WEBVTT - Pope on a Cosmic Rope 0:00:03.800 --> 0:00:06.680 Welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind from how Stuff 0:00:06.680 --> 0:00:13.840 Works dot com. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 0:00:13.880 --> 0:00:16.840 My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Douglass. You know, Joy, 0:00:16.920 --> 0:00:19.040 there was a I think it was a mad magazine 0:00:19.079 --> 0:00:22.280 from like ages back, like it was published before my birth, 0:00:22.320 --> 0:00:24.640 and I ended up like finding it a stack of 0:00:24.880 --> 0:00:28.400 of my dad's old magazines and stuff and um. And 0:00:28.840 --> 0:00:33.160 there was one that depicted the this medieval space race 0:00:33.680 --> 0:00:36.839 between you know, kind of like the Holy War between 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:39.760 the West and in the Middle East, except it was 0:00:40.040 --> 0:00:42.520 the space race. And so you have a Catholic Church 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:47.160 blasting off into space on a rocket that was propelled Uh. 0:00:47.240 --> 0:00:49.199 It didn't have you know, a rocket engine in the 0:00:49.200 --> 0:00:52.040 lower portions of of the of the spaceship, but it 0:00:52.159 --> 0:00:55.560 had all these monks and they were just like busy praying, 0:00:55.600 --> 0:00:59.920 and it was propelled into orbit via contemptous Monday, uh, 0:01:00.000 --> 0:01:02.680 contempt for the Earth, and that was how they would 0:01:02.680 --> 0:01:07.840 achieve orbit. Yeah. But as it turns out that while 0:01:07.840 --> 0:01:11.880 there is not necessarily a Catholic space program or a 0:01:12.040 --> 0:01:15.680 or a Vatican space program per se, the the Vatican 0:01:15.920 --> 0:01:18.920 and the the Catholic Church is very interested in the cosmos. 0:01:19.680 --> 0:01:21.360 I mean, to a certain extent, they have been for 0:01:21.400 --> 0:01:25.440 a long time, because I mean there was a time 0:01:25.480 --> 0:01:27.520 back in the Middle Ages you had to study astronomy 0:01:27.880 --> 0:01:32.319 in order to understand theology. The Catholic Church was interested 0:01:32.319 --> 0:01:35.080 in calendar, so they're interested in the way the spheres 0:01:35.120 --> 0:01:37.520 are moving. And there's just a rich history of the 0:01:37.520 --> 0:01:42.280 two overlapping each other, at least until things become shaky, right, yes, yes, 0:01:42.480 --> 0:01:45.360 And and of course that brings to mind Galileo, right, 0:01:45.840 --> 0:01:50.160 and the whole heliocentric model which turned the Catholic Church 0:01:50.240 --> 0:01:53.200 on its head back in the day. Going from the 0:01:53.480 --> 0:01:56.160 idea that the the Earth was the center of the universe, too, 0:01:56.280 --> 0:01:58.040 something else might be the center of the universe, namely 0:01:58.200 --> 0:02:01.480 the Sun, and and that it's kind of like you 0:02:01.480 --> 0:02:03.600 can keep keep telling me science about the second when 0:02:03.600 --> 0:02:06.560 it starts interfering with the theology, then we're gonna have 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:08.959 to have a serious, frank discussion about why you're a 0:02:09.000 --> 0:02:11.400 heretic and why you should agree with us on this 0:02:11.440 --> 0:02:14.840 one right, right, because there's this idea right that humans 0:02:14.880 --> 0:02:18.000 have sort of a birthright to the universe. And so 0:02:18.120 --> 0:02:19.720 if you're going to tell me that Earth is not 0:02:19.880 --> 0:02:23.040 the center of it all. Then who you know, who 0:02:23.160 --> 0:02:25.520 is the center of the universe if it's not humans. 