Science and the Search for Meaning

A few words from series producer Steve Paulson:

“Science and the Search for Meaning: 5 Questions” grew out of our continuing fascination with the interplay between science and spirituality. As well all know, the relationship between science and religion is complicated and often strained. We covered many of the core issues in the science & religion debate in our 2006 series “Electrons to Enlightenment.” This time, we wanted to move beyond the usual arguments between atheists and religious believers to explore some even more provocative questions.

In the first two hours, we examine a few of the most far-reaching and controversial questions in the biological sciences: What is life? And does evolution have any particular direction? In our third hour, we take a fresh look at the old religious idea of the soul in light of the latest findings from neuroscience. In the fourth hour, we shift the focus away from Christianity - where most debates about science and religion end up - and look instead at Islam, which has its own fraught relationship with science. Finally, in our last hour, we take stock of the emerging movement among secular scientists and philosophers to create a new science-based spirituality. There’s an underlying question in each of these hours: Where do we look for meaning in today’s scientific age? Is it possible to find some sense of purpose within nature itself?

TTBOOK has always been a radio show that loves to dive into the biggest ideas, so it’s not surprising that we keep coming back to questions about science and spirituality. It’s hard to find questions that get much bigger! Since intellectual curiosity is one of our core values, we’ll never try to tell our listeners what is right or true. That’s for you to decide. And it’s why we explore these questions from so many different angles and perspectives.

We hope you enjoy the series!