Is the Grindset Mindset Working? | Dugdale & Fontaine

In college, it's common to feel the pressure to do everything—overload classes, join clubs, apply to internships, and more. But rarely do we stop to ask why. Behind all of our striving, what’s the purpose of our work anyway? The speakers in this episode ask this question. You'll hear from Lydia Dugdale, a primary care physician and director of the Center for Medical Ethics at Columbia University, and Mike Fontaine, professor of Classics at Cornell. They discuss our desire to cling to life, how to find a purpose that transcends the daily striving of school and career, and what ancient wisdom might offer us that the “grindset mindset” can’t. This forum was held at Cornell in Fall 2023. Thank you to the forums team at Cornell for making this event possible.

The Opposite of Depression Is More Than Just Mental Health w/ David Carreon | Beyond the Forum

What if there was a way to alleviate the symptoms of depression in just five days by changing a person’s brain activity? Obviously, this kind of shift would radically change a person’s life, finally letting them find happiness and satisfaction. Our guest today in this episode is David Carreon. He’s the co-founder of Acacia Clinic, a mental health clinic in Silicon Valley that uses a radically fast treatment for mental illness. He’s just released a new book called The Opposite of Depression to share what he’s learned. In this conversation, David and Seth discuss how depression affects more than just the mind, why removing symptoms of depression doesn’t remove habits of depression, and what the opposite of depression really is. We also talk about how Jesus is an emotional exemplar for us today.

Three Skills for Disagreeing Better in 2024 w/ John Inazu | Beyond the Forum

One of our faculty partners and frequent Veritas Forum speakers, John Inazu (WUSTL), has a new book out — Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect. ‍‍His book isn’t about the election per se, but so many of his ideas and tools will be helpful this year. As November approaches, we'll have to decide not just who or what we will vote for, but how we will engage in political conversations, especially with people we love. ‍In this episode, you’ll hear about his book and the empathy we need, the challenges of compromise, and his recommendations for difficult conversations. He also talks about the model of Jesus for how to disagree in truth and love.

What Mother Teresa Taught Me | Mary Poplin

It would be great if the world was a better place. More kindness and friendship. Less war and injustice. For “everything sad to become untrue” (to paraphrase Tolkien). Our speaker in this episode is Mary Poplin (Claremont), and she cares about making the world a better place. In fact, she’s dedicated her life to it. Yet her dedication was challenged when she encountered someone else who was dedicated to social justice but was going about it in a completely different way. That person? Mother Teresa. In this episode, you’ll hear Mary Poplin share how her life was changed by Mother Teresa. Mary walks us through her personal faith journey, her time spent working with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, and how this experience led her to better understand the inextricable role of Jesus in making the world a better place. This forum was held at the University of Michigan in 2012. Thank you to the Forums planning team at University of Michigan for making this event possible.

Happier Doctor—Healthier Patient? | Arthur Brooks & Bernard Chang

We spend — on average — 90,000 hours of our life working. So it’s no wonder we want our jobs to bring us happiness. Yet, all too often, work doesn’t make us happy. Why is that? And is there anything we can do about it?In this episode, we discuss just that.You’ll hear from social scientist and New York Times bestselling author, Arthur Brooks (Harvard). Arthur talks with Dean of Harvard Medical School, Bernard S. Chang, about happiness, vocation, faith, and physician burnout. They discuss Arthur’s empirical research on happiness, explore the role of transcendence in a happier life, and how to best set expectations about the role of work in our lives.This Forum was held at Harvard Medical School in February of 2024. Thank you to the Forum planning team at Harvard Medical School for making this event possible.