0:02:25.880 --> 0:02:28.400 So that was like the main problem, right Yeah. Now 0:02:28.560 --> 0:02:31.080 since that time that the theology has come around to 0:02:31.840 --> 0:02:35.080 encompass this, this idea, but at the time that theology 0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:37.840 was not going to shift. No, it took them three 0:02:37.919 --> 0:02:42.119 hundred and fifty years to admit that Galileo was right, 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:45.079 And in two thousand and nine they recktoned a statue 0:02:45.120 --> 0:02:48.000 to him. And I'm gonna bet I haven't seen the statue, 0:02:48.040 --> 0:02:50.799 but I'm gonna bet it's not of him kneeling before 0:02:50.840 --> 0:02:54.280 the tribunal, yeah, or broken by the inquisition, right right, 0:02:54.400 --> 0:02:57.040 saying no, no, it was never mind, that was all 0:02:57.120 --> 0:03:00.880 wrong Philip Glass. Today, I believe, Yeah, philk Class did 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:03.880 an opera about Galileo. Is there. Of course I have 0:03:03.880 --> 0:03:06.040 not seen it, but my understanding is that it's told 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:09.760 in reverse, so it starts with a broken Galileo, you know, 0:03:09.800 --> 0:03:12.880 with everything in its life and shambles, and then works backwards. 0:03:13.639 --> 0:03:15.480 I love that guy, but every time I think of him, 0:03:15.520 --> 0:03:19.200 I always think of that that sort of corresponding um 0:03:19.440 --> 0:03:22.640 dance moves that tend to go along with any filk 0:03:22.680 --> 0:03:25.040 class music, and it's always like people rolling back and 0:03:25.080 --> 0:03:29.960 forth on a on a floor. Wos some interesting dance clubs. 0:03:30.560 --> 0:03:36.680 Yeah you don't see that the role Yeah yeah, the 0:03:36.920 --> 0:03:40.119 house remixes of philk class. Yeah. But so yeah, there's 0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:44.360 there there. There's a whole hullablulu of heliocentrism, which mirrors 0:03:44.560 --> 0:03:50.120 in a in a weird way, the search for extraterrestrial life, right, 0:03:50.160 --> 0:03:53.480 because again it's furthering that idea of well, if it's 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:56.640 if it's if it's not us or you know, who 0:03:56.720 --> 0:03:59.440 is it? Are there other people out there? This idea 0:03:59.560 --> 0:04:04.320 that UM, this anthropomorphic idea of being questioned. Yeah, people 0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:07.000 are gonna be like, hey, God created anim and Eve, 0:04:07.080 --> 0:04:10.520 not kling Lower and Subican or something, you know, I mean, 0:04:11.200 --> 0:04:12.520 I mean just the idea that if we were to 0:04:12.560 --> 0:04:14.720 find alien like it, it throws a lot of things 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:18.560 into You have to reevaluate a lot of accepted theology 0:04:18.560 --> 0:04:22.400 at the idea that UM accepted within the various churches 0:04:22.720 --> 0:04:26.400 that that say that God created the humans in his image, Like, 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:28.440 then what does that mean of their aliens? What is 0:04:28.480 --> 0:04:31.080 their role are they? Do they need to be saved? 0:04:31.120 --> 0:04:32.880 Do they need to be converted? Or are they good, 0:04:33.200 --> 0:04:36.679 what's the rules? So it's really fascinating that the Catholic 0:04:36.760 --> 0:04:40.520 Church would involve itself so heavily as of late with 0:04:40.600 --> 0:04:44.560 the last two years in the cosmos. Again, not so 0:04:44.680 --> 0:04:47.320 much because of their past history. Um, you know, they're 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:52.640 very academic in terms of um their view on cosmology. 0:04:52.680 --> 0:04:55.640 But the fact that they would even embrace the idea 0:04:55.720 --> 0:04:59.320 of aliens existing, it's sort of shocking. Yeah, because it 0:04:59.480 --> 0:05:00.880 is one of those things, Like I said, it would 0:05:00.880 --> 0:05:02.919 just it would throw a wrench into Uh. I'm not 0:05:02.960 --> 0:05:04.960 saying that, you know, theology would would have to shift 0:05:05.000 --> 0:05:09.080 to it and belief would change, but it would cause 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:11.000 a lot of people to have to reevaluate how they 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:14.680 view the universe. So enter a man by the name 0:05:14.720 --> 0:05:20.839 of Guy Consum, who who I Actually I get to 0:05:20.839 --> 0:05:24.200 see him a couple of years back, became and and 0:05:24.240 --> 0:05:27.680 I spoken a local college. He's a fascinating Guy's a 0:05:27.720 --> 0:05:31.960 really interesting dude. He maintains the Vaticans meteorite collection, among 0:05:32.000 --> 0:05:34.440 other things. Oh