Membership promo placeholder

Seasons

All seasons of the acclaimed television series.

Science explores how the world works. Breakthroughs drive science, challenging conventional wisdom, changing ways of thinking. What are Breakthroughs in science?

playlist

Season 21

Season

4:54:37

Watch

Art Seeking Understanding: Art delights us, but how and why? Explore art and cognitive science, philosophy, history, theology, and more.

playlist

Season 20

Season

10 videos

4:27:50

Watch

Philosophical inquiries including the anthropic principle; fine-tuning in physics and cosmology; and atonement, salvation, and incarnation.

playlist

Season 19

Season

Watch

Are there multiple universes? What is extended mind? What causes consciousness? Challenges of analytic theology? If God, what’s evolution?

playlist

Season 18

Season

13 videos

Watch

How did the universe begin? What exists? What are the risks of scientific knowledge? Can metaphysics discern God, and what or who is God?

playlist

Season 17

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: Doomsday argument? Philosophy & science? Consciousness: Brain alone? Brains go bad? Language? Meaning: How miracles? God fallacies?

playlist

Season 16

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: Reason? Implications? Consciousness: ESP mean? ESP work? Dualism? Ultimate reality? Meaning: Speculating about God? God intervenes?

playlist

Season 15

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: Information? Truth? Multiverse? Consciousness: Science of consciousness? Mind heal body? Meaning: Blame God for evil? God not free?

playlist

Season 14

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: Ever end? Ultimate reality? Consciousness: Death final? Free will for moral responsibility? Meaning: What causes religious belief?

playlist

Season 13

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: Beginning? What is Nothing? Why anything? Consciousness: Personal identity persist? Sleep? Human uniqueness? Meaning: New atheism?

playlist

Season 12

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: What is time? Infinite cosmos? Consciousness: How brains work? Free will illusion? Meaning: Alternative Gods? Resurrection? Hell?

playlist

Season 11

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: Religiously ambiguous? General principles? Consciousness: Illusion? Dreams? Belief systems? Meaning: What is God? Arguing God?

playlist

Season 10

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: Life inevitable? Inflation? Complexity? Consciousness: Alien intelligence? Meaning: Creator God? God all powerful? God fallacies?

playlist

Season 09

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: Beyond physics? Cosmic purpose? Consciousness: ESP clues? Keep identity? Souls? Meaning: God’s nature? Evil necessary? Immortality?

playlist

Season 08

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: SpaceTime? Science limits? Consciousness: How brains conscious? Survive death? Meaning: God vs science? Miracles? God & free will?

playlist

Season 07

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: Cosmic structure? Quantum strange? Consciousness: ESP spirit? Brain free will? Meaning: God all knowing? Necessary? Agnosticism?

playlist

Season 06

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: Far future? Ultimate Questions? Consciousness: Human brains? Mind? Personal identity? Meaning: God a Person? Religion without God?

playlist

Season 05

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: Expanding universe? Extra dimensions? Laws? Consciousness: All material? Angels/demons? Meaning: God’s judgment? God create evil?

playlist

Season 04

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: Something/Nothing? Final Theory? Consciousness: Fundamental? Aliens? Meaning: God knows future? Eternal life? Science-religion?

playlist

Season 03

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: Many universes? Time Travel? Consciousness: Life after death? Mind? Free will? Meaning: Evil disprove God? Time? Arguing Atheism?

playlist

Season 02

Season

13 videos

Watch

Cosmos: How vast? Fine-tuned? Fake? Consciousness: Mystery? Brain structure? Souls? ESP? Meaning: God make sense? Arguing God’s existence?

playlist

Season 01

Season

13 videos

Watch

Featured Episodes

Members Only

Please login or join to view

Cover image for How Does Deception Affect Human Behavior?

What can we learn when people deceive? There are all kinds of deception: from lying, duplicity, and disguises, to propaganda, disinformation, and deep fakes. Self-deception,...

video

How Does Deception Affect Human Behavior?

Episode 10

Season 21

26:47

Watch

Cover image for Why is Consciousness Baffling?

How does consciousness weave its magical web of inner awareness-appreciating music, enjoying art, feeling love? Even when all mental functions may be explained, the great...

video

Why is Consciousness Baffling?

Episode 01

Season 04

26:46

Watch

Cover image for Is Consciousness Ultimate Reality?

Some say that consciousness is the only true reality—that everything else, including the universe, comes from consciousness. If so, how would consciousness relate to the...

video

Is Consciousness Ultimate Reality?

