You 2.0: Our Better Nature

Last week, we talked with psychologist Lisa Miller about the science of spirituality. Today, we explore what those ideas can look like in everyday life. Miller explains why moments of connection, spiritual practices, and even periods of suffering can sometimes open the door to de ...  Show more

Food, safety, and strong relationships are essential to our survival. Psychologist Lisa Miller says our brains also crave something else: transcendence. She suggests that spirituality is a universal human capacity, and that feeling connected to something larger than ourselves may ...  Show more

The images of dolphins in the Venice canals and coyotes parading through Chicago and elephants asleep in a field were held up as the silver lining of 2020. And from these nature memes emerged a sort of mantra: “nature is healing, we are the virus.” But is humanity the virus we’ve ...  Show more

This week we're joined by Ben Wilson to talk about his most recent book Urban Jungle: The History and Future of Nature in the City. We chat about how plants took root in the rubble of wars and blank sp ...

Urban life has not only reshaped what it means to be human, cities are also changing animals. Rats in different parts of New York are evolving separately. Ecologist Rob Dunn describes cities as accelerators of evolution. Also in this episode, how city administrators compete for d ...  Show more

Are we separate and superior to nature? This question has been a driving force behind humanity's industrialization and economic progress for centuries -- but it's brought us to the brink of an ecological crisis, says filmmaker Damon Gameau. In an impassioned talk, he calls for a ...  Show more