Tag

science

Sep 17
Love18

Jeff Zweerink

By Faith, Podcast, Science No Comments

This week on Here’s What We Know, join us for a fascinating episode with astrophysicist Dr. Jeff Zweerink from Reasons to Believe for an honest and wide-ranging conversation about science, faith, and the joy of curiosity.

We’ll explore cosmic mysteries, personal stories, and the deep questions that connect physics, philosophy, and spirituality. Dr. Zweerink’s perspective is both deeply knowledgeable and refreshingly humble, reminding us that the more we learn, the more wonder there is to discover. Listen now!

This episode is sponsored by:

In This Episode:

  • Why science and faith aren’t enemies and how they work in harmony
  • The role of curiosity in uncovering both cosmic and spiritual truths
  • How advances in technology make complex ideas accessible
  • Big-picture topics like the multiverse, quantum weirdness, and the origins of the universe
  • Reflections on humility, lifelong learning, and the layers of meaning in both scripture and science

Quotations:

“Two of my earliest memories are fascination with science and the importance of Christianity in life. So just as a practical measure, science and Christianity have worked very well throughout my whole life. They worked in unison, and they’ve worked to help me understand the truth.” ~ Jeff Zweerink

“I think God has designed us to be fascinated and curious.” ~ Jeff Zweerink

“I just love being able to figure out what’s going on and what I can do to learn more, not only about how this world works, but also about the God who created it all so that I can help others see that those really do work together.” ~ Jeff Zweerink

“I’ve always found that scripture and science, when interpreted with integrity, always line up, or they can always line up, and that has been a tremendous boost to my confidence in the truth of Christianity.” ~ Jeff Zweerink

“When you’re talking with people, you’re dealing with a person. Understand that person. Don’t try to put them in the box that fits your explanation. Understand what that person is, who they are, and what they’re wrestling with. And ultimately, how is God working in their life? ” ~ Jeff Zweerink

Bio:

Jeff Zweerink is an astrophysicist and senior research scholar at Reasons to Believe, where he bridges his lifelong passions for science and Christian faith. Inspired early on by Hugh Ross’s vision of integrating scientific discovery with theology, Jeff has dedicated his career to showing how the two complement rather than conflict. Through his research and teaching, he helps Christians see science as a powerful way to declare God’s glory, while also engaging scientists with the rational foundation of faith.

Guest Contact Info:

Website: https://reasons.org/

X: https://x.com/rtb_jzweerink

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RTB_official

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-zweerink-a194626b/

Sep 04
Love12

Grace Hawthorne

By Art, Author, Education, Podcast, Science No Comments

This week on Here’s What We Know, our guest is Grace Hawthorne, a multifaceted entrepreneur, innovator, educator, and author of the book “Make Possibilities Happen: How to Transform Ideas into Reality.” As the CEO/Founder of Paper Punk and an Adjunct Professor at Stanford University’s renowned Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (aka the d.school), Grace shares her journey through entrepreneurship, education, and scientific research on creativity.

This episode is sponsored by:

(Be sure to use code “Gary20” to get 20% off your order!)

In this Episode:

  • The Importance of Practicality and Wisdom
  • The Value of Experience and Appreciating Different Perspectives
  • The Importance of Putting in the Work
  • The Duchamp Exercise and Thinking Outside the Box
  • The See, Start, Do, and Finish Process
  • The Unlimited Capacity for Creativity
  • The Role of Vision in the Creative Process
  • The Journey of Paper Punk
  • The Importance of Adaptability and Flexibilty
  • The Value of Learning from Others
  • The Creativity Study and the Role of Curiosity
  • The Power of Wisdom and Experience
  • The Significance of Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom
  • The Value of Listening and Understanding
  • Appreciating Parent as a Parent
  • Parenting Challenges
  • The Pride of Parenting and the Joy of Grandparenting

Quotations:

“The whole mission of the D School at Stanford is that it’s a place of innovation. And when we say design, it’s not a matter of aesthetics. It’s a matter of problem-solving. So we’re there trying to transform students. to have this ability to solve the world’s messy problem.” ~ Grace Hawthorne

“You don’t know until you know.” ~ Grace Hawthorne

“So what we know is biased. We’re biased to what we know. And what we know is based on our contacts, our experiences, everything that’s happened to us.” ~ Grace Hawthorne

“So we kind of have to let go a little bit of what we know to open our lens to more possibilities.” ~ Grace Hawthorne

“Technically, we all have unlimited gas for our brain. If you use creativity, if creativity is the gas to our brain, we all have an unlimited supply.” ~ Grace Hawthorne

“We all have a thousand amazing ideas, but what creates real value is when the rubber meets the road and the person who actually does something about that idea to try to make it happen.” ~ Grace Hawthorne

“It’s everything large and small and you’ve gotta start somewhere.” ~ Grace Hawthorne