Episode 13

Season 15

26:48

Watch

Cover image for How do Persons Maintain Their Identity?

What does it mean to be a “self”? Look at an old photo. Then look in the mirror. Those two images are of the same person, right? How so? They don’t look the...

video

How do Persons Maintain Their Identity?

Episode 11

Season 05

26:46

Watch

Cover image for Big Questions in Free Will I?

What is free will? Do we have free will? The ‘Big Questions in Free Will’ project tackles these issues in a multi-year study. In Part I, scientists and philosophers...

video

Big Questions in Free Will I?

Episode 10

Season 14

26:47

Watch

Cover image for Big Questions in Free Will II?

How we think about free will affects how we live our lives and structure our societies. In Part II of our following the multi-year ‘Big Questions in Free Will’ project,...

video

Big Questions in Free Will II?

Episode 11

Season 14

26:47

Watch

Cover image for Is There Life After Death?

Do we survive bodily death? Can our personal awareness transcend physical decay? There are no bigger questions and there are no shortages of answers. Some claim to have...

video

Is There Life After Death?

Episode 01

Season 02

26:46

Watch

Cover image for Where are They, All Those Aliens?

Most scientists assume that the universe must be populated with innumerable alien intelligences and civilizations – after all, we humans can’t be so special. OK,...

video

Where are They, All Those Aliens?

Episode 05

Season 03

26:46

Watch

Death is the ultimate defeat. No matter our successes, we are all doomed to suffer the final failure. But some claim that death is not final. Can the defeat be defeated?

video

Is Death Final?

Episode 06

Season 13

26:47

Watch

1 of 2

What are you interested in?

Cosmos

Questions like:
Why is there something rather than nothing? What exists? How vast is the cosmos? Are there multiple universes (multiverse)?

Consciousness

Questions like:
What is consciousness? Can brain explain mind? What are persons? Do persons have souls? Life after death? What is free will?

Meaning

Questions like:
What is God? Does God exist? Does God make sense? Is God a person? What are God’s traits? Alternative concepts of God?

2 of 2

Which formats do you prefer?

Episodes

Complete Closer To Truth TV episodes as broadcast on PBS stations nationwide in the U.S.

Topic Series

Intimate discussions with leading scientists, philosophers, and creative thinkers on hundreds of topics related to cosmos, consciousness, and meaning.

Curated Playlists

Collections of the best videos selected by the Closer To Truth team.

CTT Chats

Informal, free-flowing conversations with leading scientists, philosophers, and creative thinkers.

NEW EPISODES

Watch Season 21

Discover scientific breakthroughs with our latest season of full episodes.

WATCH NOW

Curated Playlists

Cover image for Featured Videos from IAI.tv

Our partners at The Institute of Art and Ideas (IAI) aim to rescue philosophy from technical debates about the meaning of words and return it to big ideas and putting them at...

playlist

Featured Videos from IAI.tv

Curated

6 videos

4:04:51

Watch

Cover image for Universe: Beginning, Vast Size, End

Did the universe have a beginning? What was it like? Will our universe end? How? How big is the cosmos? Does it go on forever, and what would that mean? How many universes...

playlist

Universe: Beginning, Vast Size, End

Curated

5:48:03

Watch

Explore the beauty and mystery of the cosmos. Investigate the nature of reality and information. Delve into multiple universes, extra dimensions, and time travel. Contemplate...

playlist

Astonishing Cosmos

Curated

12 videos

5:21:09

Watch

The relationship between science and theology is fraught with conflict. Are science and religion at war? Does God exist or not, and can science offer any insight? Should...

playlist

Science vs. Religion?

Curated

12 videos

5:21:21

Watch

Cover image for Ultimate Questions of Existence

What is real? What is nothing? Why is there “something” rather than “nothing”? Does the nonphysical world exist? These are the ultimate questions of reality, the...

playlist

Ultimate Questions of Existence

Curated

12 videos

5:21:15

Watch

Cover image for Featured Speakers: HowtheLightGetsIn Festival 2023

Closer To Truth is proud to be a partner of this year's HowtheLightGetsIn Festival, the world's largest philosophy and music festival, May 26-29. This playlist, featuring...

playlist

Featured Speakers: HowtheLightGetsIn Festival 2023

Curated

17 videos

4:43:45

Watch

Cover image for The Mystery of Consciousness

How can we understand consciousness? Is our consciousness an illusion? Can it be measured scientifically or tied to the brain? Why is consciousness so difficult to explain?

