Down the Wormhole

Episode 71 In part 8 of our Sinai and Synapses interview series, we are talking with Rev Casey Bien-Aimé. She is the Spiritual Care Coordinator and Endowed Chair of Pastoral Care at Lankenau Medical Center. We talk about unleashing the power of ritual, how to create your own altar-space, and what NOT to say to someone who is grieving. Casey is like a never-endling well of calm compassion, and has...

Episode 70 The U.S. Space Surveillance Network tracks over 23,000 pieces of debris the size of a soft ball or larger. An additional 500,000 objects larger than a centimeter also orbit Earth, and there are millions of even smaller fragments which we cannot trace. We stand on the edge of a potential technological disaster if our satellites are destroyed by our own garbage, and international space ag...

In part 8 of our Sinai and Synapses interview series, we are talking with Dr. Amanda Glaze-Crampes. A self described "Facilitator of Magic", she teaches future teachers how to inspire the next generation of scientists. Her research centers on the intersections of science and society, specifically the acceptance and rejection of evolution in the Southeastern United States and the impact of the conf...

Last Spring, Adam published a book called "Living with Tiny Aliens: The Image of God for the Anthropocene", and it's high time we talk about it! It is full of playful curiosity and deep interrogations of our theological frameworks. How can astrobiology help us to not only rethink our place in the cosmos, but our identity as image bearers of God? We'll let Adam explain...   https://www.amazon.com/L...

Episode 67 Did you hear? Scientists found life on Venus! Well... Not quite. But maybe! Also maybe not... It's all a bit uncertain, but we're here to untangle it for you. We're talking biosignatures, poop on the moon, rainbow fingerprints, corned beef space sandwiches, and our future tardigrade overlords. It's a lot of fun!    Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormho...

In part 7 of our Sinai and Synapses interview series, we are talking with the Dr. Telli Davoodi. She is a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at Princeton University, and her research focuses on religious and scientific cognition and what psychological roles they serve. She has studied childhood development across the world and has some fascinating insights as to how children learn to process religi...

Space: the final frontier... Nothing captivates our imagination like the vast expanse of outer space. For as long as humans have been alive, we've been inspired by the stars, the planets, and what exists beyond our terrestrial shell. In this miniseries, we are going to explore some of the ways that the leading edge of astronomy, astrophysics, astrobiology, and other astro-disciplines are pushing u...

Episode 64 In part 6 of our Sinai and Synapses interview series, we are talking with the Rabbi Jordan Shaner. He is the assistant rabbi at Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto, Ontario. His rabbinic thesis focused on theologies in the Babylonian Talmud, including on the way the Talmud presents the intersection between physiology, health, religious practice and spirituality. He is a member of the T...

Episode 63 We're wrapping up our miniseries on big emotions with one of the most important ones, gratitude. Over the past 20 years, researchers have shown what we've intrinsically known for hundreds of thousands of years: gratitude is the key to happiness. It binds us together as a society, buoys our own mental health, and draws us closer to the divine. How might you let gratitude work its magic i...

Episode 62 In part 5 of our Sinai and Synapses interview series, we are talking with the Rev Dr Kristel Clayville. She is the former Acting Director of the Zygon Center for Religion and Science at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago as well as a Senior Fellow at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago. Clinically, she works as a chaplain and ethicist at t...

Episode 61 In part 5 of our miniseries on "big emotions", we're talking about resiliency. Yes, that's right. After digging into awe, disgust, shame, and anger, we're concluding with some practical advice for being alive. We're joined by Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Micah Roberts who shares their expertise after years of helping at-risk communities learn to thrive under pressure. With t...

In part 4 of our Sinai and Synapses interview series, we are talking with Carolyn Hall. She is a Brooklyn based historical marine ecologist, science communications instructor, and award winning contemporary dancer/performer. As a marine ecologist she has been an independent researcher for the Wildlife Conservation Society, Trout Unlimited, and the Environmental Defense Fund. She was part of an UMa...

In part 4 of our new miniseries on "big emotions", we're talking about anger! You may have noticed that there is a lot of that going around right now, but have we stopped to think about it or are we too quick to suppress it in the name of a cheap peace? Is there a place for uncontrollable anger? Can anger help us identify what is really happening within? What of the prophetic anger in scripture? L...

