How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality

There's a lot of talk these days about a crisis of masculinity. But is it a genuine problem or just another culture war talking point? 

In this special episode, we’ll talk to writer and researcher Richard Reeves about the real and worrying data around the male struggle for meaning and purpose, and what role community and ritual can play in helping men find answers. We’ll also hear from Dr. Russell Moore and Pastor Rasool Be...

 Hey listeners, we'll be back in two weeks with a special episode looking at the multiple challenges facing men in America today. But while you wait, we wanted to share an episode from Season 2 of our show that feels especially relevant to that conversation. Think of it as a prequel or primer, because part of the problem, and possibly part of the solution, may have to do with how boys become men in the first place. We hope...

For centuries, Western science and philosophy have struggled to explain what consciousness is and where it comes from. What if the answer to both those questions is: everything?

On this episode, we dive into panpsychism: the idea that consciousness may not be limited to humans, or even living beings, but could be a basic property of reality itself. We’ll talk to philosopher Philip Goff about why this idea is gaining attenti...

People find faith or change faiths for many reasons: marriage, raising a family, dealing with  grief or crisis. But sometimes it happens the other way around… faith finds you. A believing takes hold, a sense that something divine is there. And maybe not in the way or role that you might have expected. 

It’s not uncommon. Data show that these types of experiences happen to about 30% of people. On this episode we’ll talk to o...

Many would agree there are few things better than sharing a delicious meal with the people you love, which is one reason why breaking bread together is a cornerstone of religions the world over. But so too is the opposite - going without food.  From Ramadan to Yom Kippur to Lent, fasting is an important ritual in many faiths. But why do so many religions periodically take away the very thing that nourishes our bodies and s...

We often think of belief as a religious or cultural idea that is a hallmark of modern humans. But what if the early sparks of belief burned in our ancestors’ minds long before modern humans walked the earth? What if beliefs about some of the biggest questions out there, like what happens after death, weren’t just pondered by Homo sapiens?

On this episode, evolutionary anthropologist Agustín Fuentes takes us on a journey spa...

When it comes to finding happiness, many religions see marriage as the gold standard: a path to love, stability, and fulfillment. But is that really true? And if so, why are marriage rates plummeting in so many parts of the world?

In this episode, we’ll talk to anthropologist Joseph Henrich about the surprising history of marriage and monogamy, including how these institutions helped lay the groundwork for much of our moder...

We'll be back with a whole new season of How God Works on March 9th. But in the meantime, we wanted to share shows from our archives that speak to some of the most pressing challenges we're all facing today. It’s only February, and already this has been an intense year. So if you’re feeling stressed today, how about… a breather?

It’s no accident that the Hebrew word for breath is the same as the word for spirit (ruach). Bre...

We'll be back with a whole new season of How God Works starting in early March. But in the meantime, we wanted to share a few shows from our archives that speak to some of the most pressing challenges we're all facing today.

Hate and prejudice based on ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation are all too common in our world. But are we doomed to be this way? Or is it possible to create a world where cooperation an...

Artificial Intelligence, and its possible applications to religion, have been in the news a lot lately, so while we're busy working on Season 8, we thought we'd share this episode from 2022 with you.

Can you pray with a robot? Will people worship AI like a god? It’s not science fiction. It’s starting to happen now. But what does it mean if robots become priests, or AIs start offering ethical advice? And how do we know when ...

Faith has always been a strong force in human history – but in modern times, it may feel antiquated to have it. This is an episode of the How to Be a Better Human podcast in which Dave talks about his research exploring questions of faith, his findings, and why we shouldn’t leave spiritual wisdom behind, even in the age of science. 

Hosted by comedian Chris Duffy, How to Be a Better Human features conversations that uncover...

The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy. But all too often, the darker, colder days of winter, and even the stress of preparing for the holidays themselves, can lead people to feel something else: rushed, stressed, lonely, or even hopeless. How can you make sure this year is bright? Science shows that there's a wisdom to parts of traditional winter celebrations – a wisdom that's been honed over centuries to help us a...

This episode from 2023 is one of our all-time listener favorites. We're sharing it again for anyone who may have missed it, or could do with a refresher, especially at the holiday season! 

Surveys show feelings of sadness and despair peaked in 2023. So as we look to the new year, it’s understandable why any of us might be feeling pessimistic, even hopeless. But these feelings aren’t written in stone. We always have a choice...

Lots of religions embrace the idea of hell – a place of eternal punishment for wrong doers. But where did that idea come from? How has it changed through time? And how does a belief in it (or not) affect us while we’re alive? 

We’ll talk with Bart Ehrman about the history of beliefs in hell from ancient Mesopotamia through modern Christianity. And with Shadi Hamid about why he thinks it can be a good thing for people to bel...

People have been having Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) all over the world for as long as we can look back into history. And the strange thing is… these experiences seem to have a lot in common. Why? Is it a look into the afterlife? Is it just our neurons firing in weird ways as the brain dies? 

We’ll talk to psychiatrist Bruce Greyson, one of the world’s leading experts on Near-Death Experiences, about the research that led ...

There’s no question we’re living in difficult times that lead many of us to adopt a cynical outlook. But while cynicism might feel smart, science shows it’s corrosive not only to our own wellbeing, but to society as a whole. We’ll talk to Stanford Professor of Psychology Jamil Zaki about the surprising benefits that a willingness to trust in the goodness of others can offer, and how to build this skill in a wise way throug...

We spend a lot of time on How God Works talking about how spirituality can offer tools to become better versions of ourselves.  And while learning to be happier, healthier and more resilient are all positive things to strive for, they can also lead us down a different path - an obsession with productivity and self-optimization… which can lead to a culture of trying to grind or life-hack our way through everything.

But what ...

Regret can be a double-edged sword.  It can be painful, and enduring, but we can also learn important lessons from it - IF we treat it right. Most religions speak of forgiveness and compassion, not only toward others but also toward oneself. Still, letting go can be difficult to do at times. So how do we learn from regret and start anew?

Dave speaks with best selling author Daniel Pink, and renowned Buddhist teacher Sharon ...