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Featuring guests Diane LaneJim Stump and Carlos Whittaker

Synapse and the Soul: Is My Brain Me? | Wonderology

Our brain shapes who we are. But is there more to us than our neurons? This week, Wonderology asks if three pounds of gray matter decide who we are.

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Illustration of a brain, with halo above it, superimposed on a person's body. The person wears a suit, dress shirt and vest.

Our brain shapes who we are. But is there more to us than our neurons? This week, Wonderology asks if three pounds of gray matter decide who we are.

Description

The human brain is the most complex structure in the known universe. It is the biological foundation of our identity—our joy, our pain, and our memories. Injure it, and your entire personality can be profoundly changed.

Given all of this, we have to wonder: Is my brain me?

This week on Wonderology, we hold a human brain, go seven weeks without screens, and dive into the mysteries of the soul to ask: Is there something more fundamental to who we are than the neurons firing in our skulls?

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Show Notes

Learn more about our guests below:


Featured guests

Diane Lane

Diane Lane is a teaching professor of neuroscience in the University of Notre Dame’s Department of Biological Sciences. Lane received her doctoral degree in Psychology from Washington State University.

Jim Stump

Jim Stump

Jim Stump is the Vice President at BioLogos and hosts the podcast, Language of God. Jim also writes and speaks on behalf of BioLogos. He has a PhD in philosophy and was formerly a professor and academic administrator. His earlier books include Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design (Zondervan, 2017); Science and Christianity: An Introduction to the Issues (Blackwell, 2016); and How I Changed My Mind about Evolution (InterVarsity, 2016). Most recently he has published, The Sacred Chain: How Understanding Evolution Leads to Deeper Faith (HarperOne, 2024). You can email Jim Stump at james.stump@biologos.org or follow him on Substack.

Carlos Whittaker

Carlos Whittaker is an author, speaker, and storyteller with an audience of more than 330,000 followers on Instagram.