“We have this vision of where we want to go. Don’t hang on to it so tightly, because something might happen along the way that might be here. And it might lead you to something even more incredible than what you would imagine for yourself.” ~ Grace Hawthorne

“I think these days people think that information is knowledge. It’s not!” ~ Grace Hawthorne

“Life is stranger than fiction.” ~ Grace Hawthorne

Bio:

Grace Hawthorne is an entrepreneur, artist, author, and educator. She is the founder and CEO of Paper Punk, an award-winning origami and LEGO mashup, and d.school professor, where she teaches courses on creativity and failure and capacity building, covered by Scientific American and Wired magazine. Previously, she cofounded ReadyMade and co-authored the critically acclaimed book by the same name. Her artwork has been exhibited in several national museums, including the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum Triennial. The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, known as the d.school, was founded at Stanford University in 2005. Each year, nearly a thousand students from all disciplines attend classes, workshops, and programs to learn how the thinking behind design can enrich their own work and unlock their creative potential.

Guest Contact Info:

Paperpunk Website: https://paperpunk.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracehawthorne/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_graciemade/

Aug 28
Love12

Jeff Bloomfield

By Author, Faith, Music, Podcast, Science No Comments

This week on Here’s What We Know, we are joined by the extraordinary Jeff Bloomfield, CEO of Brain Trust, host of the Driving Change podcast, author, keynote speaker, neuroscientist, cancer survivor, and Papaw’s grandson. Jeff discusses his inspiring backstory, from a 100-acre farm to becoming an expert in communication through neuroscience.

Be sure not to miss out on this heartfelt yet insightful episode filled with stories about overcoming adversity through resilience, faith, and wisdom passed down through generations!

This episode is sponsored by:

In this Episode:

  • Upbringing and Influence of Grandfather
  • Becoming a Communicator and Neuroscientist
  • The Power of Effective Communication
  • Jeff’s Experience as a Cancer Survivor
  • Faith and Science
  • The Impact of Gratitude on Communication & Health
  • Expressing Gratitude in Business and Personal Life
  • The Power of Positive Energy
  • Jeff’s Musical Background & Passions
  • The Effect of Music on the Brain
  • The Emotional Impacts of Song
  • The Craft of Songwriting
  • The Journey to Success
  • The Purpose-Driven Mindset of the Next Generation
  • Balancing Purpose & Practicality

Quotations:

“We’re all products of our life.” ~ Jeff Bloomfield

“Who you are today is a big part of where you came from.” ~ Jeff Bloomfield

“Where we come from is not only a big part of where we are today but where we’re also going.” ~ Jeff Bloomfield

“I was pretty good intuitively because I grew up at the foot of a master communicator.” ~ Jeff Bloomfield

“If we can change the way they communicate. If we can help them change the way they communicate, it’ll help them in their relationships at home. It’ll help them in their relationships at work. And that’s just the little corner of the earth that we’re trying to do, you know, clean up and leave better than we found it, that’s what it’s about.” ~ Jeff Bloomfield

“It started with a little boy on a farm with a papaw who taught him how to communicate. And he just spent the rest of his life validating why that was a good way to communicate. And now I get to do it for a living.” ~ Jeff Bloomfield

“Whether you’re in front of 5,000, if you prepare as a speaker and a communicator, then I am having a one-on-one conversation and that’s your mindset, then you’ll communicate that way. And that’s what I do when I walk up on a stage, whether it’s in front of 5,000 people or a few hundred that was at the event that you were at, I’m literally pretending that I’m having a one-on-one conversation.” ~ Jeff Bloomfield

“The ability to communicate effectively will make or break every goal you have in your life personally and professionally.” ~ Jeff Bloomfield

“I pray that nobody has to face a moment when they think their end might be more imminent than they expected.” ~ Jeff Bloomfield

“When you have faith in a higher power, what you’re saying is, is that you belong to something greater than yourself and it puts a sense of peace on you, which lets the very system that the greater power designed to optimize.” ~ Jeff Bloomfield

“The brain’s primary position is survival.” ~ Jeff Bloomfield

“Everything you think you know now could be proven wrong within years.”  ~ Jeff Bloomfield

“I’m so passionate about music. And I loved the, because to me, it was an expression of the art of communicating, but through song.” ~ Jeff Bloomfield
“The beauty of songs is you’re supposed to let them suck you in because they tell you truth about you, not about the singer, songwriter, not about whoever it’s about. The songs are supposed to tell you truth about yourself in a really good way if you let them.” ~ Jeff Bloomfield

Bio:

Jeff Bloomfield is a former sales & marketing executive, entrepreneur, author, farm boy, and cancer survivor. From his humble beginnings on a midwest farm in central Ohio, Jeff has taken the life lessons from his storytelling “Papaw” (Grandfather) combined with his corporate career in Biotech and Neuroscience to create programs that allow you to discover how you’re truly wired for greatness and how to communicate in an authentic way to drive positive change in the world around you. After being the first person in his blue-collar family to graduate college straight out of high school, Jeff spent his corporate career in Biotech where he led several product launches for genetic cancer therapies. One of those therapies was for brain cancer. It was here that he discovered the power of neuroscience and the fact that outside of academia, most of corporate America didn’t really understand how the brain actually worked, otherwise, we wouldn’t communicate with customers and employees the way it was currently being done.

