Closer To Truth

Episodes

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  Woodenfish Forum on Buddhism, Science & Future — Landscape of Consciousness — Robert Lawrence Kuhn 19.08.2026 1h 3m

  Can your theory of consciousness determine your answers to the biggest questions in philosophy, science, and religion — AI sentience, life after death, free will, personal identity? Robert Lawrence Kuhn presents his landmark taxonomy of consciousness theories — spanning materialism, quantum theories, information, panpsychism, dualism, idealism, and more — and argues that every serious question about mind and perhaps even about existence depends on which theory you hold. Recorded at the 7th Woodenfish Forum on Buddhism, Science & Future ("Rewriting Reincarnation in the Light of Frontier Biotechnology"), held at The Grand Hotel, Taipei, June 5–7, 2026, and introduced by the forum's founder, Venerable Dr. Yifa. Robert Lawrence Kuhn is the creator, producer, writer, and host of _Closer To Truth,_ the long-running PBS series and global resource on cosmos, consciousness, and meaning. He holds a PhD in anatomy and brain research from UCLA and is the author of "A Landscape of Consciousness: Toward a Taxonomy of Explanations and Implications," editor-in-chief of the Landscape of Consciousness website, which currently catalogues nearly 450 theories of consciousness. The Landscape of Consciousness website: https://loc.closertotruth.com/ Venerable Dr. Yifa is the founder and director of the Woodenfish Foundation, an international, nonsectarian nonprofit dedicated to building a global network of ethical and compassionate leaders. A Yale-educated Buddhist nun and Associate at the Harvard University Asia Center, she has appeared on Closer To Truth exploring Buddhist philosophy. The Woodenfish Forum on Buddhism, Science & Future was founded by Venerable Dr. Yifa with the aspiration of engaging Buddhist thought through the lens of scientific inquiry. The 2026 forum brought together leading scientists, philosophers, and religious thinkers to explore reincarnation, consciousness, and the ethics of frontier biotechnology. Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.comSupport the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  How do Brains Work? 12.08.2026 27m

  Everything we know, everything we think, comes from our brain. Are brains our window to reality, seeing what truly exists? Or are we bound by brains, mental slaves of the meat in our heads? Featuring interviews with Christopher Evans, Kelsey Martin, Robert Bilder, Jared Diamond, and Rodney Brooks. Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.comSupport the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  Celia Deane-Drummond on the Evolution of Wisdom and the Nature of Evil 05.08.2026 1h 10m

  Celia Deane-Drummond talks the evolution of wisdom, COVID-19 and the boundary between natural and moral evil, Christian theology, and redeeming sin. She also discusses her book, Shadow Sophia, the second volume in her Evolution of Wisdom series. Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.comSupport the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  What Would Multiple Universes Mean? 29.07.2026 27m

  Is there more than one universe? According to current cosmology, our entire gigantic universe is only one of innumerable universes, each universe like one tiny bubble in a limitless ocean of universes. What could all this mean? Featuring interviews with Max Tegmark, Anthony Aguirre, Alan Guth, Andrei Linde, and Paul Davies.Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/ X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  What is Nothing? 22.07.2026 27m

  What is “nothing”? What does it mean for nothing to exist—or for nothing to have ever existed? In this episode, Robert Lawrence Kuhn explores one of philosophy’s deepest questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? Through conversations with philosophers and physicists, the discussion examines the nature of nothingness, whether absolute nothing is possible, and how different philosophical and scientific perspectives attempt to explain the existence of the universe. Featuring Richard Swinburne, Simon Blackburn, Robert Spitzer, Peter van Inwagen, Steven Weinberg, John Leslie, Timothy O’Connor, Victor Stenger, John Hawthorne, and Peter Forrest. Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/ X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  Saleem Ali on Natural Laws and Human Life 15.07.2026 1h 21m

  How do natural laws shape human societies? In this conversation, Saleem Ali discusses Earthly Order: How Natural Laws Define Human Life, exploring connections between natural systems, social organization, economics, and political order. Ali examines how concepts such as order, chaos, emergence, hierarchy, and complexity operate across scales—from physics and ecology to governance and global sustainability. Saleem H. Ali is the Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware. His research focuses on environmental conflicts, sustainability, natural resources, and ecological cooperation in international relations.   Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/ X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  Mario Livio on Galileo, Science Denial, and the Future of the Universe 08.07.2026 1h 6m

