Tuesday, April 24 at 2:00 pm
The More We Evolve, The Less We Need God
Does God have a place in 21st century human affairs? For many, the answer is an unapologetic yes. Belief in a higher power, they argue, is the foundation of human consciousness and the soul of all social, political, and scientific progress. Further, some claim, humans are biologically predisposed to embrace religion and require faith to live moral lives. Others are far more skeptical. For them, adherence to faith and religious tradition serves only to fracture communities and prevent humanity from embracing a more enlightened, reasoned, and just social order. As we look to the future in uncertain times, should spirituality and religion play a central role in human evolution, innovation, and discovery? Or has God become obsolete?
The Debaters:
Heather Berlin
Cognitive Neuroscientist
Heather Berlin, Ph.D., M.P.H., is a cognitive neuroscientist and assistant professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She practices clinical neuropsychology at Weill Cornell Medicine in the Department of Neurological Surgery, and is a visiting scholar at the New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. She explores the neural basis of psychiatric and neurological disorders, consciousness, dynamic unconscious processes, and creativity. Passionate about science communication, she is a founding committee member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Science and Entertainment Exchange, host of “Startalk All-Stars” with Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and has hosted series on PBS and the Discovery Channel.
Michael Shermer
Founder, The Skeptics Society & Best-Selling Author
Michael Shermer is the publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University. He is the best-selling author of several books, including “The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity Toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom.” As a public intellectual, he regularly contributes op-eds, book reviews, and essays to the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Science, Nature, and other publications. His two TED talks, viewed nearly 8 million times, were voted in the top 100 of the more than 2,000 TED talks.
Dr. Deepak Chopra
Integrative Medicine Advocate & Best Selling Author
Deepak Chopra, M.D., founder of the Chopra Foundation, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. He is board certified in internal medicine, endocrinology, and metabolism. Chopra is also a fellow of the American College of Physicians and a clinical professor in medicine at the University of California, San Diego. TIME magazine has described Chopra as "one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.” The World Post and HuffPost global internet survey ranked “Chopra the #17 influential thinker in the world and #1 in Medicine.” Chopra has written more than 85 books translated into over 43 languages, including 25 New York Times best-sellers. In his recent national best-seller, “The Healing Self,” he and Rudolph E. Tanzi tackle the issue of lifelong health and heightened immunity.
Dr. Anoop Kumar
Emergency Physician & Author, “Michelangelo’s Medicine”
Anoop Kumar, M.D., is a board-certified emergency physician practicing in the Washington, D.C. metro area, where he also leads meditation gatherings for clinicians. He is a frequent public speaker and the author of “Michelangelo’s Medicine: How Redefining the Human Body Will Transform Health and Healthcare.” As a child, Kumar was surrounded by the teachings of Eastern philosophy. He came to recognize a common message woven through philosophy, science, and spirituality — a practical message of well-being, cloaked in esoteric language. His passion is translating this message into modern applications.
To listen to the audio of “The More We Evolve, The Less We Need God” on Intelligence Squared online, please click HERE.