs suggest, if anything, about our understanding of reality. 

Bruce Greyson, M.D. is the author of “After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal About Life and Beyond.” Find out more about his book, and his over 45 years of experience researching NDEs, on his website. 

Here are links to the recordings of people you heard talking about their NDEs throughout the episode: Sharon Stone, Dr. Mary Neal, Renee Pasarow, Cherie Aimee, Jayne Smith.

Here’s a video of Dr. Gregory Shushan talking about his research on NDEs in ancient religions. 

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Tonight, we’ll read the classic fairy tale “The Golden Goose”. We found this version in Katherine Pyle’s 1918 “Mother’s Nursery Tales”. “The Golden Goose” was one of many folk tales documented and published by The Brothers Grimm. Snoozecast first read this story back in 2020.

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were German scholars who collected and published folklore during the 19th century. Their collection of tales helped preserve and popularize these stories, which were previously passed down orally through generations. While the Grimms' versions are widely known today, many of these tales have roots in much older oral traditions and exist in various forms across different cultures.

In this tale, a simple and sweet man named John finds a goose with golden feathers- and it turns his whole world on its head. The story is a reminder that generosity and kindness can lead to unexpected rewards.

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Introducing Rethinking Regret from How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality.

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Regret can be a double-edged sword.  It can be painful, and enduring, but we can also learn important lessons from it - IF we treat it right. Most religions speak of forgiveness and compassion, not only toward others but also toward oneself. Still, letting go can be difficult to do at times. So how do we learn from regret and start anew?

Dave speaks with best selling author Daniel Pink, and renowned Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg to learn about the science of regret and how some spiritual wisdom and practices can help us move beyond it and begin again. 

Daniel Pink is the author of five New York Times bestsellers, including his latest, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. Learn more about his work, and where to purchase his books, on his website. 

Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about her teachings, and find her other media appearances and books, on her website.

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Tonight, we shall read the next part to “Persuasion”, the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen, and published in 1817. The story concerns Anne Elliot, an Englishwoman whose family moves in order to lower their expenses, by renting their home to an Admiral and his wife.

In the last episode, the off-season tourists to the beach town of Lyme become acquainted with Captain Wentworth’s friends, Captain and Mrs. Harville along with Captain Benwick. At a dinner party, Anne spends the evening chatting about poetry and literature with the melancholic Captain Benwick. The next day, a gentleman stranger seems captivated with Anne’s fine looks, which seemed to have regained their earlier charms amidst the fresh air and change of scene.

In the last chapter, and in the coming episode, there is mention of the “cobb” that tourists visit in Lyme. The cobb is a real-life harbor wall originally constructed in ancient times to act as a breakwater to protect the ships and the town. To this day, no one knows for sure when it was originally constructed, or why it is called the Cobb.

We will pick up within chapter twelve.

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Introducing Transformations in AI: Why Foundation Models are the Future from Smart Talks with IBM.

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Major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence research often reshape the design and utility of AI in both business and society. In this special rebroadcast episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Goldstein explore the conceptual underpinnings of modern AI with Dr. David Cox, VP of AI Models at IBM Research. They talk foundation models, self-supervised machine learning, and the practical applications of AI and data platforms like watsonx in business and technology.

When we first aired this episode last year, the concept of foundation models was just beginning to capture our attention. Since then, this technology has evolved and redefined the boundaries of what's possible. Businesses are becoming more savvy about selecting the right models and understanding how they can drive revenue and efficiency.

This is a paid advertisement from IBM. The conversations on this podcast don't necessarily represent IBM's positions, strategies or opinions.

Visit us at https://www.ibm.com/smarttalks

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DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

Tonight, we’ll read the opening to “The Invisible Man”, a science fiction novel by H.G. Wells, published in 1897.

The title of this story refers to a scientist named Griffin, whose devotion to the study of optics leads him to a remarkable breakthrough: he has invented a way to render oneself invisible. However, as Griffin eagerly tests his invention on himself, he soon realizes the consequences of his success – the inability to reverse the invisibility. This novel’s exploration of the profound implications of scientific discovery and its impact on the human condition resonated deeply with readers.

"The Invisible Man" established Wells's reputation as a visionary genius who was the “father of science fiction”.

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Tonight, we’ll read a chapter titled “An Old Road.” from “A Rambler’s Lease” by Bradford Torrey, published in 1892. Torrey was an American ornithologist who wrote many stories about his experiences walking through woods while bird watching. 

The preface he wrote to tonight’s book is paraphrased as follows: “The writer of this little book has found so much pleasure in other men's woods and fields that he has come to look upon himself as in some sort the owner of them. Their lawful possessors will not begrudge him this feeling, he believes, nor take it amiss if he assumes, even in this public way, to hold a rambler's lease of their property. His private opinion is that the world belongs to those who enjoy it.”

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Introducing Succeeding Without Trying from How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality.

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We spend a lot of time on How God Works talking about how spirituality can offer tools to become better versions of ourselves.  And while learning to be happier, healthier and more resilient are all positive things to strive for, they can also lead us down a different path - an obsession with productivity and self-optimization… which can lead to a culture of trying to grind or life-hack our way through everything.

But what if the secret to success lies in doing less, not more? On this episode, we’ll explore the Chinese concept of wu wei, effortless action. We'll talk to Edward Slingerland about how modern cognitive science has proven many early Chinese thinkers right, why wu wei is still relevant today, and how learning how not to try can help us forge a different path toward the good life.

Edward Slingerland is a professor of religion at the University of British Columbia and the author of Trying Not To Try: Ancient China, Modern Science and the Power of Spontaneity. Find out more about his work, and his other books, on his website.

Other texts we’ve discussed during this episode include: 

-Flow, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

-Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, by Immanuel Kant

-The Analects or Sayings of Confucius, attributed to Confucius

-The Tao Te Ching or Laozi, attributed to Laozi

-The Mencius, attributed to Mencius

DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].