Exus the Podquest

Many people ask, "why even ask 'The Big Questions' if there aren't any ultimate answers to them, or if the answers are beyond the ability of human beings to grasp?" Well, that's a mighty fine question in and of itself! But if the premise is true - that there aren't answers or that the answers are too complex - then there isn't any need for Exus The Podquest, right? Wrong! That is, the premise is w...

The Kalam Cosmological Argument is a powerful tool in the hands of Intelligent Design proponents. Essentially, it holds that: (1) everything that began to exist had a cause; (2) the universe began to exist; and (3) the universe must therefore have had a cause. But what if the universe didn’t begin to exist? What if nothing was ever created? Then what happens to the Kalam Cosmological Argument - an...

The Kalam Cosmological Argument is a powerful tool in the hands of Intelligent Design proponents. Essentially, it holds that: (1) everything that began to exist had a cause; (2) the universe began to exist; and (3) the universe must therefore have had a cause. But what if the universe didn’t begin to exist? What if nothing was ever created? Then what happens to the Kalam Cosmological Argument - an...

Infinite Supreme, Qualified/Creative Power, And “Solving The Hard Problem” - P.R. Sarkar By Way Of Richard Gauthier In this episode of Exus The Podquest, we spoke with former physics instructor and researcher, Richard Gauthier, about P.R. Sarkar. This individual created a worldwide spiritual and social institution (Ananda Marga), developed Hindu-inspired theories about infinite consciousness, the...

Science is the bedrock of Exus The Podquest - our series-format thought experiment! That said, it’s more than just a little troubling that science hasn’t given us any real answers to the fundamental questions yet. There’s been monumental progress to be sure - DNA, gravity, entropy, evolution, etc. And yeah, we get it - science is continuous work in progress, a method that makes meaning out of the...

Secret wisdom that underlies all of the world’s great religions! Mysticism alive in the pages of a primordial narrative, born at the dawn of creation. An ancient, hidden tradition of knowledge about the universe, divine reality, and human evolution! Whoa! Hold my Turkey Reuben! This is gonna be super fun … and super fascinating! We spent a remarkable hour with Mary Jo Kokochack of the Theosophical...

By a show of hands, how many of you who are living in the West know anything at all about Hinduism? That’s what I thought - pretty much no one. But even though that’s the case, how many of you pretty much dismiss or ignore Hinduism as not being relevant to your lives? Yeah, that’s what I thought, too - pretty much all of you. And by “all of you,” I mean me, too, if I’m being honest. That is, until...

This episode of Exus The Podquest presents what appears to be a very basic question: Why Don’t More People Just Fall Over Dead? Simple, right? Maybe, maybe not. Obviously, survival is a critical aspect of evolution. But could there be something more “purposive” at play here? Could a “life force” be one of the several interacting forces that drives evolution? If so, perhaps the survival of living t...

Author, mathematical physicist, and cosmologist Frank Tipler proposes that, trillions of years in the future, life will fill the universe, take control of the cosmos, and cause everything in existence to contract into a singularity. And if that’s not not compelling enough, he predicts that the energy associated with the contraction will allow for the resurrection and immortality of everything that...

Will Artificial Intelligence bring an end to evolution? Or will it be a necessary “next step” in the inexorable march to what Pierre Teilhard De Chardin called “The Omega Point” - the universe’s maximum state of development? We were thrilled - and honored - to spend a captivating hour talking about those questions with theologian, author, and professor, Ilia Delio, whose Center For Christogenesis...

Do we really need to look for magic in the skies (UFOs), or in the pyramids, or in the myths from antiquity that have somehow survived into modernity? No, we don’t. There’s no actual magic there. To engage with real magic, we need only peer into the foundational depths of our cell phones, and our cars, and our clothing, and our … everything else. That’s where the true magic is. And it’s also in ou...

The vast majority of people believe in something - a religion or the like - when it comes to fundamental issues. But any way you slice the pie in that regard, more than half of them are wrong! How can that be? … Stay tuned till the end for a possible clue!

Could there be a fifth fundamental force in the universe? And could it be “life?” Could life itself be stitched into the very fabric of reality by “life particles?” Dr. Ian Walters believes that the answer to each of those questions is “yes,” and that he has the science to prove it! We were honored to have Dr. Walters on our show to discuss his extraordinary, potentially transformative ideas. If h...

If A Tree Falls In The Forest And No One’s There To Observe It, Does It Make A Turkey Reuben Sandwich? Talk about covering a lot of territory! Author Larry Gottlieb joined us to examine the Observer Effect, Consciousness, the double-slit experiment, the double-door experiment, existence, illusions, and yes, trees falling in forests and turkey reuben sandwiches (stay with us on this one - it works)...

One hour with Sunim Hoden and Reverend Koshin wasn’t nearly enough! So, we continued our discussion of all things Zen for another 22 minutes. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below, and on our website - ExusThePodquest.com. Also, be sure to “like,” “share,” and (most of all) “subscribe” if you haven’t done so already!

We took a deep dive into the fascinating world of Zen Buddhism in our lively interview with two monks, (Venerable) Hoden Sunim and Rev. Koshin of the Dharma Gate Zen Center. Our discussion covered the nature of Zen, its guiding principles, and the awesome benefits of "zazen," or "sitting meditation." Zen Buddhism might not hold the answers to "life, the universe, and everything," but it most certa...

Are people inherently good or evil? How do we determine that? And what’s the proper standard for measuring morality in general? Those are the questions that we explore on today’s show, with an eye toward further developing the subject and formulating a theory of our own. To be clear, we don't focus on Hitler alone—Mother Teresa makes a cameo appearance to balance things out. So, settle in, but don...

According to mainstream science, “Dark Energy” dominates the universe. It makes up nearly 70% of … well, everything. But here’s the rub: Despite its position of prominence in the cosmos, and despite our decades of study and exploration, we still pretty much have no idea what it is. So, in light of that “vacuum,” we figured - why not have a little fun at the expense of everything that mystifies?!

Ethan Siegel discusses his new book on the story of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Tech entrepreneur Adam Gries explains Vitalism — the philosophy and movement he founded, aimed to delay aging and extend human life spans, while achieving peak health.

Mary-Jane Rubenstein, professor of Religion and Science in Society at Wesleyan University, joins Exus the Podquest host Bryan Marcus for an in-depth conversation about Pantheism, Panentheism, and all of the other members of the extended “Pan-ism” family. And what an interview! Professor Rubenstein, being both a world-class scholar and a wildly relatable communicator, delivered it all — a glossary,...

Before the Big Bang … and beyond! We interviewed theoretical astrophysicist Dr. Ethan Siegel to learn about the current state of the Big Bang Theory. And we learned a lot! Most importantly, we now know what science believes happened BEFORE the “Hot Big Bang,” as it’s known in modern scientific circles. Cosmic inflation, Inflaton Fields, mysterious unknown primordial beginnings. We cover it all in...