playlist

The Mystery of Consciousness

Curated

13 videos

5:48:03

Watch

Cover image for Secrets of Brain and Mind

Everything we know comes from the brain. Are brains our window to reality, showing us what truly exists? How can we know? Can consciousness derive from something beyond the...

playlist

Secrets of Brain and Mind

Curated

13 videos

5:48:02

Watch

Cover image for Exploring Human Nature: Free Will, Personal Identity, Life after Death

What are the fundamental dispositions and traits of all humans? What sets us apart from animals? Do we really have free will or is it all an illusion? What happens when we...

playlist

Exploring Human Nature: Free Will, Personal Identity, Life after Death

Curated

13 videos

5:54:03

Watch

The existence of God is hotly debated in philosophical and theological circles with passionate arguments on all sides. What are all the ways we can think about God? Can we...

playlist

Does God Exist?

Curated

13 videos

5:47:58

Watch

Cover image for Philosophical Questions I

Explore philosophical questions that address fundamental issues and beliefs including the meaning of truth; the philosophy of science, cosmology, and biology; metaphysics...

playlist

Philosophical Questions I

Curated

5:48:17

Watch

Cover image for Philosophical Questions II

Explore more philosophical questions that seek insights into the fundamental features of existence including the limits of science, the existence of God, discerning the deep...

playlist

Philosophical Questions II

Curated

13 videos

5:48:10

Watch

Featured Topic Series

playlist

Mind, Art, Transcendence (Part 1)

Topic Series

3 videos

27:03

Watch

Cover image for Women in Philosophy and Physics/Cosmology

Closer To Truth is highlighting remarkable women in philosophy and physics/cosmology.

playlist

Women in Philosophy and Physics/Cosmology

Curated, Topic Series

11 videos

1:38:00

Watch

Cover image for The Global Philosophy of Religion Project

The Global Philosophy of Religion Project, in partnership with the University of Birmingham, aims to make the philosophy of religion a truly global field by promoting the...

playlist

The Global Philosophy of Religion Project

Project

24 videos

22:46:58

Watch

Cover image for Asking Ultimate Questions

Push boundaries. Discern the deep essence of existence. Search the foundations of reality. Imagine all that may exist in physical realms beyond current understanding. Seek to...

playlist

Asking Ultimate Questions

Topic Series

12 videos

1:29:44

Watch

Did the universe have a beginning? What was it like? Will our universe end? How? How big is the cosmos? Does it go on forever, and what would that mean? How many universes...

playlist

Universe: Beginning, Vast Size, End

Curated

5:48:03

Watch

Cover image for What is Philosophy of Biology?

We ask the broadest and most fundamental questions about biology, seeking meaning, purpose and implications of biological phenomena and systems. Questions include: life,...

playlist

What is Philosophy of Biology?

Topic Series

5 videos

39:46

Watch

Newest

Cover image for On the Quest for the Theory of Everything

Is it possible to find a theory that explains it all? Featuring Sabine Hossenfelder, Eric Weinstein, Brian Greene, and Michael Shermer.

video

On the Quest for the Theory of Everything

Curated

50:25

Watch

video

The Future of Freedom

Curated

Watch

video

Life, the Universe, and Everything Else

Curated

44:28

Watch

Cover image for The New Science of Consciousness

Will science crack the mystery of consciousness? Featuring Carlo Rovelli, Bernardo Kastrup, and Patricia Churchland. Robert Lawrence Kuhn Hosts.

video

The New Science of Consciousness

Curated

52:01

Watch

Cover image for The Dawn of Consciousness

Did consciousness evolve? Featuring Donald Hoffman, Iain McGilchrist, Eva Jablonka, and Michelle Montague. Robert Lawrence Kuhn hosts.

video

The Dawn of Consciousness

51:26

Watch

Cover image for The Fantasy and the Void

Will science ever replace religion? Featuring Rupert Sheldrake, Slavoj Zizek, and Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen. Wes Alwan hosts.

video

The Fantasy and the Void

Curated

46:31

Watch

New episodes every Wednesday

Listen anywhere you get your podcasts

LISTEN NOW

The Dawn of Consciousness

51:26

Watch

Extra dimensions—beyond length, width, height—seem like the stuff of science fiction. What would extra dimensions be like? Is time the fourth dimension? Does string...

video

Michio Kaku

Topic Series

11:32

Watch

Cover image for Sabine Hossenfelder on Physics and the Big Questions

Sabine Hossenfelder talks about if the past exists, how the universe began and how it will end, information, math as reality, time, and consciousness. She also discusses her...

