Best Bending The Arc Podcasts (2024)

51
Essay: The Sun Machines Cometh 11:46

1d ago11:46

11:46

This week: Please enjoy this hopeful ditty on how we have finally harnessed the sun ☀️ — and how we’re just getting started. Here's What You Can Do: Donate to Grid Alternatives to advocate for community-powered solar policy that gets everyone on a clean energy grid (🌎 go global: Donate to GiveDirectly so people have the agency to buy their own sola…

1
#167 – Fine-tuning without a “Tuner”

4d ago

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An atheist response to fine-tuning: a super intellect ‘monkeying’ with the physics, a cosmic computer simulation, the multiverse hypothesis, and “the Gambler’s Fallacy.” So far, we’ve heard from five different university-trained scholars with theistic worldviews about fine-tuning of the universe: a Christian astronomer, a Jewish mathematician/physi…

1
The Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital with Dr. Nkuli Boikhutso in South Africa 45:57

5d ago45:57

45:57

Our children are our future. But what kind of future will we have if our children can’t get the best healthcare they deserve? Like many other things, health is intricately linked with deeper societal issues. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to do it with excellence. Dr. Nkuli Boikhutso exemplifies this virtue as the CEO of the Nelson Mandela C…

1
Essay: How To Eat More Plants 17:22

8d ago17:22

17:22

This week: Today’s post is more of a macro introduction to the why and how of the “eat more plants (and consequently) fewer animals” lifestyle. Deep-dives on how to eat fewer animals, by type, including meat/beef/pork, chicken/turkey, dairy, and fish (and humans! Can’t forget humans) will follow in subsequent posts. My overall goal is to help you —…

1
#166 – What it takes to make a LIVING universe

11d ago

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It takes an incredibly finer level of fine-tuning to produce a universe that has carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, copper, zinc, selenium, molybdenum and many other trace elements needed for life. Last week, we explored the first of three meanings of the term “fine-tuning of the universe”: the delicate precision and balanc…

1
Essay: The Turn of the Tide 32:00

15d ago32:00

32:00

This week: We're running an updated version of a popular essay from last year. Tolkien described life (and often, his stories) as a "long defeat", where evil frequently, inevitably wins. But he allowed for "eucatastrophe" — sudden joyous turns (just like breakthroughs in elections and voting rights). We must keep fighting, to hold off the darkness.…

1
#165 – What it takes to produce a universe

20d ago

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Getting twenty five fundamental constants and physical laws just right to produce a universe full of electrons, neutrons, and protons … all the way up to planets and stars Last week, we learned that “Fine Tuning” can mean three very different things. Today, we’re going to explore the first of those three: the exquisite precision needed to produce a…

1
Everything Is Connected (No, Seriously) 57:53

22d ago57:53

57:53

How did our planet come to life? Is it alive? And where are we as part of that? Those are today's big questions and my guest is Ferris Jabr. His new book, Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life, is one of the most compelling, beautiful, timely, and important reads I've ever got to underline throughout. Ferris is a contributing writer for the N…

1
#164 – Fine Tuning: getting the pencil to stand on its tip!?

27d ago

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“Fine Tuning” really means three very different things, two of which are recognized by astrophysicists of all stripes; but one of them … not so much. We have often looked closely at Creationism in all of its various forms, flavors and dimensions. Two particular aspects of Creationism are foundational for the faith of many Christians (not a tenet of…

1
“Corporate Chiefs Leverage Big Business Power to Help Save Our World” with Harvard Professor Rebecca Henderson in the USA 1:07:13

26d ago1:07:13

1:07:13

There is a lot of untapped power in big business, and it’s not just because of the financial power they possess. Collectively, the world’s capitalists have the potential to join forces and create positive change in the world. And what better what to leverage all that power and scale than to address some of the most pressing problems the world is fa…

1
#163 – Evolution, a “good” creation, and the problem of pain

1M ago

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Can we say God used evolution to produce a “good” creation if it involves so much pain, suffering, predation and death? Our listeners asked us to do an episode on how to rationalize Christian faith with all the pain and suffering that is brought on by the process of Evolution. We spoke to Dr. James Stump, whose recently released book — Sacred Chain…

1
AI Ethics Not Found 59:55

1M ago59:55

59:55

When is a cancer scare, a rejected mortgage loan, a false arrest, or predictive grading, more than a glitch in A.I.? That's today's big question, and my guest is Meredith Broussard. Meredith is a data journalist and associate professor at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University, Research Director at the NYU Alliance for Pub…

1
#162 – Bending the arc of the moral universe

1M ago

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Humans have been developing the toolkit needed to fulfill the Divine command: “learn to get along and take care of the planet”! Martin Luther King famously said: “We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” The popular political commentator and TV host Jon Stewart added something poignant to those …