Are We Living in the Best of All Possible Worlds? | Lennox & Lowenstein

The concept of a “multiverse” — formerly an obscure idea in philosophy and theoretical physics — is now mainstream. Movies like best-picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once or Marvel’s Spider Man: Into the Spiderverse invite us into an expansive vision of the cosmos: one where there are infinite worlds, possibilities, and comparisons. Even though these multiverse films feature outlandish sci-fi story lines (like hot dog fingers), their characters wrestle with many of the same questions we do, like, are we living in the best possible world? In this episode, we discuss just that. You’ll hear from mathematician John Lennox (Oxford) and moderator Daniel Lowenstein (UCLA) in a Forum event at UCLA in 2015. Together, they explore the toughest questions surrounding our existence. What do we do in the face of tragedy? Why do we experience pain? And, if there is a God who created the world, why did he make it like this? Thank you to the Forum planning team at UCLA for making this event possible.

The Messiness of Meaning | Devadoss & Firestein

Meaning can be straightforward — a red octagon means “Stop!”, a hand wave with a smile means “Hello,” or adding two and two equals four. But meaning is often more complicated — a friend saying they’ll eat “whatever” for dinner or a significant other texting, “We need to talk.” In this episode, our speakers invite you into the messiness of meaning — and discuss how best we can search for it. You’ll hear a conversation between mathematician Satyan Devadoss (U San Diego) and biologist Stuart Firestein (Columbia). Satyan and Stuart bring their scientific backgrounds and religious perspectives as they explore the role of reason in the search for meaning, what can and can’t be taken at face value, and what strategies can help us find truth — from the scientific method to literary analysis to religious tradition. This Forum was held at Columbia University in 2014. Thanks to the forums planning team at Columbia for making this event possible.

Mental Health Takes a Village | Curt Thompson & Jill Stratton

The "group projects" of high school and college never fully go away. Even outside of the classroom, we still have to depend on people who may disappoint us, wade through tricky relational dynamics, and face goals that can’t be accomplished on our own. One of the speakers in today’s episode invites us to embrace these group projects. In fact, he suggests that they're what we’re made for and that, ultimately, they help us better know who we are. You’ll hear from Curt Thompson, a practicing psychiatrist, and Jill Stratton, the self-described “Dean of Joy” at Vanderbilt. Drawing from their own work, experience, and faith traditions, Curt and Jill explore the question “Who am I… really?” Their conversation touches on the role of community in identity, how to live with vulnerability, and what redemption might look like. This conversation was held at Vanderbilt University in Spring 2023 and moderated by student moderator Alexys Ahn. Thank you to the Forum planning team at Vanderbilt for making this event possible.

Has Science Made Spirituality Irrelevant? An Interfaith Discussion | Sethupathy & Shamoo

While the beginning of the year often inspires a hopefulness and expectancy for life, New Years isn’t all excitement and courage. For you personally, this year may be a continuation of past sickness, relational strife, or financial uncertainty. For listeners in the United States, 2024 is an election year — which may mean fractured friendships, families, and even communities of faith ... none of which made your resolution list. Given all this, what is there to hope for in 2024? As we enter into the new year, the speakers in today’s episode meet you in this uncertainty through an invitation to consider who you are — from your genetic makeup, to your relationships, to your beliefs about life’s biggest questions. In their discussion, today’s speakers explore the limits of our wills, the role of reason, and where true hope can be found. You’ll hear from genomics researcher Praveen Sethupathy (Cornell), BioScience professor Yousif Shamoo (Rice), and moderators Rabbi Oren Hayon and Dr. Elaine Ecklund (Rice). This forum was hosted at Rice University in 2016, and a link to the full discussion is shared in the episode description. Thank you to our Forums planning team at Rice for making this event possible.

That's A Wrap! Top Episodes of 2023

This year has been another incredible one for The Veritas Forum podcast — all thanks to you, our amazing listeners. Thanks for making The Veritas Forum podcast be in the top 1% of all podcasts worldwide. In this episode, host Carley and special guest Seth share some top stats from the podcast in 2023 (300,000 listens!), discuss the recent changes to our format and release schedule, and count down our top three episodes of 2023. Listen to hear excerpts from Praveen Sethupathy (Cornell), Ken Miller (Brown), and John Lennox (Oxford). Links to the full episodes featured in this wrap up episode are shared in the additional resources section below.