yeah, yeah. He has two degrees in 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:36.400 Earth and Planetary science from M I T. And he 0:05:36.440 --> 0:05:38.599 works for the pope. So that's how he's sort of 0:05:38.600 --> 0:05:41.800 bridging this whole uh, you know, Catholic Church and and 0:05:41.920 --> 0:05:46.120 science movement as of late and uh, specifically he studies 0:05:46.160 --> 0:05:50.240 the origins of asteroids, dwarf planets, and objects orbiting the 0:05:50.279 --> 0:05:55.000 Sun beyond Neptune. And he entered the Jesuit order. And 0:05:55.240 --> 0:05:58.280 this is what I thought was interesting too. He has 0:05:58.320 --> 0:06:01.520 an interest in science because he was greatly influenced by 0:06:01.600 --> 0:06:06.640 science fiction. Cool. Yeah, and he's a really cool beard too, 0:06:07.080 --> 0:06:10.640 to say he has a magnificent beard. Yeah. I mean 0:06:10.640 --> 0:06:12.400 he's just a very well spoken guy. Like you say, though, 0:06:12.440 --> 0:06:14.480 I mean he's been he's been making the rounds recently. 0:06:15.279 --> 0:06:19.680 He's not speaking not just at faith based colleges, but 0:06:19.839 --> 0:06:24.200 also showing up on like the Colbert Report, even not 0:06:24.200 --> 0:06:27.880 not exactly the most risk free interview environment. You know, 0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:30.040 he's he's showing up the He just all over the 0:06:30.120 --> 0:06:32.200 lecture circuit. No, but he's a savvy guy and he's 0:06:32.200 --> 0:06:34.279 got a lot of very interesting things to say about 0:06:34.320 --> 0:06:38.240 how the church is squaring um, you know, space exploration 0:06:38.360 --> 0:06:41.799 and aliens because it's just the possible existence of aliens 0:06:42.000 --> 0:06:46.280 with theology and uh, and and very upfront about to 0:06:46.480 --> 0:06:48.800 say that, you know, the church getting it spectacularly wrong 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:52.760 about Galileo or or even you know, touching on issues 0:06:52.800 --> 0:06:57.440 of of intelligent design and an evolution. Like he's not 0:06:57.440 --> 0:07:00.440 going so far as to say, yeah, that you should 0:07:00.480 --> 0:07:03.560 just be totally behind evolution, but he's he's you see 0:07:03.640 --> 0:07:08.520 him really stomping on especially the American conservative branch of 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:11.720 intelligent design, which oh yeah, he calls it bad theology, 0:07:11.960 --> 0:07:15.560 and he says that it's been hijacked by American creationists fundamentalists, 0:07:15.560 --> 0:07:19.200 and that it's essentially turning Christianity into a pagan god 0:07:19.240 --> 0:07:22.760 who's responsible for lightning and thunder rather than the Earth 0:07:22.840 --> 0:07:27.120 being responsible for its atmosphere, which is like, whoa, yeah, 0:07:27.400 --> 0:07:30.520 Like consider that this is coming from uh, someone in 0:07:30.560 --> 0:07:33.200 the Catholic Church. But there is a really interesting quote 0:07:33.200 --> 0:07:36.040 that I pulled in. This is from a psycom you 0:07:36.120 --> 0:07:39.520 see Santa Cruz interview by alyssa Poem, and she asked him, 0:07:39.680 --> 0:07:43.080 what's your advice for scientists believers who don't necessarily wear 0:07:43.120 --> 0:07:46.239 a collar so you're you know, you believe in God, 0:07:46.440 --> 0:07:49.280 but you're a scientist, And he said, there's nothing to 0:07:49.280 --> 0:07:52.280 be gained by talking religion in the scientific context. It 0:07:52.360 --> 0:07:55.280 doesn't belong there. I'd like to see more scientists who 0:07:55.320 --> 0:07:57.880 are churchgoers talk about their science in their church to 0:07:58.160 --> 0:08:01.160 their fellow parishioners. Love of them. Know that science isn't 0:08:01.200 --> 0:08:03.560 the enemy. I think there's a great hunger for science 0:08:03.600 --> 0:08:05.760 among everyone. It's a human desire to know how the 0:08:05.840 --> 0:08:08.920 universe works. Also, you can't do science without admitting I 0:08:08.960 --> 0:08:11.680 don't have all the answers. Unfortunately, that's never the way 0:08:11.680 --> 0:08:15.520 science is communicated. Scientists like saying I've got the answers, 0:08:15.840 --> 0:08:18.160 