1
#161 – Human evolution, morality, and our ultimate purpose

2M ago

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Human evolution is hard to take for some Christians, especially when we claim that humans have been climbing up the evolutionary ladder in the moral sense. It was only a few years ago that Pew Research found roughly one third of Americans believe that “humans have existed in their present form since the beginning of time” (and in case the obvious r…

1
“Tragic Optimism” with Dean and Director Jon Foster-Pedley in South Africa 1:12:24

2M ago1:12:24

1:12:24

With all the tragedy happening in the world every day, it’s quite easy to lose hope in humanity. However, as leaders, we should be the first to model that optimism so that others can be inspired. In this episode of Leading Boldly into the Future, Anne Pratt is joined by Jon Foster-Pedley, dean and director of Henley Business School Africa. Jon invi…

1
Houston, We Have An Overfishing Problem 1:18:15

2M ago1:18:15

1:18:15

How do we stop overfishing if we don't know who's doing the fishing? That's today's big question, and my guest is Jennifer Raynor. Jennifer is an Assistant Professor of natural resource economics at the University of Wisconsin Madison. Before entering academia, she conducted policy-relevant economic research for the U.S. federal government for near…

1
#160 – Richard Dawkins v. Ayaan Hirsi Ali

2M ago

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The scientist poster-boy for atheism and an ex-Muslim, ex-atheist Christian have a conversation (not a debate) about worldviews (not God). One of our long-time listeners asked for our opinion on a ”debate” between Richard Dawkins and Ayaan Hirsi Ali: the conversation between the two of them raised many questions and points that resonated deeply wit…

1
🌎 Essay: A Leading Question 24:43

2M ago24:43

24:43

This week: We are occasionally asked why we link to scientific journals, news outlets, and sometimes even opinion pieces that are behind paywalls. In a world where HBO HBO Max Max and Spotify and everyone else raise prices once a month, it’s a great question: Our newsletter is free — why the hell do we make you click through to something that costs…

1
#159 – Answers-in-Genesis are getting a new leader …. and a Tower of Babel theme park!?

2M ago

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Recent developments in the YECist world, according to a scientist who’s been watching them closely for two decades In this episode, we talk to Dr. Joel Duff: a professor doing biological research at a secular state university, and teaching students that come from the Bible belt of the USA. He’s been a popular blogger for twenty years, and more rece…

1
Bring A Folding Chair 47:01

2M ago47:01

47:01

How do we tackle huge systemic intersectional environmental justice issues at the local level? That's today's big question, and my guest is Jacqui Patterson. Jacqui is the Founder and Executive Director of the Chisholm Legacy Project, which helps connect Black communities that are being disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis with the res…

1
#158 – A clash of wills in a Young Earth Creationist school system

2M ago

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Sparks fly when a Greek Orthodox evolution-accepting professor comes up against an Evangelical school headmaster bent on bringing in a Young Earth Creationist curriculum Why are we doing yet another episode on Young Earth Creationism? The biggest reason is because it’s still a very potent ideology in Christianity, especially within Evangelicalism. …

1
"A West Point Military Academy Cadet” with Dr. Modupe Taylor-Pearce in Sierra Leone 58:36

2M ago58:36

58:36

You can only lead others to the extent that you can lead yourself. Self-discipline and leadership go hand-in-hand. This is something that every aspiring bold leader needs to understand if they are to lead effectively. Dr. Modupe Taylor-Pearce of Sierra Leone learned this important principle from his stay in West Point and his years of experience in…

1
The Science of Fiction 1:04:05

2M ago1:04:05

1:04:05

Why is it so important that we share the science of fiction, and what do we do with it once we have it? That's today's big question, and my guest is Maddie Stone. Maddie is a prolific science journalist. She is a doctor of earth and environmental sciences. She's the former science editor of the technology website Gizmodo, which I love, and the foun…

1
#157 – The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind

3M ago

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“The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind” (opening sentence of chapter one) It’s no secret that modern Evangelicalism is not noted for its intellectualism. In fact, with groups in our midst like Young Earth Creationists, Flat Earthers, anti-vaxxers, and climate change deniers, and the constant criticism …

1
Essay: In Bruges 18:44

3M ago18:44

18:44

This week: Do you like cookies? What about olive oil cake? What about chocolate chip coffee cake? Listen on. Here's What You Can Do: 🌍️ Donate to support African farmers by increasing incomes and improving food security through the Alliance for a Green Africa. 🌎️ Volunteer to join the Coffee & Climate Network, an organization that connects stakehol…