Can Truth Be Found Through Fantasy? | Madeleine L'Engle

This time of year, fantasy is in the air — tales of a red-nosed reindeer, a jolly North Pole resident, a virgin birth of God incarnate, and more. In this episode, we explore the role of fantastic stories in our lives — and what believing in them can mean for us. You’ll hear from Madeleine L’Engle, the best-selling author of A Wrinkle in Time, in a Forum presentation at UC Santa Barbara in 1998. Weaving together tales from her life and work, Madeleine invites us to consider the gift of the fantastical — and how the Christian story might be more than a fairy tale. Thank you to the Forum planning team at UC Santa Barbara for making this event possible! The full forum is linked in the episode description.

Does Belief Need a Reality Check? | Sean McDowell & Matthew Vess

Sometimes belief can get you the job, secure the win, or help you make a difference. Other times, through, belief doesn't seem to help much at all. Can we know which beliefs are worth believing in? And when do we just need to take a leap of faith? In today’s episode, our speakers wrestle with these questions. Psychology professor Matthew Vess (Texas A&M) is in dialogue with Sean McDowell (Biola), a professor of Apologetics. They discuss how certainty and belief interact and whether the claims of Christianity could ever be worth dying for. This Forum event was held at Texas A&M in Spring 2023. Thank you to the Forum planning team who made this discussion possible!

Is Faith More Than Fiction? | Meghan Sullivan & Sam Mitchell

In the US, more and more adults believe in “nothing in particular.” Recent surveys from Pew Research and the Associated Press suggest that around 30% of American adults are religiously unaffiliated, up 10% from a decade ago. Surveys like these are helpful for religious belief in the abstract. But, when it comes to the questions and doubts you hold about your faith — or lack thereof — you need a different tool: story. You'll hear two such stories today — and be invited to consider your own story, too. Hear Sam Mitchell (Mount Holyoke), an atheist philosopher, in dialogue with Christian philosopher, Meghan Sullivan (Notre Dame). They share how they developed their worldviews and discuss the challenges of belief in the particular. This Forum conversation was held in 2016 at Mount Holyoke College and is moderated by economics professor Jim Hartley. Thank you to the Forum planning team who made this event possible!

Can We Engineer a Perfect World? | Tyler VanderWeele & Steven Pinker

Today, you may be wrestling with what "progress" means — whether it's in relation to your own journey, your family’s, or your community’s. What do you want? And how will you get there? In this episode, two Harvard professors explore these questions. In this 40-minute Forum excerpt, you’ll hear first from Tyler VanderWeele, the director of Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program. Tyler is in dialogue with Steven Pinker, a cognitive psychologist at Harvard and author of the best-selling book, Enlightenment Now. Tyler and Steven discuss their differing beliefs about what it means to be human, the role of faith in human flourishing, and if humanity tends towards dystopia or utopia. Their discussion is moderated by Rosalind Picard, a professor at MIT’s Media Lab and an inventor. This Forum was held on MIT's campus in Spring 2023.

What Gods Do We Believe in Now? | N.T. Wright

Much of our external circumstances differ from how they were 2,000 years ago — largely, to our benefit. However, our internal lives are surprisingly similar. Our desires for money, sex, and war — and the extreme lengths we’re willing to go to get them — remain. In this episode, you’ll hear from best-selling author and New Testament Scholar, N.T. Wright (Oxford). He suggests that the sacrifices we make for a “ideal” life are, in a way, worship. Our sacrifices may not be the burnt incense of ancient times, but, he says, our hearts are captivated by money, sex, and war just the same. This Forum was held at Northwestern University in 2012 and originally titled “What Gods Do We Believe in Now?” Since then, it’s earned over 100,000 views on YouTube.