when in fact real science says no, I don't have 0:08:18.200 --> 0:08:21.080 the answers. I'm still trying to find them. That would 0:08:21.120 --> 0:08:23.840 lower the temperature of any discussion. So I thought, you 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:26.640 know what, that is a really interesting, measured way to 0:08:26.720 --> 0:08:29.640 talk about that. You know, it's basically the idea that 0:08:29.640 --> 0:08:32.840 that science is really important obviously and sets up to 0:08:32.880 --> 0:08:35.160 it to answer some extremely important questions about life. But 0:08:35.280 --> 0:08:38.679 maybe that that religion has has has an important role 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:42.920 in the ethical dimensions of life that are outside the 0:08:42.960 --> 0:08:45.640 realm of science. Right. He's saying that, you know, in 0:08:46.240 --> 0:08:48.680 terms of his interpretation of the Bible, he doesn't take 0:08:48.679 --> 0:08:52.800 it literally. Um that there are these are wonderful stories 0:08:53.400 --> 0:08:57.000 to glean lessons from. But and I think that's his 0:08:57.080 --> 0:08:59.480 problem with the whole creationism thing is that there's a 0:08:59.520 --> 0:09:03.200 lot of uh literal stuff going on there. But I 0:09:03.240 --> 0:09:05.000 have thought about this guy that you know, he's he 0:09:05.160 --> 0:09:08.040 is fascinating um to know more about. And in fact, 0:09:08.080 --> 0:09:09.960 if you want to go to scom and see that 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:12.160 you see Santa Cruz interview by less A Pool, you 0:09:12.200 --> 0:09:14.439 can find out a lot more about him. But I 0:09:14.520 --> 0:09:17.600 sort of wondered, is this the guy who's driving uh 0:09:17.800 --> 0:09:20.280 this sort of mission from the Catholic Church or is 0:09:20.280 --> 0:09:24.040 this just you know, them being progressive, yeah, or is 0:09:24.080 --> 0:09:27.000 this the progressive guy that has that really has that 0:09:27.080 --> 0:09:29.480 again is really driving something in the church or is 0:09:29.480 --> 0:09:31.360 this the progressive guy that they let off the leash 0:09:32.320 --> 0:09:34.959 to sort of make good with the media. Right, because 0:09:35.240 --> 0:09:38.200 you see some other other things that the churches is 0:09:38.240 --> 0:09:42.720 doing recently that that that is it falls into similar ground. 0:09:43.000 --> 0:09:46.040 For instance, the church recently backed an adult stem cell 0:09:46.120 --> 0:09:48.440 research company called Neo Stem to the tune of about 0:09:48.480 --> 0:09:51.480 a million dollars, which granted, that's kind of chump change 0:09:51.679 --> 0:09:55.200 for the church, but still, uh, something is is volatile 0:09:55.240 --> 0:09:58.080 as as stem cells, uh you know, and they're you know, 0:09:58.080 --> 0:10:00.640 and they're not going to get behind anything but adults 0:10:00.640 --> 0:10:03.560 stem cells at this point. But still they think at 0:10:03.640 --> 0:10:06.839 least you know, through a few bucks behind the adult 0:10:06.840 --> 0:10:09.680 stem cell research, which was which is which is interesting well, 0:10:09.720 --> 0:10:12.160 and again that's the scientific research part of it, right, 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:16.400 so they are furthering that mission for science. They've also 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:20.520 hosted a conference between astronomerus, physicists, by and biologists to 0:10:20.520 --> 0:10:24.360 discuss the existence of alien life and what effect it 0:10:24.400 --> 0:10:28.120 would have on the Church and Christianity and astronomers. Father 0:10:28.200 --> 0:10:31.400 Fuentes he said that the search for e T does 0:10:31.480 --> 0:10:35.120 not conflict with our faith quote because we cannot put 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:38.200 creative limits on the freedom of God unquote. So again 0:10:38.960 --> 0:10:42.160 this is some really interesting messaging coming out of Catholic 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:45.000 Church about this. Yeah. This this guy's the same the 0:10:45.040 --> 0:10:47.800 same one who who said that the aliens might potentially 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:52.200 