Lives on Earth

3.8 Billion Years

  • Spiritual Naturalism

    Many people find their spiritual resource in the universe as a whole, in the cosmos and its physical foundations. But for the questions I have about life, the entire universe is not a very helpful source. My questions are three:… Continue reading

  • The Sixth Mass Extinction

    Here’s how many people, if they are not in denial about it, view the current environmental crisis: global warming has begun, weather will become more extreme, and the changes in temperature will impact agriculture, the habitability of sea coasts, and… Continue reading

  • Spirituality in “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey”

    Secular spiritualists, although they trust in nature instead of the supernatural, may or may not as individuals understand much about science. And scientists, who study nature in detail, may or may not find spiritual meaning in it. The relationships between… Continue reading

  • The Future of Evolution

    The full title of Carter Phipps’ 2012 book is Evolutionaries: Unlocking the Spiritual and Cultural Potential of Science’s Greatest Idea. Drawing on the work of many writers and current thinkers, Phipps describes applications of the concept of evolution beyond biological… Continue reading

  • The Brain’s Offspring

    A theme of this blog has been that the purpose of life—our sense of a direction, or our craving for one—is rooted in our biological drive to survive and thrive. I’ve felt confident in that belief, but I’ve also been… Continue reading

  • “The reckless, the degraded, and the vicious”: Was Darwin a Bigot?

    If you’ve felt positive on the whole about whatever you know about evolution and natural selection and Charles Darwin, you’ll want a deep breath before reading this passage: With savages, the weak in body or mind are soon eliminated; and… Continue reading

  • Suffering

    This blog looks at ways in which the history of living things may be relevant to people’s largest questions about life. One of these questions is how to cope with suffering. Modern secularism and traditional religions differ widely in what… Continue reading