Should You Be a Know-It-All? | Jonathan Feng

What would your life be like if you knew everything? While it would be nice to remember everyone’s names and not have to study for tests, knowing everything has its drawbacks, too. You’d no longer feel surprised, curious, or filled with wonder. And, you'd miss out on getting to know people, asking hard and big questions, and the joy of learning new things. Our speaker today knows firsthand all the good that not knowing can bring. In fact, he’s made a career out of it. Jonathan Feng (U.C. Irvine) is a theoretical physicist researching one of the biggest unknowns in the scientific world: dark matter. In this Forum event from 2018, Dr. Feng embraces the unknowns of the universe. He discusses how our ignorance can lead us to greater appreciation of the complicated and beautiful world we live in, push us towards humility and curiosity, and, perhaps, help us better know a powerful, creative, loving God. This Forum was originally titled "The Post Hawking Universe" and was hosted by The Veritas Forum at the University of Southern California.

I Could Be Happy, If Only... w/ Arthur Brooks | Beyond the Forum

Today’s guest has some unexpected news for you: being happy isn’t possible. Instead, he says, work towards being happy-er. You'll hear today from social scientist, happiness scholar, and best-selling author Arthur Brooks (Harvard). We talk with Arthur about this journey towards happier-ness and discuss his new book with Oprah Winfrey called Build the Life That You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier. If you struggle with turning negative emotions into positive ones, if you're curious about the science behind the promises and claims of happiness scholarship, or if you simply want to live a happier life (and wonder if faith is a part of that), then this episode is for you.

Do You Ever Think About Dying? | Lydia Dugale & Susanna Siegel

Anthropologist Ernest Becker, in his Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Denial of Death, says that denying death is a necessary part of functioning in the world. It’s what inspires us to create culture, religion, and love, allowing us to avoid death and achieve immortality. But perhaps there is another way — besides denial — to relate to death. What should our relationship with death look like? And, how often — and to what degree — should we contemplate our mortality? Today's episode addresses these questions. You'll hear from philosophy professor Susanna Siegel (Harvard), and medical ethicist Lydia Dugdale (Columbia) in a Forum Event hosted at Harvard University in February 2023.

Where Is God in Places of Pain? | John Lennox

On November 8th, 2013, one of the most powerful tropical cyclones in recorded history hit the Philippines. Winds as high as 145 MPH tore through communities, causing $3B damage and killing over six thousand people. A few weeks later, the Forum in this episode took place. The world was still grappling with what happened, wondering what meaning could be found in such a tragedy — or if there was any meaning at all. In this 27-minute excerpt, you’ll have the space to mull over these questions of meaning. You’ll hear from John Lennox, a professor emeritus of mathematics at Oxford, and moderator Rosemary Avery, a professor of public policy at Cornell. They discuss the problem of evil, the goodness of God, and what the Christian scriptures suggest we do when our “whys” remain unanswered.

Searching for Proof, Finding Faith w/ Tom Rudelius | Beyond the Forum

Watching a few “how-to” videos on YouTube doesn’t make you an expert. To really know “how-to” change a tire, make puff pastry, or play the piano, you have to do it. Through experience, you discover new dimensions of your knowledge — from finding holes in your reasoning, to growing in flexibility and nuance, to even reassessing who you are and maybe even what you believe in. In this episode, you’ll hear a story of such a discovery with guest Dr. Tom Rudelius, a theoretical physicist and string theory researcher with degrees from Cornell and Harvard. Tom's story is shared in his new memoir: Chasing Proof, Finding Faith. This episode follows the arc of Tom’s book — how he and his twin grew up, the lie detector test that sparked his faith in Jesus, and the deepening of his faith even in the face of mental illness, anxiety, and doubt.