1
#156 – An expert’s proposal for this religion-making software in my brain

3M ago

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In addition to enhancing hominid survival and reproduction, this software equipped us to become aware of and look for the Transcendent. Once again we’re asking the question: “why do we have this cognitive machinery in our head that predisposes humans to having spiritual experiences and religion-making?” But this time we talked to a scholar on the s…

1
Chronic Illness: Not Actually Female Hysteria! 1:10:41

3M ago1:10:41

1:10:41

How do we take a huge chronic disease burden like Lyme disease or long COVID or even long flu and make it so personal that we simply can't ignore it anymore? That's today's big question and my guest is Dr. Mikki Tal, an immunoengineer and a principal scientist at MIT. Dr. Tal leads the Tal Research Group within the Department of Biological Engineer…

1
#155 – “Is it all just in my head?” 50:30

3M ago50:30

50:30

A retrospective journey through four years of episode releases had us asking this fundamental question. The short answer: of course it is! A few of the most recently released episodes prompted us to think back to about a dozen other episodes we’ve released in the past that focused on the cognitive machinery in our heads, and got us asking: are spir…

1
"From A Cotton Field of Dreams to the White House" with Janis Kearney in the USA 56:51

3M ago56:51

56:51

Many times, what people really need to change their lives for the better is a sliver of hope, and that hope can come in many forms. As leaders, we can use the power of story to inspire hope in others. This is what Janis Kearney has been doing as an author and philanthropist. Janis is the author of the inspirational memoir, “Cotton Field of Dreams.”…

1
Essay: How to get more Good Energy 11:10

3M ago11:10

11:10

This week: This week I wrote about a groundbreaking and essential new study that — thank christ — is not actually about which seemingly reasonable dietary supplement will definitely extend/tragically cut short your life. It’s about 🍿 film, and after you’re done reading, I’d love it if you replied to this email with some favorite movies that moved t…

1
#154 – Eastern Orthodoxy, symbolism and mysticism 1:04:53

3M ago1:04:53

1:04:53

For some, the Bible takes on a deeper meaning when you read it less literally … exchanging certainty and rigidity for the fluidity of symbology, metaphor, and mysticism. If there’s one characteristic that sets Christian Fundamentalists apart from other forms of Christianity, it’s an over zealous commitment to a literal reading of the Bible. Exagger…

1
Essay: Bridget Jones, Climate Hero 29:42

3M ago29:42

29:42

This week: In this essay, I will argue that Bridget Jones is the perfect climate-era hero, because she is all of us. Here's What You Can Do: 🌍️ Donate to Project HOPE to support frontline teams working to strengthen healthcare systems and respond to crises globally. 🌎️ Volunteer to share your climate solutions work with the Global Solutions Diary f…

1
#153 – A post-Christendom Christianity 1:14:14

3M ago1:14:14

1:14:14

A northern Irish philosopher (who grew up in the 30-year war between “Protestants” and “Catholics”) gives us a whole new perspective on this ancient religion. This week, we’ll hear from a very thought-provoking philosopher — Dr. Peter Rollins — who we guarantee will have you thinking about Christian faith in entirely new ways. Peter grew up in Irel…

1
Antitrust For Dummies - Episode 1 - A Primer In American Antitrust 46:45

4M ago46:45

46:45

Podvocate Associate Editor, Johannes Alvarez-Rivero, sits down to give the listeners a primer on the field of antitrust within the United States of America. First, Johannes discusses what antitrust laws are and what they are meant to protect. Johannes briefly discusses the governmental regulatory bodies that enforce antitrust laws, then turns to di…

1
Keeping Long COVID In The News 1:15:07

4M ago1:15:07

1:15:07

Who is still covering Long COVID, and how much is the audience actually growing? That's today's big question, and my guests are Betsy Ladygetz and Miles Griffis, editors and co-founders of The Sick Times, a journalist-founded website chronicling the Long COVID crisis. The Sick Times investigates injustices, challenges powerful institutions, wades t…

1
#152 – Awe and spiritual experience, pt 2 55:53

4M ago55:53

55:53

An experimental psychologist and a theologian with a PhD in psychology give us their perspectives on the emotion of awe and its role in the spiritual/religious experience. Last week, we explained why we decided to look more closely at the emotion of awe and its role in the spiritual / religious experience, as well as how scientists measure this emo…

1
“The Nelson Mandela University” with Amb. Nozipho January-Bardill in South Africa 1:14:42

4M ago1:14:42

1:14:42

Vulnerability is the new leadership superpower. Gone are the days when leadership meant winning at all cost. The great Nelson Mandela himself valued vulnerability, and he modeled it in his own leadership. Today’s guest, Amb. Nozipho January-Bardill strives to live by Mandela’s example as she leads the very organization that bears his name. She the …