video

Sabine Hossenfelder on Physics and the Big Questions

CTT Chat

1:04:26

Watch

Black holes warp space and time, squeeze matter to a vanishing point, and trap light so that it cannot escape. Black holes, with masses millions or billions times that of our...

video

Leonard Susskind

Topic Series

13:29

Watch

Cover image for Sean Carroll on the Biggest Ideas in the Universe

Sean Carroll talks about about his terrific new book, The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion. He also dives into the importance of equations in popular...

video

Sean Carroll on the Biggest Ideas in the Universe

Authors Series, CTT Chat

1:12:58

Watch

What does it mean for space and time to be the same thing? Not related to each other, but literally two descriptions of precisely the same entity called...

video

Lee Smolin

Topic Series

9:18

Watch

Featured Contributors

Roger Penrose

Nobel Prize in Physics; Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, University of Oxford

Sabine Hossenfelder

Physicist and Science Writer, Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy

Sean Carroll

Research Professor of Physics, Caltech

David Chalmers

Professor of Philosophy and Co-director, Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, New York University

Sarah Coakley

Norris-Hulse Emeritus Professor of Divinity, University of Cambridge; Anglican priest

V.S. Ramachandran

Distinguished Professor; Director, Center for Brain and Cognition, UC San Diego

Paul Davies

Regents' Professor, Arizona State University

Michio Kaku

Professor of Physics, City College of New York; Futurist; Author

Recent News

Book Excerpt

Neil Theise: Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness, and Being

The following is an excerpt from the book Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness, and Being by Neil Theise.

Book Excerpt

Nicholas Humphrey: Sentience: The Invention of Consciousness

The following is an excerpt from the book Sentience: The Invention of Consciousness by Nicholas Humphrey.

Announcement

Manil Suri Shortlisted for PEN Science Writing Award

Manil Suri's book, The Big Bang of Numbers, shortlisted for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award.

Announcement

Upcoming Partnership Event on AI and Consciousness

Closer To Truth is partnering with the Institute of Art and Ideas for the virtual event "Consciousness in the Machine".

Book Excerpt

Saleem Ali: Earthly Order

The following is an excerpt from the book Earthly Order: How Natural Laws Define Human Life by Saleem Ali..

Announcement

Celebrating Noam Chomsky’s Birthday with Four-Part Miniseries

Closer To Truth celebrates Noam Chomsky's birthday with a four-part interview.

The greatest thinkers. The deepest questions.

Cosmos. Consciousness. Meaning.

Closer To Truth: The Podcast

Contemporary Conversations

Seasons

Season 21

Season 20

Season 19

Season 18

Season 17

Season 16

Season 15

Season 14

Season 13

Season 12

Season 11

Season 10

Season 09

Season 08

Season 07

Season 06

Season 05

Season 04

Season 03

Season 02

Season 01

Featured Episodes

How Does Deception Affect Human Behavior?

Why is Consciousness Baffling?

Is Consciousness Ultimate Reality?

How do Persons Maintain Their Identity?

Big Questions in Free Will I?

Big Questions in Free Will II?

Is There Life After Death?

Where are They, All Those Aliens?

Is Death Final?

What are you interested in?

Which formats do you prefer?

Watch Season 21

Curated Playlists

Featured Videos from IAI.tv

Universe: Beginning, Vast Size, End

Astonishing Cosmos

Science vs. Religion?

Ultimate Questions of Existence

Featured Speakers: HowtheLightGetsIn Festival 2023

The Mystery of Consciousness

Secrets of Brain and Mind

Exploring Human Nature: Free Will, Personal Identity, Life after Death

Does God Exist?

Philosophical Questions I

Philosophical Questions II

Featured Topic Series

Mind, Art, Transcendence (Part 1)

Women in Philosophy and Physics/Cosmology

The Global Philosophy of Religion Project

Asking Ultimate Questions

Universe: Beginning, Vast Size, End

What is Philosophy of Biology?

Newest

On the Quest for the Theory of Everything

The Future of Freedom

Life, the Universe, and Everything Else

The New Science of Consciousness

The Dawn of Consciousness

The Fantasy and the Void

Featured Topics

Deep Laws of Nature

Mystery of Existence

Free Will

Mind-Body Problems

Philosophy of Religion

Art Seeking Understanding

Vast Cosmos

Life After Death?

Time and Space-Time

Arguments Against God

Cosmic Fundamentals

New episodes every Wednesday

Popular