In part 3 of our Sinai and Synapses interview series, we are talking with Rev John Van Sloten. He is a pastor and author currently based in Calgary. His life's work revolves around seeing God in all things and the cultivation of a kind of mystical wonder that, honestly, we could all use right now.  https://www.johnvansloten.com/   Support this podcast on Patreon at  https://www.patreon.com/Downthe...

Episode 57 In part 3 of our new miniseries on "big emotions", we're talking about shame! What is the difference between shame and guilt? Why are we so afraid of our bodies? Can shame be helpful? Let's talk about it!    Support this podcast on Patreon at  https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast   More information at  https://www.downthewormhole.com/   produced by Zack Jackson music by Zack J...

Episode 56 In part 2 of our new Sinai and Synapses interview series, we are talking with a familiar guest. It's friend of the show, Dr Mark Bloom! He is a Professor of biology and science education at Dallas Baptist University where he focuses on teaching science to non-science majors. His research focuses on the perceived conflicts and creative collaboration between science and religion. He cares...

Episode 55 (CW: homophobia and transphobia, discussion around disgust as a response to LGBTQ+ people) In part 2 of our new miniseries on "big emotions", we're talking about disgust! Why do we feel repelled by certain foods, smells, activities, people, or ideas? Is there a societal advantage to it, or is it an ancient biological reflex that we need to overcome? What role does religion play in regul...

Episode 54 In part 1 of our new Sinai and Synapses interview series, we are talking with a familiar guest, Dr Briana Pobiner. She is a paleoanthropologist with the Smithsonian Institute where she leads the Human Origins Program’s education and outreach efforts. You may remember her from episode 20 when we started our series on human origins. In this interview, we talk about what it means to be hum...

Episode 53 In part 1 of our new miniseries on "big emotions", we explore the one of the biggest emotions of all, awe. What makes something awe-inspiring? What does awe do to the brain? To the soul? To the spirit? Can we use awe to change hearts and transform painful history or are we just fooling ourselves?    Support this podcast on Patreon at  https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast   Mor...

Episode 52 To celebrate our one year "pod-iversary", we hosted our first ever live streamed episode with questions from our Patrons and listeners. It was so much fun, and you can watch the whole episode on YouTube if you want to see the video.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJf9gFnJZW4   Thank you to all of our fans who have supported us this year. We have SO MUCH more planned for year #2!   Sup...

Episode 51 In the final episode of our miniseries on race and racism in science and religion, we welcome special guest Dr Tehia Starker Glass to discuss what anti-racism looks like, and how we can make a difference in education. She is the Cato College of Education Director of Diversity and Inclusion, and an Associate Professor of Elementary Education and Educational Psychology in the Department o...

Special Announcement To celebrate our one year anniversary, we are hosting a live episode on Friday August 21st from 4-5 EDT. We will be streaming on Facebook and YouTube, and we will be embedding the link on www.downthewormhole.com to make it easy to find.    This is a listener-driven episode, so we need your questions! Send us all your questions, topics, and conversation starters via email or so...

Episode 49 In our first true "crossover" episode, we join forces with the Color Correction Podcast to explore the complicated world of environmental justice. From toxic waste to climate change, we have fought many battles for the sake of the environment, but far too often, we have neglected the human impact of those issues. In this episode, we will talk about soil, water, air, and exploding refine...

During this miniseries on race and racism in science and religion, we are taking the opportunity to share some of our favorite podcasts with you. This episode comes to you from The Ologies Podcast and (like all of her episodes) is worth a listen. Check out the description below...   https://www.alieward.com/ologies/blackafinstem   "The most ologists in one Ologies! And maybe my favorite episode ev...

Episode 47 The Bible is a dangerous collection of writings, written mostly by people who lived under the oppressive thumb of empire. Ironically, especially in the West, it has been co-opted to support the very same kinds of oppression that the writers were fighting against! In this episode, we explore the ways that we have tried to "tame" the Bible, the stubborn power of the prophets, and how the...