live in a sinless state, which I think I read 0:10:52.200 --> 0:10:56.800 that where like I still have a big question mark 0:10:56.960 --> 0:10:59.880 over my head about that. Yeah, well it does underline 0:10:59.880 --> 0:11:01.960 an interesting idea. I mean, it gets into the idea 0:11:01.960 --> 0:11:03.520 of what if we've we come across the alien life 0:11:03.520 --> 0:11:09.120 and they're far better than us, They're superior to us there, technologically, morally, ethically, 0:11:09.440 --> 0:11:11.559 way better than us. Then we wouldn't be able to, 0:11:11.760 --> 0:11:13.760 you know, walk into the room and say hey, we 0:11:13.880 --> 0:11:16.120 got some some pamphlets we want you to read, and 0:11:16.160 --> 0:11:18.280 they're like, no, thank you, we're you know, we've involved 0:11:18.280 --> 0:11:22.120 the on consciousness and less. Yeah, there's inner sinless by 0:11:22.120 --> 0:11:25.319 the way you read our pamphlet. Um. Yeah, it's funny. 0:11:25.440 --> 0:11:27.160 It's someone who posts the question about whether or not 0:11:27.520 --> 0:11:30.240 Constant Manio would baptize and alien and he said, well, 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:32.600 of course if if they would like that. Um. But 0:11:32.679 --> 0:11:34.400 then he went on to say that, you know, it's 0:11:34.440 --> 0:11:37.560 it's it's probably not likely that we're going to find 0:11:37.760 --> 0:11:40.559 this being and there's the question of it being intelligent 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:43.320 and us being able to communicate with it, and so 0:11:43.360 --> 0:11:45.719 it's not really a practical question. Yeah, if you have, 0:11:46.280 --> 0:11:47.920 it depends on who you ask about the whole, Like, 0:11:48.040 --> 0:11:49.480 you know, what are what are the chances that there's 0:11:49.520 --> 0:11:53.079 life and in in the in the universe beyond us, 0:11:53.440 --> 0:11:55.280 and and then what are the chances that it's intelligent? 0:11:55.320 --> 0:11:57.200 Then what are the chances that will encounter it. It 0:11:57.320 --> 0:12:00.880 becomes a safer and safer bet that the church is 0:12:00.880 --> 0:12:02.920 making here by talking about it at all, you know, 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:04.640 because it's like it's kind of Like, I can talk 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:06.240 all day about how great I'm going to be of 0:12:06.280 --> 0:12:09.280 an alien lands in the office here at work, but 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:11.360 we both know it's not gonna happen. So I'm not 0:12:11.400 --> 0:12:13.520 gonna have to you I can say, I can. I'll 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:15.959 bait cakes and give speeches all day, but I'm not 0:12:15.960 --> 0:12:18.120 gonna have to learn any lines or bring any baking 0:12:18.160 --> 0:12:20.040 stuff to like they're not going to have to commit 0:12:20.080 --> 0:12:24.079 to baptizing aliens and really getting behind that in earnest right, Yeah, 0:12:24.120 --> 0:12:27.640 it's yeah, So it's it's a safe bat. Yeah, that's 0:12:27.640 --> 0:12:29.360 that's my read on it. Now. I know, I think 0:12:29.360 --> 0:12:31.360 it's very interesting, and I think, you know, is this 0:12:31.480 --> 0:12:33.440 are they ahead of the curve or you know, is 0:12:33.480 --> 0:12:38.200 this a marketing stunt? Yeah? We we're making the comparison 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:41.880 yesterday to the episode of the Office, the American version 0:12:41.960 --> 0:12:46.080 where everyone's afraid of age discrimination. So Creed, the the 0:12:46.120 --> 0:12:49.080 older creepy dude on the show. Um, he shows up 0:12:49.120 --> 0:12:51.720 to work with his hair dyed black and starts trying 0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:54.720 to talk about things that are young and hip. So, 0:12:55.520 --> 0:12:57.440 you know, the the cynical side of me reads a 0:12:57.440 --> 0:13:00.920 lot of this and sees Creed with his obviously dyed 0:13:00.960 --> 0:13:02.840 black hair where it's you know, it's like the old 0:13:02.920 --> 0:13:06.040 church saying, hey, how about those space aliens. So so 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:08.320 