Lives on Earth

Cosmos

  • Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Hidden Costs of a Cosmic Perspective

    In Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, Neil deGrasse Tyson explains nothing less than the workings of the entire cosmos. But in the conclusion he raises a more demanding problem: where, in all these astral wonders, do we humans fit in?        The… Continue reading

  • Humboldt’s Vision of Nature

    Our ecological imagination—our sense of nature as a global, interconnected and sacred whole—has roots in many sources. A relatively unfamiliar one is the work of Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), a manic, prolific explorer and naturalist of the German Romantic era. Humboldt’s… Continue reading

  • What Is the “Nature” In Naturalism?

    Religious or spiritual naturalism (I’ll use spiritual for both here) is a subject dear to my heart. But sometimes I wonder about what exactly we have in mind when we use the word nature. In what I read and even in what… Continue reading

  • Finding Spirituality in Science

    I presented this lecture at the college and community Science Seminar at Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey in January 2016. My thanks to Dr. Paul Scheuler, organizer of the series. The talk focuses on three questions about life… Continue reading

  • Neil Shubin’s ‘The Universe Within’

    The full title is The Universe Within: The Deep History of the Human Body, (2013). Neil Shubin explores the connections between us and the history of not only the planet but the cosmos as well. The molecules that compose our bodies… Continue reading

  • 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

  • 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