CTT Chats

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 science writing, conservation, Noether’s Theorem, the mechanics of space, the nature of time, black holes, gravity, and many other topics. Order The Biggest Ideas in the Universe now.

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 new book, Existential Physics: A Scientist’s Guide to Life’s Biggest Questions. Purchase a copy of Existential Physics: A Scientist’s Guide to Life’s Biggest Questions here.

Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam, neuroscientists and authors of Journey of the Mind: How Thinking Emerged from Chaos, discuss why consciousness exists, how consciousness works, and their unified theory of the mind. Ogas and Gaddam's latest book, Journey of the Mind, is available for purchase now. Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam both received their PhDs in computational neuroscience from Boston University, where they designed mathematical models of cognition.

Analytic philosopher and Christian apologist William Lane Craig discusses the forgiveness and atonement process, the heart of the Christian religion. Craig has authored or edited over thirty books, including, Atonement and the Death of Christ. Craig's latest book, In Quest of the Historical Adam: A Biblical and Scientific Exploration, is available for purchase now.

Analytic philosopher and Christian apologist William Lane Craig talks about God’s absolute sovereignty, self-sufficiency, and how Abstract Objects – forms, numbers, logic – threaten an autonomous God. Craig has authored or edited over thirty books, including God Over All: Divine Aseity and the Challenge of Platonism, and God and Abstract Objects: The Coherence of Theism: Aseity.

Analytic philosopher and Christian apologist William Lane Craig discusses the relationship between God and Time. Even if one does not believe that God exists, still God and Time helps probe the nature of time itself. Craig has authored or edited over thirty books, including Time and Eternity: Exploring God's Relationship to Time.

Analytic philosopher and Christian apologist William Lane Craig discusses God’s Omniscience, God knowing everything, and reconciling God knowing the future with human free will. We look back on his 1987 book, The Only Wise God: The Compatibility of Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom.

Analytic philosopher and Christian apologist William Lane Craig looks back on his 1981 book, The Son Rises: Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus. Craig's latest book, In Quest of the Historical Adam: A Biblical and Scientific Exploration, is available for purchase now.

Analytic philosopher and Christian apologist William Lane Craig discusses his previous book, The Kalam Cosmological Argument. He talks time, the multiverse, the Standard Model of Cosmology, and the big bang. Craig's latest book, In Quest of the Historical Adam: A Biblical and Scientific Exploration, is available for purchase now.

Analytic philosopher and Christian apologist William Lane Craig discusses his recent book, In Quest of the Historical Adam. Was Adam a real historical person? And if so, who was he and when did he live? Craig sets out to answer these questions through a biblical and scientific investigation. He also examines the origin of humanity, Genesis as Mytho-History, and theological anthropology.

Theoretical physicist and mathematician Frank Wilczek discusses his way of thinking about fundamental science, his writing and philosophy, humanity's place and purpose, what is and what could be in science, and the laws of physics. Wilczek's latest book, Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality, is available for purchase now.

Theoretical physicist and mathematician Frank Wilczek discusses humankind's place and purpose, what is and what could be in science, and the laws of physics. Wilczek''s latest book, Fundamentals: Ten Keys to Reality, is available for purchase now.

Yujin Nagasawa is the H.G. Wood Professor of the Philosophy of Religion and Co-Director, Birmingham Centre for the Philosophy of Religion at the University of Birmingham (UK). In this interview with Robert Lawrence Kuhn, he provides a summary of the Global Philosophy of Religion Project.

Astrophysicist Paul Davies continues the conversation on his new book, What’s Eating the Universe? And Other Cosmic Questions. From Consciousness, the Cosmic Horizon, and the fate of our universe to if there's meaning to existence, if aliens out there, and the Doomsday Argument. Davies' book, What’s Eating the Universe? And Other Cosmic Questions, is available for purchase here.

English philosopher Hilary Lawson discusses his book, Closure: A Story of Everything, a text that develops a comprehensive system of non-realist metaphysics. Hilary Lawson is a philosopher and award-winning broadcaster who founded @The Institute of Art and Ideas to bring philosophy and intellectual ideas into public discourse. He has been hosting IAI TV’s philosophy and global politics debate strands since 2010.

Astrophysicist Paul Davies talks his new book, What’s Eating the Universe? And Other Cosmic Questions. In it, he covers teleology in the cosmos, the fine-tuning of our universe, multiple universes, how to understand reality, dark energy, dark matter, time travel, and much more. Davies' book, What’s Eating the Universe?, is available for purchase here.

