Transcendence in the Age of Science | Alan Lightman, PhD

The Doctor's Art

When we gaze at the stars and wonder at our place amid the expanse of the universe, or when we witness the birth of a child and marvel at the miracle of existence itself, or when we listen to music that seems to touch our soul — there are moments in life when we feel a transcendent connection to things larger than ourselves. But how are we to make sense of these experiences in the age of science? In perhaps our most meditative episode yet, we speak with Alan Lightman, PhD, a theoretical physicist and humanist who holds a unique vantage point on topics fundamental to our existence: time, space, matter, and human consciousness. Dr. Lightman is Professor of the Practice of the Humanities at MIT, the author of numerous novels and books on science and philosophy, and the creator and subject of the 2023 PBS documentary series Searching: Our Quest for Meaning in the Age of Science. Over the course of our conversation, we discuss where our sense of awe comes from, the role of spirituality in a materialist world, whether or not human consciousness will ever be understood on a physical basis, the interplay of faith and reason in modern scientific practice, and more.

In this episode, we discuss:

3:58 - How Dr. Lightman found himself at the intersection of physics and creative writing

5:46 - The ways in which physics is the most “philosophical” science

9:13 - The definitions of ‘materialists’ and ‘vitalists’

11:56 - How Dr. Lightman conceptualizes his position as a ‘Spiritual Materialist’

16:07 - Contending with materialism despite awe-inspiring, transcendental experiences

22:30 - Whether or not Dr. Lightman considers himself a ‘reductionist’

25:28 - Where our sense of awe and appreciation of beauty come from

32:17 - The role of faith in scientific pursuits

34:20 - Finding meaning in a materialist world

In this episode, we discuss Bertrand Russel’s Free Man’s Worship.

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