What Our Genes Can (and Can't) Tell Us | Praveen Sethupathy

Do you remember your last biology class? Maybe it’s been decades since your junior year of high school. Or maybe you just went to lab last Thursday. But no matter what you do or don’t remember from biology, this episode is for you. Today, our speaker invites you to consider your biology — what you’re made of and why it matters. In this Forum excerpt from March 2023, you’ll hear from Dr. Praveen Sethupathy, a genomics researcher at Cornell University and director of Cornell’s Center for Vertebrate Genomics. Dr. Sethupathy’s opening remarks in this episode showcase both his commitment to genomic research and his formation in the Christian faith. Over the next 35 minutes, you’ll find out that we humans aren’t that unique — and why that leads us towards greater understanding of our purpose, meaning, and beauty.

What Can We Know about the Soul? | Miller & Byrne

There’s a sort of spark to life — moments that stir up something inside of us that we can’t explain. Maybe you've experienced this while playing with your dog, or singing along at a concert, or seeing the Northern Lights. Perhaps these sparks are simply neurons firing, chemicals releasing, and muscles contracting. Or perhaps these sparks point to something like a soul, something transcendent. How do we know which it is? And what do we do when our evidence remains elusive? This episode is an excerpt from a Veritas Forum at MIT in 2016. You’ll hear from biologist Dr. Ken Miller (Brown University), and philosopher Dr. Alex Byrne (MIT), as they discuss the human soul, evidence, and what gods we do — or don’t — believe in. This vibrant conversation is moderated by nuclear physicist Dr. Ian Hutchinson (MIT).

It's Brain Science: Ethics, Purpose, and Our Complex Minds | Picard & Khosbin

If new and improved A.I. tools can write your next essay, create Picasso-style art, or produce a believable deep-fake, it’s fair to ask: Are we manufacturing human brains? In this episode, we dive into the complexity of the human brain — and what this means for morality, meaning, and purpose. You’ll hear from Dr. Rosalind Picard (MIT Media Lab) and Dr. Shahram Khoshbin (Harvard Medical School). This excerpt is from a Forum event at Harvard Medical School in 2016, and is moderated by Dr. Patrick Smith, a principal faculty member for the Initiative on Health, Religion, and Spirituality at Harvard Medical School.

It's Time to Think More Deeply About A.I. | Swamidass & Wolf

A.I. is no longer the stuff of science fiction. From Siri and Alexa to Chat GPT, our world is now inundated with artificial intelligence. One senses that it’s time to think more deeply about A.I. — its implications and its assumptions. In this episode, you'll hear an excerpt from a Forum event at Iowa State University from March 2023. Josh Swamidass (WashU), a medical doctor and computer scientist, discusses the role of artificial intelligence today with Clark Wolf (Iowa State), a bioethicist and philosopher. Their conversation is moderatored by Alex Tuckness (Iowa State), a political science professor.

Everything Sad Is Untrue w/ Daniel Nayeri | Beyond the Forum

Do the stories we tell about ourselves have the power to change us? Our guest today says they can. To wrap up our season on meaning and purpose, we talk with author Daniel Nayeri. In his award-winning young adult novel, Everything Sad is Untrue, Daniel writes from the perspective of his twelve-year-old self, sharing the story of how he, his sister, and his mother immigrated from Iran to Edmond, Oklahoma, after his mother’s conversion from Islam to Christianity. Although this immigration kept his family out of prison (or worse), life in the U.S. came at a cost, too. Through his storytelling, Daniel also processes what he left behind: his beloved stuffed animal ("Mr. Sheep Sheep"), a life of comfort in Iran, and his larger-than-life father. In this episode, we explore finding meaning through storytelling, the impact of an active imagination, and how the sustaining hope of the Christian story makes even a refugee camp in the Italian countryside a place of opportunity and joy.

Where is God in Suffering? | John Lennox

For the religious believer and the atheist alike, the problem of evil and suffering is troubling. If there is a God, why does he allow so much evil? And if there isn’t a God, how can we say that anything is evil? ‍In this Forum event from 2014 at Harvard Medical School, Oxford mathematician John Lennox addresses one of the most challenging human questions: where is God in suffering?