what you're saying is that the church is trying to 0:13:08.640 --> 0:13:12.520 appeal to a wider audience and is wearing skinny jeans 0:13:12.640 --> 0:13:15.720 underneath their vestments. I think that's one view, that one 0:13:15.840 --> 0:13:18.520 that one can take this one interpretation of what's going on. 0:13:19.080 --> 0:13:23.520 Um I I'm I don't necessarily. I think that's there 0:13:23.559 --> 0:13:27.800 are probably a lot of of of minds behind this movement, 0:13:27.800 --> 0:13:29.800 and there's some people. I'm sure guy totally believes in 0:13:29.840 --> 0:13:32.000 what he's he's putting out there. Oh no, I mean, 0:13:32.040 --> 0:13:34.640 that's the interesting thing about this person is that he's 0:13:34.640 --> 0:13:37.640 obviously he's a scientist, you know, through and through he 0:13:37.720 --> 0:13:39.800 just I think he happens to wear the collar and 0:13:39.840 --> 0:13:43.000 he's again he's trying to square that for himself, possibly 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:46.360 in for the Catholic Church and for our perception of that. 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:49.120 So there's no doubt I don't think that he's like 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:51.400 any sort of marketing machine. I think he's the real deal, 0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:53.680 and that's why he's so fascinating. He's got some really 0:13:53.679 --> 0:13:58.400 interesting insights into science and theology. Um. But yeah, I mean, yeah, 0:13:58.440 --> 0:14:00.319 I guess. I guess we'll know on the more getting 0:14:00.400 --> 0:14:03.400 side if that's really what they're pursuing. If the Pope, 0:14:03.440 --> 0:14:06.000 you know, addresses an audience and starts dropping L O 0:14:06.160 --> 0:14:09.880 L weaferences or um or like Creed comes out with 0:14:09.920 --> 0:14:17.680 some blue hair, perhaps this presentation is brought to you 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:24.920 by Intel sponsors of tomorrow. That's hard to say, but 0:14:24.960 --> 0:14:27.640 I think it's a fascinating proposition for where we are 0:14:27.760 --> 0:14:31.400 right now, that the Catholic Church is looking at science 0:14:31.440 --> 0:14:35.440 in this way and opening the discussion and asking people 0:14:35.560 --> 0:14:39.840 to to consider their place in the world in the 0:14:39.920 --> 0:14:45.120 in the context of um of life, life outside of 0:14:45.280 --> 0:14:47.920 the earth. I'm trailing off a little bit on that 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:50.200 because I'm like, yeah, I don't want to get too philosophical, 0:14:50.360 --> 0:14:53.000 but you know, I think you're picking up what I'm 0:14:53.000 --> 0:14:56.480 putting down there. Uh. It makes me think of a 0:14:56.520 --> 0:15:00.200 line a quote that I got from professor by the 0:15:00.280 --> 0:15:03.440 name of Varadaja v Rahman. And he's the author of 0:15:03.480 --> 0:15:07.320 Truth and Tension and science and religion and um and uh. 0:15:07.320 --> 0:15:11.920 If I remember he's actually um uh Hindu um and 0:15:12.040 --> 0:15:13.720 he has he has a lot of interesting ideas on 0:15:13.760 --> 0:15:15.920 this because he he often puts out that there's not 0:15:16.000 --> 0:15:18.840 as much there's not really a clash between science and Hinduism, 0:15:19.320 --> 0:15:23.560 that the the the controversies between science and religion tend 0:15:23.640 --> 0:15:27.080 to exist more in Western societies. And uh, and he 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:28.800 had this great did you tell me? He said, I 0:15:28.840 --> 0:15:32.400 seriously doubt that the dialogue between religion and science will cease, 0:15:32.440 --> 0:15:34.880 But I do believe that as a result of these exchanges, 0:15:35.200 --> 0:15:37.720 religion is likely to become less irrational and some of 0:15:37.800 --> 0:15:41.080 its expressions in some of its expressions. In fact, one 0:15:41.240 --> 0:15:44.200 would hope that the greatest contribution science can make in 0:15:44.320 --> 0:15:47.280 calming religion is to eradicate the many unpleasant, unhappy, and 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:51.520 in many cases destructive aspects