1
#151 – Awe, and the religious/spiritual experience 57:57

4M ago57:57

57:57

After a quick primer on this uniquely human phenomenon, we’ll hear from someone who had a profound, life-changing experience during a solar eclipse, and then relate all of this to religious/spiritual experiences. Humans seem to be unique among all other species on Earth when it comes to the emotion of awe. Whether it’s experienced while standing at…

1
Rebuilding 53:58

4M ago53:58

53:58

Ben sits down with Chief Defender of the Orleans Public Defenders Office (OPD), Danny Engelberg, to discuss the founding of the office as it is today as well as the events that led to the office’s remodeling after the destruction brought on by Hurricane Katrina. In doing so, they discuss OPD’s commitment to a community-centered defense model and th…

1
#150 – Human evolution and Christian theology 1:11:43

4M ago1:11:43

1:11:43

Many Christians can fully accept the idea of human evolution, but they use a language which betrays Young Earth Creationism. If we don’t update our language, we may lose a whole generation of Christians. Many Christians are perfectly fine with human evolution: descent over millions of years down a family tree we share in common with the chimpanzees…

1
Essay: Program The World 26:00

4M ago26:00

26:00

This week: Let’s talk about the Information Era. Here's What You Can Do: Donate (and subscribe!) to the 19th, an independent, non-profit, kick-ass newsroom reporting on gender and politics. Volunteer with Tech Shift to build a fairer, more just technological future. 🌏️ Get educated about the powerful institutions using technology to change society …

1
The Social Infrastructure of Water 1:19:49

4M ago1:19:49

1:19:49

What have we learned from millennia of water insecurity, of climate changes and disasters, of building along freshwater ways and the ocean, that we can apply today? That's today's big question, and my guest is Dr. Amber Wutich. Dr. Wutich is an ASU President's Professor, Director of the Center for Global Health, and 2023 MacArthur Fellow. She's an …

1
#149 – Creating a new Christian worldview 1:05:08

4M ago1:05:08

1:05:08

A week after Easter 2024, and in response to questions from our listeners, we discuss a whole new perspective on who Jesus was, and what he gave the Jews, and the world, when he died on the cross. Several members of our private Facebook Discussion Group asked us to explain how we’ve been able to reject so much of our Evangelical faith, and yet stil…

1
“A World On Climate Red Alert” with Dr. Richard Munang in Kenya, Africa 1:18:08

4M ago1:18:08

1:18:08

The youth is our greatest untapped weapon to help solve the ongoing climate crisis. With the right tools and inspiration, we can leverage the youth to take unprecedented climate action that impacts not only the planet but also their own economic betterment. Dr. Richard Munang has been involved in this initiative in the past few decades, empowering …

1
Policy, Law, and Community Building 30:28

4M ago30:28

30:28

In this episode, Maris chats with Jamie Cernek, a Legislative Aide at the Chicago City Council Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight. Jamie is an attorney and organizer with years of experience in policy and advocacy, coalition-building, and campaign management. Even before law school, Jamie knew that policy was the path for her. In this epi…

1
#148 – Brian MacLaren: Life After Doom 59:15

5M ago59:15

59:15

Brian takes an entirely new and unexpected direction in this latest book: it’s not enough to talk about bringing heaven down to earth, we have to stop creating hell on earth. Brian MacLaren is widely recognized in the Evangelical community. In fact, in 2015, Time magazine named him one of the 25 most influential Evangelicals in America! But he’s be…

1
Essay: The Aftermath 25:46

5M ago25:46

25:46

This week: Bernie decided March 15th is Long COVID Awareness Day, so I thought it was an appropriate moment to try to pull together the threads of why Long COVID pisses me off so much, examples of other self-defeating issues we never learned from, and a blueprint for how to do better, better. Here's What You Can Do: 🌎️ Donate to Partners in Health …

1
#147 – The “personal relationship” with the divine 1:07:06

5M ago1:07:06

1:07:06

A social anthropologist, with decades of scholarship on people striving to connect to another dimension, gives us her perspective on the Evangelical version of this phenomenon. “It’s not a religion … it’s a relationship!” Many Christians claim this is what separates their faith from all others. There was a time when I myself made this claim. I don’…

1
Collateral Consequences 26:29

5M ago26:29

26:29

In this solo episode, Casey dives into the web of collateral consequences of a criminal conviction, and how both attorneys and judges can better inform people charged with crimes of the consequences beyond a sentence.By The Podvocate by Loyola University Chicago School of Law

1
The Best Depression Treatment For You 1:09:24

5M ago1:09:24

1:09:24

You know you're stressed. You know you're anxious. Do you have depression? And do you need to know the latest in the biology of how the brain works and depression works or doesn't work and whether the gut is involved in getting meaningful help? That's today's big question. I promise it's kind of one question, even if there are a ton of different an…

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