Life Examined

Life Examined

KCRW's Life Examined is a one-hour weekly show exploring science, philosophy, faith — and finding meaning in the modern world. The show is hosted by Jonathan Bastian. Please tune in Saturdays at 9 a.m., or find it as a podcast.

Leslie Jamison, writer and author of  “Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story,” reflects on the end of her marriage months after the birth of her daughter.

Splintering: When a divorce and first child arrive together

Leslie Jamison, writer and author of “Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story,” reflects on the end of her marriage months after the birth of her daughter.

This week, Yale professor of psychology Paul Bloom offers another perspective on retirement.

Midweek Reset: The Retirement Myth

This week, Yale professor of psychology Paul Bloom offers another perspective on retirement.

Casper ter Kuile, author and co-founder of Nearness, discusses the meaning and value of building community, coming together, and practical tips for forging meaningful connections.

How to build community in an age of isolation

Casper ter Kuile, author and co-founder of Nearness, discusses the meaning and value of building community, coming together, and practical tips for forging meaningful connections.

This week, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Indigenous ecologist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass speaks about the virtues of moss and how one of the smallest and humblest plants on the planet…

Midweek Reset: The wisdom of moss

This week, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Indigenous ecologist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass speaks about the virtues of moss and how one of the smallest and humblest plants on the planet…

MIT cognitive scientist and author Tali Sharot delves into the science behind habituation and how breaking up habits and routines can help reset our brains.

‘Re-sparkling’: The science behind embracing variety and rejecting habituation

MIT cognitive scientist and author Tali Sharot delves into the science behind habituation and how breaking up habits and routines can help reset our brains.

This week, Anna Lembke, addiction specialist at Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic , and author of “ Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence ,”…

Midweek Reset: Are you addicted?

This week, Anna Lembke, addiction specialist at Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic , and author of “ Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence ,”…

Poet and essayist Ross Gay shares stories of joy and theorizes that the experience of joy might possibly be the best tool for uniting and depolarizing us as a people.

Inciting joy: Poet Ross Gay on gardening, grief, and basketball

Poet and essayist Ross Gay shares stories of joy and theorizes that the experience of joy might possibly be the best tool for uniting and depolarizing us as a people.

Los Angeles Times columnist Todd Martens and author Matthew Fray open up about their painful journeys through heartbreak and divorce and offer insights into personal growth and what it…

Heartbreak and divorce: reflections on endings, healing, and self-discovery

Los Angeles Times columnist Todd Martens and author Matthew Fray open up about their painful journeys through heartbreak and divorce and offer insights into personal growth and what it…

This week, philosopher and writer Alain de Botton says, simple as it sounds, there's nothing more enduring and attractive in a partner than being fully and completely heard and…

Midweek Reset: The Art of Love

This week, philosopher and writer Alain de Botton says, simple as it sounds, there's nothing more enduring and attractive in a partner than being fully and completely heard and…

Data scientist and psychologist Gloria Mark shares the latest research on our diminishing attention spans and explains why our increasingly distracted lives can impact our health and…

Addicted to distraction: How our world is robbing our ability to pay attention

Data scientist and psychologist Gloria Mark shares the latest research on our diminishing attention spans and explains why our increasingly distracted lives can impact our health and…

This week, clinical psychologist and Buddhist teacher Tara Brach on suffering, the negativity bias and why it’s a good idea not to overly fixate on the negative in our lives.

Midweek Reset: Negativity bias

This week, clinical psychologist and Buddhist teacher Tara Brach on suffering, the negativity bias and why it’s a good idea not to overly fixate on the negative in our lives.

Humanist Chaplain Devin Moss describes his year-long journey providing spiritual care for an atheist death row inmate, leading up to and during his execution carried out by the State…

Facing death without God: Spiritual care in the final hours of a death row inmate

Humanist Chaplain Devin Moss describes his year-long journey providing spiritual care for an atheist death row inmate, leading up to and during his execution carried out by the State…

This week, historian George Makari explores the powerful human emotion of hate, xenophobia and fear of the other and says some people “fall in hate, the way the rest of us fall in…

Midweek Reset: Why we hate

This week, historian George Makari explores the powerful human emotion of hate, xenophobia and fear of the other and says some people “fall in hate, the way the rest of us fall in…

Authors and scientists Theresa MacPhail and Alanna Collen delve into the history and science of allergies, proposing that a potential solution for allergy sufferers may lie within the…

Why allergies and gut health are getting worse

Authors and scientists Theresa MacPhail and Alanna Collen delve into the history and science of allergies, proposing that a potential solution for allergy sufferers may lie within the…

This week, Iza Kavedžija, a cultural anthropologist who lived in the Kansai region of Japan, while researching the older members of Japanese society, talks about how Japanese culture…

Midweek Reset: Ikigai

This week, Iza Kavedžija, a cultural anthropologist who lived in the Kansai region of Japan, while researching the older members of Japanese society, talks about how Japanese culture…

Poet and author Christian Wiman talks about his cancer diagnosis, confronting death, and how his faith has taught him to embrace the unknown.

God is a verb: The mystical, existential poetry of Christian Wiman

Poet and author Christian Wiman talks about his cancer diagnosis, confronting death, and how his faith has taught him to embrace the unknown.

This week, Anna Lembke, addiction specialist at Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic , and author of “ Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence ,”…

Midweek Reset: Radical Truth Telling

This week, Anna Lembke, addiction specialist at Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic , and author of “ Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence ,”…

Biologist and neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky says humans are absent of free will.

Robert Sapolsky on life without free will

Biologist and neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky says humans are absent of free will.

This week, Oliver Burkeman, journalist and author of Four Thousand Weeks; Time Management for Mortals explores our relationship with time and asks how our common belief that our…

Midweek Reset: The Future Happiness Trap

This week, Oliver Burkeman, journalist and author of Four Thousand Weeks; Time Management for Mortals explores our relationship with time and asks how our common belief that our…

Authors Katherine May and Bonnie Tsui share their love of water and swimming, from freezing mid-winter plunges to the history and draw of the water’s edge.

The wonder of water — and why we love to swim

Authors Katherine May and Bonnie Tsui share their love of water and swimming, from freezing mid-winter plunges to the history and draw of the water’s edge.