  What can Galileo still teach us about science, truth, and discovery? In this conversation, Mario Livio discusses Galileo’s scientific legacy, the Hubble Space Telescope, science denial, exoplanets, cosmology, and the future of life in the universe. Drawing from his book Galileo: And the Science Deniers, Livio explores Galileo’s role in the development of the scientific method and examines how scientific understanding evolves through observation, experimentation, and self-correction. Mario Livio is an astrophysicist and author who worked for 24 years at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which operates the Hubble Space Telescope. Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/ X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  Gregg Caruso on Free Will: Philosophy and Moral Responsibility 01.07.2026 1h 18m

  Do we really have free will? In this conversation, Gregg Caruso explores the philosophy of free will, moral responsibility, determinism, compatibilism, libertarian free will, and free will skepticism. Discussing themes from Just Deserts: Debating Free Will, co-authored with Daniel Dennett, Caruso examines whether human beings possess the kind of control required for moral responsibility and how neuroscience and philosophy shape the debate. Gregg D. Caruso is Professor of Philosophy at SUNY Corning and Honorary Professor of Philosophy at Macquarie University.   Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/ X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  Wendy Freedman on the Hubble Constant, Standard Candles, and Cosmology 24.06.2026 49m

  How do we measure the expansion of the universe? In this conversation, Wendy Freedman discusses the Hubble constant, standard candles, redshift, and the ongoing effort to determine the age, size, and evolution of the universe. Exploring Cepheid variables, supernovae, cosmic expansion, and the tension between competing cosmological measurements, Freedman explains how increasingly precise observations are reshaping modern cosmology. Wendy Freedman is an astronomer known for her measurements of the Hubble constant and for her leadership of the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, California, and Las Campanas, Chile. Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/ X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  Michael Ruse on Evolution, Human Exceptionalism, and Philosophy of Biology 17.06.2026 1h 10m

    What does evolution imply about human nature and human value? In this conversation, Michael Ruse explores the philosophy of biology, the mechanistic view of life, human exceptionalism, and the relationship between evolution and meaning. Discussing themes from his book A Philosopher Looks at Human Beings, Ruse examines whether the world is best understood as an organism or a machine, how Darwin transformed our understanding of humanity, and whether values can exist within a mechanistic picture of nature. Michael Ruse was a philosopher of science specializing in the philosophy of biology, evolution, science and religion, and the creation–evolution controversy. He taught at Florida State University. Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/ X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  Thomas Hertog on the Origin of Time 10.06.2026 1h 13m

  How did the universe begin—and what determines the laws of physics we observe? In this conversation, Thomas Hertog discusses On the Origin of Time: Stephen Hawking’s Final Theory, presenting a new approach to cosmology developed through years of collaboration with Stephen Hawking. Exploring quantum cosmology, the multiverse, fine-tuning, and the “no-boundary” proposal, Hertog argues for a profoundly evolutionary picture of the cosmos and our place within it.Thomas Hertog is Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Leuven. His research focuses on the quantum nature of the big bang and the origins of the universe.Order Thomas Hertog's book: https://bit.ly/3ZZal1d Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/ X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  David Chalmers on Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy 03.06.2026 1h 14m

  Can virtual worlds be genuinely real? In this conversation, David Chalmers explores the philosophical implications of virtual reality, simulation theory, and digital existence. Discussing themes from his book Reality+, Chalmers examines whether we could be living in a simulation, whether virtual worlds can contain real meaning and value, and how emerging digital realities challenge our understanding of consciousness, knowledge, and existence.Chalmers' book, Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy, is available for purchase: https://bookshop.org/books/reality-virtual-worlds-and-the-problems-of-philosophy/9780393635805 David Chalmers is Professor of Philosophy at New York University and Co-Director of the Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness. His work focuses on consciousness, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, epistemology, and the foundations of cognitive science. Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/ X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  Anil Seth on a New Science of Consciousness 27.05.2026 1h 2m

  In this conversation, Anil Seth discusses a new scientific approach to consciousness — moving beyond the traditional “hard problem” toward explaining the actual properties of conscious experience. Robert Lawrence Kuhn and Seth explore phenomenology, neural correlates of consciousness, predictive perception, conscious selfhood, and why measuring consciousness may be essential for understanding it. Anil Seth is Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex and Co-Director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science. His research brings together neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, computer science, mathematics, and psychiatry to investigate the biological basis of consciousness.Seth's book, Being You: A New Science of Consciousness, is available for purchase in the UK and the US: https://amzn.to/3jI9ss7 Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/ X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  Why Philosophy of Evolutionary Biology? 13.05.2026 27m

