Exus the Podquest

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 - and, far more importantly, what happens to … everything? These are the questions we are seeking answers to. Join the conversation!

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 - and, far more importantly, what happens to … everything? These are the questions we are seeking answers to. Join the conversation!

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 “cosmic mind,” and a super-cool concept known as “microvita.” Along the way, he also just might have derived an answer to the “hard problem” of consciousness in human beings  … And here I thought that getting this podcast off the ground was a huge achievement. Buckle up and enjoy the ride as we go everforward into the wild and wonderful world of P.R. Sarkar!  

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 meandering madness - but at some point that’s just not gonna be quite good enough … right? This episode serves as a call to action of sorts for science to knock it off with all the "it's ok not to know" stuff (no, it's not) — and start knowing something, for crying out loud! Enjoy! :)

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 Society of Detroit - and we just got started before we ran out of time! Looking very forward to picking up the conversation - immediately or sooner!

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 I spent a fascinating 60 minutes with our most recent guest, Narayana Swamy Sankagiri (“Nasy” for short). I won’t even try to summarize what I learned - but I will say that it only scratched the surface. And what an amazing surface it was! Here’s to Vishnu and Karma and Maya … and the Vedic texts, the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads … and Atman and Moksha and reincarnation and …

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 things is stitched into the fabric of existence - and that could be why more people don’t just … well, you know.

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 was once living — including you and me. Hang on to your hats as Frank Tipler blows your mind with his incredible ideas, all of which he says are based on the known laws of physics!

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 (https://christogenesis.org/) works to bridge the gap between the passion of spirituality and the purpose of science. As always, strap in as we go everforward into the super cool world of everything “Omega!”

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 our origins, and our evolution, and the emergent laws and the constants of our “finely-tuned” and relativistic universe. It’s stitched into the edges of existence, yet inexplicably interwoven into the fabric of the cosmos as well — even if the pattern is almost impossible to see. It’s in the “blur” of reality. And that’s precisely where we’re going in this episode of Exus The Podquest. This is Part 1 of a series of shows about "The Magic That Already Is." Enjoy!

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 he’s right - and he most certainly presents a compelling case - everything in existence, even the cosmos itself, is powered by a universal life force. If so, then what? Stay tuned …

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)! So go ahead and click the start button … and the “like” button … and the “subscribe” button because you’re most certainly gonna want to go “full quantum ahead” with Larry Gottlieb as he delivers … the magic!

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 certainly offers powerful insight into the here, now, and every now of the "innerverse." Enjoy!

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’t settle back as we intrepidly cross the philosophical conundrum-line that separates good and evil!

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, a history lesson, and an enthralling stroll through the hilly landscape of the world’s various “pan-religions.” This is an absolute must-watch interview! Sixty minutes of “everything God” … and more (if that's even possible? :)

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 approximately 60 minutes with one of the most prominent and engaging personalities in astrophysics. So, don’t sit back. And certainly don’t relax. Here we go - Everforward!

Exus the Podquest is a thought experiment. We are searching for answers to the great questions of science, religion and philosophy. Join us on this journey... Ever forward.

This program is a thought experiment. We are searching for answers to the great questions of science, religion and philosophy. Join us on this journey... Ever forward.