Stephon Alexander, cosmologist and professor of theoretical physics at Brown University, discusses his most recent book, Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics, an important guide to both science and society. Alexander's book, Fear of a Black Universe, is available for purchase here.

David Chalmers, Professor of Philosophy at New York University where he is co-director of the Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, discusses his important new book, Reality+. The book takes readers on a mind-bending journey through virtual worlds, illuminating the nature of reality and our place within it. Chalmers' book, Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy, is available for purchase now.

Anil Seth, professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, discusses his new theory about how we experience the world and the self. He talks about the "real problem" of consciousness, measuring consciousness, and the brain as a Predictive Perception Machine.  Seth will speak more in-depth about these issues during a live event with New Scientist on Thursday, Sep. 9 at 1 p.m. ET. Book your tickets using the promo code CTT0909 to receive a 10% discount.

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.

Mario Livio talks Galileo, the Hubble Telescope, modern and historical science denial, and the far future of life in the universe. He also discusses his book, Galileo and the Science Deniers, which provides a fresh interpretation of the life of Galileo Galilei, one of history's greatest and most fascinating scientists, that sheds new light on his discoveries and how he was challenged by science deniers.

Philosopher Michael Ruse talks about the philosophy of biology, evolution, the concept of human superiority, and why there is anything at all. Ruse's new book, A Philosopher Looks at Human Beings, is now available for purchase.

Daniel Dennett discusses the nature of consciousness, if consciousness is an illusion, artificial intelligence and virtual immortality, and how he covers all of this in his book, Just Deserts: Debating Free Will, co-authored with Gregg D. Caruso.

Gregg Caruso discusses the philosophy of free will, if free will is an illusion, free will and moral responsibility, consciousness, libertarian free will versus compatibilism, and how he covers all of this in his new book Just Deserts: Debating Free Will, co-authored with Daniel Dennett.

Given the remarkable advances in precision cosmology over the past few decades, can we forecast what we might discover in 10 or 20 years or even 30 years at mid-century? What are the categories of human destruction and what are the odds of each? What is the far far future of life and sentience in the cosmos? The UK's Astronomer Royal discusses these questions and more. 

Daniel Dennett discusses the philosophy of biology, evolutionary causation, the importance of evolution, and why there is anything at all.

Astronomer Wendy Freedman sits down with Closer To Truth to discuss her work on the Hubble Constant, Standard Candles, the expansion of the universe, and the Giant Magellan Telescope.

Theoretical physicist Leonard Mlodinow, who spent nearly two decades collaborating with Stephen Hawking, joined Robert for a live discussion about his new book, Stephen Hawking: A Memoir of Friendship and Physics. Click here to buy the book. 

What if there is a single theory that can explain the physical universe? Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku discusses his new book, The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything.

Jill Tarter, former Director of the Center for SETI Research discusses the search for alien life, alien technology and technosignatures, the Fermi Paradox, risks from encountering alien civilizations, and the future of SETI and mankind.

Why, when most laws of physics allow for it to flow forward and backward, does it only go forward? What if time moves in two directions? Julian Barbour discusses his new book, The Janus Point: A New Theory of Time.

What will humanity look like 1,000 years? 10,000 years? One million years? Futurist and science fiction author David Brin discusses the future of humanity.

Roger Walsh, Professor of Psychiatry and Philosophy at UC Irvine talks consciousness, the search for wisdom, the science of meditation, the mystery of the universe and reality, and the merging of Eastern and Western philosophy.

Astrophysicist George Smoot discusses the history of precision cosmology, his work in gravitational lensing, the existence of dark matter, and the future of astrophysics.

Ken Olum, Research Professor at Tufts University talks cosmic inflation, gravitational waves, string theory, and the mystery of the Hubble Constant versus the measurements science has taken of our local universe.

Is free will an illusion? If not, how does this impact moral responsibility? Philosopher Daniel Dennett discusses his new book, Just Deserts: Debating Free Will, co-authored with Gregg D. Caruso.

Why do we dream? What is the purpose of sleep? Neuroscientist Robert Stickgold discusses his new book, When Brains Dream: Exploring the Science and Mystery of Sleep.

Donald Hoffman discusses the nature of reality, what is real, his theory of consciousness, and how this theory affects everything from artificial intelligence to alien life and the Fermi Paradox.

Rebecca Goldstein discusses the meanings of "matter", philosophy in science, the hard problem of consciousness, and her decades of experience as a fiction and non-fiction writer.

Charles Tart reflects on the last six decades of parapsychology, the study of alleged psychic phenomena. He also talks altered states, ESP, telepathy, consciousness, and the future of studying areas beyond traditional science.