of religious expression. So I 0:15:52.240 --> 0:15:54.880 I personally find that really encouraging. I like this view 0:15:55.040 --> 0:15:58.320 that that it's not a situation of science and religion 0:15:58.400 --> 0:16:02.040 duking it out and just extre emails them. Yeah. Yeah, 0:16:02.160 --> 0:16:06.160 that that these two things can can coexist in a 0:16:06.480 --> 0:16:09.200 in a way that is not harmful to the culture 0:16:09.320 --> 0:16:12.760 as a whole. Yeah. And I've always wondered why we've 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:15.520 had to set up this paradigm of the other, you know, 0:16:15.600 --> 0:16:18.240 as humans, in order to think that we have to 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:21.760 exist the way we exist. Um, So I do think 0:16:21.800 --> 0:16:24.680 it's interesting that that both sides could possibly come to 0:16:24.800 --> 0:16:27.160 the table and for for the greater good of humanity. 0:16:28.320 --> 0:16:30.320 I'm holding out for that. Yeah. And I like the 0:16:30.400 --> 0:16:33.160 idea that finding alien life wouldn't just freak everyone out 0:16:33.240 --> 0:16:35.600 and send everybody into a tizzy because I I don't 0:16:35.640 --> 0:16:38.160 feel like my I mean, my world view would be 0:16:38.280 --> 0:16:41.760 changed significantly if we if we found aliens. But you 0:16:41.840 --> 0:16:44.480 know it's I don't I wouldn't jump off a building. 0:16:44.800 --> 0:16:47.120 So do you think the aliens might be wearing the 0:16:47.160 --> 0:16:52.440 funny hat? That's the question? Yeah, all right, do we 0:16:52.480 --> 0:16:56.200 have any listener emails? We have some emails. UM, a 0:16:56.440 --> 0:16:59.920 listener by the name of Mr Squirrel. Right, and you know, 0:17:00.000 --> 0:17:01.600 you get to you get to choose your own name 0:17:01.640 --> 0:17:04.280 on the internet, So go for it. Um says hi, 0:17:04.359 --> 0:17:06.800 I love the squirrel well, and he says, Hi, I 0:17:06.840 --> 0:17:09.480 love the podcast. I had a few quick additions to 0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:13.000 your subliminal mentioning podcast. In particular, I'm fascinated fascinated by 0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:16.000 the way ways in which casinos have used it to 0:17:16.080 --> 0:17:19.679 keep their clients paying Um. And then he and Mr 0:17:19.760 --> 0:17:24.479 Squirrel had the three examples knows no visible clocks anywhere 0:17:24.560 --> 0:17:26.159 on the floor on the floor to cause people to 0:17:26.200 --> 0:17:29.959 lose track of time, bright flashing lights and allowed sounds 0:17:30.040 --> 0:17:33.200 to disorient and tantalize people with the chance of winning 0:17:33.760 --> 0:17:36.320 an amaze like floor design so that people will walk 0:17:36.400 --> 0:17:38.760 by many games on their way in and out. M 0:17:39.359 --> 0:17:43.960 I'm seeing some similarities with casinos and workplaces a little bit. Yeah, yeah, 0:17:44.520 --> 0:17:46.440 what do we have. We don't really have clocks around. 0:17:47.280 --> 0:17:50.639 We have somewhat of amaze we do, but it doesn't 0:17:50.800 --> 0:17:53.720 go through like a gift shop or anything. Well, you 0:17:53.760 --> 0:17:55.560 haven't been to the gift shop. I haven't. Then where 0:17:55.840 --> 0:17:58.520 where's the gift shop? Man? You haven't been. I don't 0:17:58.560 --> 0:18:00.800 know that I can tell you. Okay, that's not a 0:18:00.840 --> 0:18:03.880 janitorial closet. That's all I'm gonna say. Well cool, those 0:18:03.880 --> 0:18:07.040 are Yeah, I mean casinos are are very interesting. Um. 0:18:07.560 --> 0:18:09.640 We could probably do a whole podcast enters in ways 0:18:09.680 --> 0:18:12.720 that that that they mess with people and ensnare them. 0:18:13.200 --> 0:18:15.119 Oh yeah, And it wouldn't be fascinating to to run 0:18:15.160 --> 0:18:17.880 an m R I on someone who's gambling. What it's 0:18:17.920 --> 0:18:20.240 going on in that head? Yours is you're playing the 0:18:20.280 --> 0:18:24.320 One Armed bandit? Um. Here we have another one from 0:18:24.440 --> 0:18:29.240 a listener by the name of a friend reference, and 0:18:29.720 --> 0:18:31.959 they're writing in response to the attack of the Creative 0:18:32.000 --> 0:18:35.600 Brain podcast. Uh, let's say. I'm an artist, a visual artist. 