From there Jeff set out with a new mission, to teach others what he has learned about the biology, psychology, and physiology of the brain, and how to apply those learnings in a simple and understandable way to be more impactful communicators.

Guest Contact Info:

Website: https://jeffbloomfield.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffbloomfieldbraintrust/

X: https://x.com/jeff_bloomfield

Podcast: https://drivingchangepodcast.com/

Aug 07
Love12

Robert ‘Bob’ Christophor Coppes

By Author, Podcast No Comments

This week on Here’s What We Know, our host Gary Scott Thomas sits down with the author of “Impression of Near-Death Experiences,” Robert ‘Bob’ Christophor Coppes. His book gives an impression of what Near-Death Experiences are like by giving hundreds of quotes from more than 100 experiences from all over the world. They explore Bob’s unexpected journey from a finance background to becoming an NDE researcher and discuss compelling stories that challenge our understanding of life and consciousness. You don’t want to miss this thought-provoking conversation. Tune in now!

This episode is sponsored by:

Be sure to tell them Gary sent you so you can save 20%!

(Use code “Gary” to get $89 off any Mike Counsil Plumbing and Rooter service!)

(Effortless solution to your junk removal needs!)

In this Episode:

  • Bob’s Background: Despite having a career in finance and working at the Central Bank of the Netherlands, he developed a keen interest in spirituality and NDEs.
  • Near-Death Experiences: Bob shares insights about life reviews during such experiences, where individuals relive moments from their lives from multiple perspectives, including those they interacted with.
  • Hear our host Gary as he shares a story about his mother’s NDE during a lightning storm, where she had an out-of-body experience and was given a choice to return or not.
  • Verifiable Out-of-Body Experiences: Highlighting cases where people have observed details during their NDEs that were later confirmed to be accurate despite not being conscious or able to see at the time.
  • Unconditional Love & Judgment: Discusses how many who have had NDEs report experiencing unconditional love—a concept difficult for some to grasp—and explains there is no external judgment; rather, individuals feel empathy towards others affected by their actions.
  • Life Reviews: Explores how life reviews allow individuals to understand the ripple effect of their actions on others’ feelings—emphasizing missed opportunities for kindness as profound learning moments without any external judgment attached.

Quotations:

“The interesting thing about a near-death experience is that it starts with that you see your environment, where you are, where you had your cardiac arrest or where you were hit by lightning or where you were having an accident.” ~ Bob Coppes

“Near-death experiences are real, that you can really get out of your body, that your consciousness can be somewhere else than where your body is, that your consciousness can be outside your body. It doesn’t need your body to exist.” ~ Bob Coppes

“To many people who had an NDE, what they experience is so extraordinary and so real. They say this is more real than our life here.”~ Bob Coppes

“Every NDE is different. There are commonalities, but the pictures they get are totally different. There’s not one NDE equal to another one. They are all unique.” ~ Bob Coppes

“I understand NDE is for everyone. There’s no exception, it’s unconditional.” ~ Bob Coppes

“Another thing that we discovered is that you cannot say that people who are bad have a distressing NDE and that people who have been good only get blissful NDE.”~ Bob Coppes

“I believe that everyone eventually goes home, whatever you did, but it’s nicer if you have done loving things. You will look back on your life much more happy if you have done loving things to others.”~ Bob Coppes

“I think dying, even if it’s in perhaps a violent way, can be quick. And you will eventually feel well. The feeling well part will be there anyway.” ~ Bob Coppes

Bio:

Robert ‘Bob’ Christophor Coppes, based in The Netherlands, is a scientist, author, and NDE Researcher. He is a Board Member of IANDS (That’s the International Association of Near-Death Studies), and has given keynote talks, and has compiled hundreds of quotes from Near-Death Experiencers.

With a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Groningen, Bob held roles at the Dutch Central Bank as a banking supervisor, risk manager, and insurance supervisor. Now retired, he supports children with their schoolwork and works with refugees.

His writing journey began after his brother’s death from AIDS, inspiring him to write “Michael’s Cloak.” He also authored “Beyond the Yellow Bridge,” which tells the story of women left behind after the Srebrenica massacre.

Bob’s fascination with near-death experiences (NDEs) led to “The Essence of Religions” and “Messages from the Light.” His latest book, “Impressions of Near-Death Experiences,” includes many of these quotes along with recurring themes of the Near Death Experience.

Guest Contact Info:

Website: https://www.bobcoppes.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robert.c.coppes

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobcoppes

X: https://x.com/bob_coppes