About This Episode
Is your moral compass still intact? It had better be, because we’re finishing up our investigation on science and morality by diving even further down the rabbit hole. Re-join Neil deGrasse Tyson, comic co-host Eugene Mirman, author and editor of Skeptic magazine Michael Shermer, Rev. James Martin, SJ, and comedians Michael Ian Black and Whoopi Goldberg as they continue live from the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, NY (Recorded on 9/18/2017 during the tenth – and last – Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival). Part 2 picks up right as we discuss the importance of debunking wrong ideas that we’ve developed over time as a species. You’ll hear our onstage debate about whether science should help eradicate prejudice in the world – like the prejudice against the LGBTQ community. Explore the roles science and morality play in the public debate over reproductive rights. Father Martin shares his thoughts about the contributions of religion to our civilization’s moral arc – has it helped, hindered, or been neutral to moral progress? We also look to the future: is it immoral to kill a sentient A.I. machine? Is it moral to live forever? What will be considered immoral behavior in ten years that is accepted now? Last, but not least, we ponder whether, in certain moral situations, science is actually irrelevant. (Adult Language.)
NOTE: All-Access subscribers can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free here: StarTalk Live! at Kings Theatre: Science and Morality (Part 2).