Recent Episodes

The 2026 Dionysus Awards

July 26, 2026

Now that the dust has settled from the Oscars, it’s time to think about what movies of the past year challenged our assumptions and made us think about things in new ways. Josh and guest co-host Jorah Danenberg present our annual Dionysus Awards for the…

Leibniz

June 26, 2022

The intellectual domain of Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz cannot be captured in a single word.…

Leibniz biscuits in various sizes and packaging, alongside a portrait of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.

Conscious Machines

June 5, 2022

Computers have already surpassed us in their ability to perform certain cognitive tasks. Perhaps it…

Brain displayed on computer screen, connected to lightbulbs representing emotions like joy, grief, and fear. Conscious machines concept.

Sanctuary Cities

May 1, 2022

In the U.S. there are over 500 sanctuary cities—municipalities that limit their cooperation with the…

US map highlighting locations of sanctuary cities.

The Doomsday Doctrine

April 3, 2022

The doctrine of mutually assured destruction is supposed to deter both sides in a war…

Clock face showing midnight with a fiery apocalyptic scene.

Reading the Troubled Past

March 13, 2022

Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe lambasted Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness as a deeply racist work that…

A collection of Great Books, a classic literature series.

Polyamory

February 13, 2022

In most if not all modern Western societies, monogamy is the dominant form of romantic…

Graphic of diverse hearts; "What Love Is and what it could be

The Examined Year: 2021

December 26, 2021

What happened over the past 12 months that challenged our assumptions and made us think…

Magnifying glass over 2021 on a yellow sticky note.

The Limits of Tolerance

December 19, 2021

In order to reach compromise, people try to be tolerant of others with different beliefs.…

Coexist: Religious symbols including a crescent moon, peace symbol, and cross.

What Is Religious Belief?

December 5, 2021

Many people profess to believe in an all-powerful, all-knowing, benevolent God. Yet psychological data shows…

Diverse religious symbols including a cross, Om symbol, Star of David, and hand of Fatima illustrate the concept of religious belief.

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