How much faith is enough? | Satyan Devadoss

What matters isn't how much faith you have but what you're putting your faith in.‍ In this forum episode, University of San Diego mathematics professor Satyan Devadoss talks about how he trusts in Christianity for the same reasons that he trusts in quantum mechanics — not because he is has zero doubt about its veracity, but because he has faith that it is the best explanation for what he sees in the world.

Encore | Hope for our loneliness epidemic | Curt Thompson

Scholars, journalists, practitioners, and other thought leaders all agree — we’re facing a loneliness epidemic that’s as grave a threat to public health as obesity or substance abuse. Where do we go from here? In this Forum from 2019 at the University of Minnesota, psychiatrist Curt Thompson discusses human flourishing and community. When it comes to mental health, he says, don’t go it alone.

Three Questions That Change Every Teenager w/ Kara Powell | Beyond the Forum

At every age, we ask questions of identity, community, and meaning — Who am I? Where do I belong? What is my purpose? But college students today are asking them with unique urgency and anxiety.‍ In this episode, we interview Kara Powell, a researcher at Fuller Youth Institute and co-author of 3 Big Questions that Change Every Teenager. We discuss how young people can better determine their purpose in life, how they can prepare for that purpose to change, and what the Christian tradition might have to offer.

How to become failure-resilient | Charles Lee at Vanderbilt

Want to be successful? You might need to get better at failing. In this episode, Charles Lee (Stanford) and Andy Van Schaack (Vanderbilt) explore what it takes to be failure-resilient. In this Forum from October 2022 at Vanderbilt, they discuss success, failure, and how we might find a resilient self-worth.

Is College Worth It? | Nancy Hill & Rakesh Khurana at Harvard

With the average college student graduating with about $40,000 of student debt, you may be wondering: Is college worth it? ‍To answer that question, though, you have to ask another question first: What’s college for? ‍In this Forum from April 2022, you’ll hear two Harvard professors — Nancy Hill and Rakesh Khurana — discuss the purpose of college, and whether or not the classroom is the only place where we learn.

A Decision-Making Tool That’s Flexible, Not Fixed | Dave Evans & Bill Burnett

“What’s my passion?” “What do I want to do for the rest of my life?” These aren’t great questions because they’re fixed; they assume you’ll only have one job or one passion for the rest of your life. But the reality is, both you and the world around you will change. You need a career decision-making tool that isn’t surprised by change but assumes it. In this Forum from CalTech in 2017, you'll learn about this tool. Hear from two Stanford professors — Dave Evans and Bill Burnett — as they discuss their New York Times bestselling book, Designing Your Life. They share about design thinking — and how its flexibility can help you navigate your career for years to come.

What's the Value of Truth? | Meghan Sullivan & Katja Vogt

In today's world of misinformation and misrepresentation, it's wise to be skeptical. But has our skepticism gone too far? What does it look like not only to refute what is false — but also to follow what is true? In this episode, hear from two philosophy professors, Meghan Sullivan (Notre Dame) and Katja Vogt (Columbia). Their conversation from April 2022 draws from philosophers like Aristotle and Plato, and they discuss how truth can be appreciated and acted upon, what it means to pursue truth together, and how rediscovering the value of truth just might make our lives and society better.

Is Science Enough? | Troy Van Voorhis

The same facts can lead to different stories. You see this daily in your news feed — major events produce dozens of headlines, and each article has its own interpretation of the facts. This is how we make sense of the world: when we get information, and we want to interpret it. But with so many choices, is there a right interpretation? In today’s episode, we ask this question. How can you interpret the facts of your life and make sense of your meaning and purpose? Our speaker is chemistry professor, Dr. Troy Van Voorhis (MIT). He discusses how different interpretations may not always conflict with each other, and how his Christian faith informs his approach to certainty.