  Why do we need philosophy to understand evolution? Robert Lawrence Kuhn explores the philosophy of evolutionary biology — not just how evolution works, but what its core concepts really mean. Through conversations with Elliott Sober, Richard Dawkins, Samir Okasha, John Dupré, Dennis Noble, and Michael Ruse, this episode examines natural selection, common ancestry, challenges to evolutionary theory, and the deeper implications of evolution for science, religion, and human identity. Featuring interviews with Elliott Sober, Richard Dawkins, Samir Okasha, John Dupré, Dennis Noble, and Michael Ruse.Subscribe to Closer To Truth:  https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community: Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/ Follow Us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloserToTruthTV/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closertotruth/ X: https://x.com/CloserToTruth
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  Arnold Zuboff on Why You Are Every Conscious Being 06.05.2026 32m

  What if the boundaries between you and every other conscious being are an illusion? Philosopher Arnold Zuboff makes the case for Universalism — the radical view that first-person immediacy, not any particular body or origin, is what makes an experience yours. And if that's right, then you exist wherever consciousness exists.Arnold Zuboff is an American philosopher known for his work on personal identity, consciousness, and probability. He took his PhD at Princeton in 2009 under Thomas Nagel and spent most of his academic career at University College London. Subscribe to Closer To Truth:https://www.youtube.com/@CloserToTruthTV Join the Community:• Membership (5,000+ videos): https://closertotruth.com/register/ • Audio Podcast: https://closertotruth.podbean.com • Support the Show: https://closertotruth.com/donate/ • Official Merchandise: https://www.bonfire.com/store/closertotruth/
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  Rebecca Newberger Goldstein on The Mattering Instinct 29.04.2026 34m

  Philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein introduces the idea of the “mattering instinct”—the deep human drive to see our lives as significant. In this conversation, she explores how our longing to matter may arise from the very material reality we often try to transcend. Rebecca Newberger Goldstein is an award-winning philosopher, writer, and public intellectual. She is the author of 10 books of acclaimed fiction and non-fiction — including 36 Arguments for the Existence of God, Betraying Spinoza, and her landmark new work The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us. She holds a PhD in philosophy of science from Princeton University and has taught at Yale, Columbia, NYU, Dartmouth, and Harvard. She is a MacArthur Fellow and recipient of the 2014 National Humanities Medal, presented by President Obama in 2015. Get access to over 5,000 videos by signing up for a free Closer To Truth membership: https://closertotruth.com/register/
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  What Is The Far Future Of Intelligence 22.04.2026 27m

  What might intelligence become—not just in centuries, but across millions or even billions of years? Robert explores the deepest questions about the far future of intelligence in the universe. While we often think in terms of decades, extending our perspective to vast cosmic timescales challenges our assumptions about meaning, purpose, and what may ultimately be real. If the future holds clues, how far can we reasonably speculate, and what might we discover about intelligence itself?Featuring interviews with Freeman Dyson, Lawrence Krauss, Raymond Kurzweil, Frank Tipler, Robin Collins, and Paul Davies.Get access to over 5,000 videos by signing up for a free Closer To Truth membership: https://closertotruth.com/register/
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  Roman Yampolskiy on How Dangerous Is Artificial Intelligence 15.04.2026 47m

  We may be creating something a million times smarter than all of humanity combined — and we have no plan for what happens next. AI safety pioneer Roman Yampolskiy lays out the risks, the arguments, and whether any solution exists. Roman V. Yampolskiy is a tenured Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Louisville's Speed School of Engineering, where he founded and directs the Cyber Security Lab. Widely credited with coining the term "AI safety" in 2011, he is the author of AI: Unexplainable, Unpredictable, Uncontrollable.Get access to over 5,000 videos by signing up for a free Closer To Truth membership: https://closertotruth.com/register/
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  Michael James on What the World Is According to Sri Ramana 08.04.2026 34m

  Is the world we experience truly real, or is it more like a dream we haven't yet woken up from? Michael James, a leading scholar and translator of the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, explores how Ramana's philosophy challenges our most basic assumptions about the self, the world, and the nature of reality. Michael James has spent nearly 50 years studying, practicing, and translating the works of Sri Ramana Maharshi. He studied under Sri Sadhu Om, a direct disciple of Ramana, and is the author of Atma-Vidya: The Science of Knowing Oneself. He is regarded as a leading authority on Ramana's primary sources and experiential practice.Make a donation to Closer To Truth to help us continue exploring the world's deepest questions without the need for paywalls: https://shorturl.at/OnyRq 
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  Current Arguments for God 01.04.2026 27m

  Make a donation to Closer To Truth to help us continue exploring the world's deepest questions without the need for paywalls. I like arguments about God, whether based on science, philosophy or personal experience. I like to push and to be pushed, explore the possible existence of a Creator. I must also consider defeaters of God. Featuring interviews with Rebecca Goldstein, Ian Barbour, John Polkinghorne, Robin Collins, Anthony Grayling, Yujin Nagasawa, and Alvin Plantinga.