Science Episodes

Fr. Anselm Ramelow critically examines whether artificial intelligence can achieve personhood, arguing that machines lack the essential qualities of being, consciousness, and unity inherent to human nature.

Dr. Daniel De Haan examines the interplay between philosophical, theological, and scientific images of human persons, emphasizing their complementarity and addressing challenges posed by reductionist scientific perspectives.

Professor Stephen Meredith explores the problem of evil, particularly in the context of disease, examining philosophical and theological perspectives, including those of Aquinas, Leibniz, and Voltaire, while also considering biological factors like...

Professor Hochschild explores the question of whether trees have souls through the lens of Aristotelian biology, emphasizing the importance of empirical observation and questioning modern biology's approach.

Professor Pruss presents arguments against physicalist theories of mind, explores the challenges to biologism and functionalism, and discusses the possibility of consciousness in non-biological systems.

Professor William Hurlbut explores the relationship between neurobiology and the concept of the soul, examining the reductive scientific approach to life, the challenges posed by technology like large language models, cerebral organoids, and synthe...

Professor Jonathan Buttaci explores the concept of the soul as a biological principle, arguing for its relevance in scientific inquiry concerning living things, drawing from Aristotelian thought, and challenging the assumption that the soul is sole...

Professor Christopher Baglow explores the compatibility of evolutionary science with Catholic faith, focusing on the role of chance and divine providence, and defending the unique creation of the human soul.

Does the Big Bang prove God? In this lecture, Prof. William E. Carroll explores how cosmological arguments for and against a creator often get it wrong by confusing creation with a temporal beginning, a mistake that Thomas Aquinas can help us avoid...

Professor William Carroll explores the philosophical and theological implications of cosmological claims about the beginning of the universe, emphasizing the distinction between creation and scientific explanations and cautioning against the "error...

Professor Christopher Baglow critiques the conflict model of science and religion, tracing its origins to the late 19th century and arguing that the Catholic intellectual tradition offers a more harmonious approach by keeping faith and reason toget...

This lecture was given on October 9th, 2024, at Universidad Panamericana Campus Mixcoac.

What does it really mean to say the world is "created," according to St. Thomas Aquinas? Join Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. for an off-campus conversation with Dr. William Carroll about what "creation" really means!

This lecture was given on November 13th, 2023, at East Carolina University.

This lecture was presented on July 20th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies as part of a professional conference called "Lumen Mundi: The Nature of Light and Its Effects in Nature".

This lecture was presented on July 18th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies as part of a professional conference called "Lumen Mundi: The Nature of Light and Its Effects in Nature". This lecture includes a special hand-out, linked in the description.

This lecture was presented on July 20th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies as part of a professional conference called "Lumen Mundi: The Nature of Light and Its Effects in Nature".

This lecture was presented on July 18th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies as part of a professional conference called "Lumen Mundi: The Nature of Light and Its Effects in Nature".

This lecture was presented on July 19th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies as part of a professional conference called "Lumen Mundi: The Nature of Light and Its Effects in Nature". This publication was made possible through the support of Grant 63391 from the John Templeton Foundation.

This lecture was presented on July 20th, 2024, at The Dominican House of Studies as part of a professional conference called "Lumen Mundi: The Nature of Light and Its Effects in Nature".