Nature of Reality: Deepak Chopra, Michael Shermer at Chapman University

"Is there an Ultimate Reality?" and if yes, "Can it be accounted for by science such as mathematics, biology and physics?" Hear from Deepak Chopra, Michael Shermer and a panel of scientists address these questions during a recent special event at Chapman University, in the Folino Theater. Available at iTunes U http://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/the-nature-of-reality/id431990189?i=93553454

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Deepak Chopra
• Chopra Center
• Chopra Foundation
• Menas Kafatos
• Bill Wright
• Jim Walsh
• Stuart Hameroff
• Leonard Mlodinow
• Daniele Struppa
• Henry Stapp
• Carmichael Peters
• Michael Shermer
• Jim Doti
• Chopra Center for Well Being
• computational physics
• anesthesiologist
• skeptic magazine
• human energy system
• alliance
• religious studies

[tatsumakisempyukaku]

Great discussion. It could have done without the dismissive and condescending attitudes of that guy mike. He's like a guy who is blind and everyone is talking about color, and because it's beyond him it can't be true. Which by the way is y language is useless.

[alwinder60]

It seems to me a real shame to have Mr. Shermer together with all those brilliant scientists,the so called Skeptics could have sent a more respectful and more intelligent person to represent them........ sad ...... :-(

[MrDosulli33]

The debate within the debate i.e shermer vs deepak was silly. Shermer says things such as consciousness can not exist without quantifiable experiments and Depak says consciousness exists but isn't quantifiable, its a catch 22. I think Shermer is wrong. Science can not answer everything, and it's continually changing so to base your beliefs solely on or current knowledge is a flawed philosophy. In 100 years they might laugh and compare him to someone who though the earth was flat.

[sullivanseven]

Morality > Science

[ThisOneIsTaken]

This debate would be much more productive without both Chopra and Shermer.

[Luxmans]

On the side of Chopra, we have two medical doctors, a theologian, a marine biologist, and a doctor of physics. On Shermer's; we have two quantum physicists, lets discount both Shermer and Walsh as they lack formal scientific training. The underlying topic here is quantum mechanics, as most of us viewing this are grossly unprepared to really understand the debate, I will make an argument from authority (sorry) - look which side the expertise is on and it'll help tell you where the "woo-woo" is.

[1empathy]

it's uncomfortable for me to hear a scientist like shermer be so definite, but the nonsense that "team chopra" spout needs to be ridiculed.

[Blulumin]

Stuart Hameroff, M.D. (the bald guy with the cool beard) is worth really focusing on. He presented really cool interesting theories about consciousness.

[MrDp297]

I truly believe that nobody understood Shermer's arguments. Everybody interpreted them as reductionistic or materialistic. For example, Deepak at some point addressed Michael saying that he is not really speaking to him but rather to network of synapses. And that is true. It is truly language that is inhibiting and not reality. Michael is his synapses and nothing more. Nothing more. It just happens though that these synapses create an emergent consciousness.

[JarethGT]

I like shermer, and I'm not a fan of Deepak, but Michael has a really materialistic view and I think that reality is indeed much stranger than he likes to put on.

[skeptic1710]

Michael Shermer answers questions in plain and simple terms. He also picks apart those on the stage that would throw out scientific sounding words without explaining exactly what they mean. Awesome!

[skeptic1710]

Shermer took Deepak and Stewart to the wood shed!