On July 23, 2024, Closer To Truth host Robert Lawrence Kuhn gave the keynote address at an event at the University of Latvia in Riga. The event celebrated the launch of the book he co-edited with Peter Gobets, “The Origin and Significance of Zero”. Kuhn spoke online about the concept of Nothing as well as…
Astrobiologist and theoretical physicist Sara Imari Walker shares an intriguing new scientific theory that explains what life is and how it emerges. What is life? This is among the most difficult open problems in science, right up there with the nature of consciousness and the existence of matter. All the definitions we have fall short.…
Greg Epstein—Humanist chaplain at MIT and Harvard University—explores how technology has evolved into a dominant cultural force, often resembling a religion in its influence. He discusses the book’s central thesis, delves into atheism and agnosticism, and examines the ethical implications of our tech-driven society. Greg M. Epstein is a leading humanist chaplain, author, and speaker…
How do conscious states relate to the rest of reality? Do all animals deserve moral consideration? Can AI be conscious? Philosopher David Papineau discusses the nature of consciousness, the mind-body problem, physicalism versus materialism, and much more. David Papineau is a British academic philosopher, born in Como, Italy. He works as Professor of Philosophy of…
Astrophysicist Or Graur offers a brief and fascinating overview of the history, physics, and astrophysical uses of galaxies. Starting with the history of the last two thousand years of galaxy studies, Graur discusses the types of galaxies we observe and the physics that drive them; the myths and physical structure of the Milky Way; how…
Distinguished Philosopher Ned Block discusses perception, cognition, and consciousness as well as his latest book, The Border Between Seeing and Thinking, a model for bringing philosophy and the mind sciences into dialogue. Ned Block is an American philosopher working in philosophy of mind who has made important contributions to the understanding of consciousness and the…
Professor Brian Swimme discusses cosmogenesis, our cultural evolution, human consciousness, the Noosphere, and more. Brian Thomas Swimme is a professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco where he teaches evolutionary cosmology to graduate students in the philosophy, cosmology, and consciousness program. His upcoming book, The Story of the Noosphere, will be…
Why is matter solid? Why is there antimatter? Where do the sizes of atoms come from? Theoretical physicist and philosopher Sean Carroll cuts to the bare mathematical essence of our most profound theories, explaining every step in his new book, Quanta and Fields: The Biggest Ideas in the Universe. In this interview, Carroll uses the…
To celebrate Closer To Truth’s partnership with this year’s HowtheLightGetsIn Hay festival, CTT host Robert Lawrence Kuhn and IAI founder Hilary Lawson sat down for a conversation to explore the festival’s theme of “Dangers, Desires, and Destiny”. In this conversation, they discuss nationalism, tribalism, artificial intelligence, social media, and answer questions submitted by viewers. Hilary…
Is there any truth to the idea that creativity originates from the right side of the brain? What is the link between mental illness and creativity? What role can psychedelics play in boosting creativity Professor Anna Abraham tackles these questions and more in her book, “The Creative Brain: Myths and Truths”. In this interview, Abraham…
Creative thinker and media visionary Robert Wright discusses a fascinating variety of topics including social media’s effect on society, sexual psychology and monogamy, the concept of non-zero, biological and cultural evolution, and more. Bob Wright is an author and journalist known for his wide-ranging interests in philosophy, society, science (especially evolutionary psychology), history, politics, international…
Philosopher Nick Bostrom discusses his new book, Deep Utopia: Life and Meaning in a Solved World, where he asks: In the face of incredible technological advances, what is the point of human existence? Will AI make our life and labor obsolete? In a “solved world,” where would we find meaning and purpose? Nick Bostrom is…