Why is there something rather than nothing? This has been described as perhaps the most sublime philosophical question of all. This hour, we try to answer it. But as we do, we realize that it’s not just a philosophical quandary; it’s a scientific, cultural, and theological one as well.

Indeed, to the extent that “nothing” is even understood, it is understood so differently across different domains that one person’s nothing truly is another person’s something.

Confused? You’re not alone. The concept has vexed, distressed, and seduced all manner of folk, from Aristotle to Einstein, and remains no less mysterious to today’s brightest minds.

GUESTS:

• Ronald Green - Author of Nothing Matters: A Book About Nothing
• Jim Holt - Author of Why Does The World Exist? An Existential Detective Story
• James Owen Weatherall - Author of Void: The Strange Physics of Nothing

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Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired December 6, 2016.

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