0:18:35.680 --> 0:18:38.040 So many times I have thought I'm crazy, and I've 0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:40.440 gone on to accept that just because I'm an artist, 0:18:41.320 --> 0:18:43.399 until you said that it could be possible that my 0:18:43.480 --> 0:18:47.120 mind just gets overloaded with ideas. Um, I've I've accepted 0:18:47.160 --> 0:18:49.639 my craziness and I know that I'm always thinking of 0:18:49.760 --> 0:18:52.520 ideas NonStop. I can't help it. If someone says something 0:18:52.560 --> 0:18:55.080 about I don't know a tree, I'll immediately picture trees 0:18:55.119 --> 0:18:56.680 in my head. I'll draw them in my head a 0:18:56.800 --> 0:18:59.920 variety of ways, and I'll automatically begin to brainstorm idea 0:19:00.000 --> 0:19:02.320 after idea, like I'm watching it being created in my 0:19:02.400 --> 0:19:05.760 head rather than contributing. I feel there are ideas in 0:19:05.840 --> 0:19:08.480 my head that are originally mine, and I feel their 0:19:08.520 --> 0:19:11.240 ideas in my head that I have received. I've always 0:19:11.320 --> 0:19:13.480 felt like just a vessel. I know I am just 0:19:13.600 --> 0:19:16.159 a vessel, and now thinking of it, it kind of 0:19:16.240 --> 0:19:18.800 makes me think of another podcast of yours, as You've 0:19:18.840 --> 0:19:20.840 got a genius. When you guys said that we are 0:19:20.920 --> 0:19:23.560 just host to all of this bacteria. So is our 0:19:23.600 --> 0:19:26.840 brain too, am I simply a transmitter equipped with the 0:19:26.920 --> 0:19:30.680 dexterity and circumstances to receive, interpret, and relay creative information 0:19:30.760 --> 0:19:34.680 through visual representation. So it's the crazy. My ability to 0:19:34.840 --> 0:19:37.800 organize these ideas a mental stenographer is what I am 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:40.399 in great need up. Let me know if you come 0:19:40.440 --> 0:19:45.240 across one. Thanks for your info. Again, another great email 0:19:45.359 --> 0:19:47.560 with tons of insight, because we did. We talked about that. 0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:52.160 We talked about the parallels between UM. You know, people 0:19:52.240 --> 0:19:57.320 who have this ability to not filter UM out as 0:19:57.359 --> 0:20:00.280 many ideas, right, And I believe this was the the 0:20:00.320 --> 0:20:03.800 flow of neurons and and then there was the the 0:20:04.119 --> 0:20:06.720 schizophrenic aspect. And that doesn't that's not saying that people 0:20:06.800 --> 0:20:11.840 who share this similar um brain action are all crazy. 0:20:11.880 --> 0:20:14.600 It just says that, you know, they've they've studied schizophrenics 0:20:14.640 --> 0:20:16.720 and they've studied people who are highly creative and they 0:20:16.880 --> 0:20:20.080 noticed that the same thing happens UM. So it's really 0:20:20.119 --> 0:20:22.840 interesting to hear a firsthand acount about that. Yeah, just 0:20:22.920 --> 0:20:25.600 an insight into the artistic mind and like what's going 0:20:25.640 --> 0:20:28.760 on when you're creating things? So cool. Thanks for letting 0:20:28.800 --> 0:20:30.520 us know about that. And so if you have any 0:20:30.560 --> 0:20:33.639 interesting ideas you want to share about how casinos and 0:20:33.760 --> 0:20:36.959 snare our mind, how the creative process works, or indeed, 0:20:37.280 --> 0:20:41.720 if you have any thoughts on the whole um combination 0:20:41.800 --> 0:20:44.680 of Church and cosmos, and in the Vatican's interest in 0:20:44.760 --> 0:20:47.440 space and how that might relate to your own worldview, 0:20:47.520 --> 0:20:49.719 then let us know. We're on Facebook and Twitter as 0:20:49.760 --> 0:20:51.920 Blow the Mind and you can always drop us a 0:20:52.000 --> 0:20:54.320 line at blow the Mind at how stuff works dot com. 0:20:58.440 --> 0:21:00.880 For more on this and thousands of our topics, visit 0:21:00.920 --> 0:21:03.680 how stuff works dot com. To learn more about the podcast, 0:21:03.920 --> 0:21:06.400 click on the podcast icon in the upper right corner 0:21:06.480 --> 0:21:09.520 of our homepage. The How Stuff Works iPhone app has 0:21:09.560 --> 0:21:12.080 a ride. Download it today on iTunes.