Speaking of Faith - Einstein and God

This is a two part radio program of APM (American Public Media) about Albert Einstein's metaphysics. The first is about God. The second is about Ethics. A transcript of the program is available. The broadcast was in March this year. Luckily the issues of Speaking of Faith are also delivered as a podcast.

In the first part, program lead Krista Tippett speaks with physicists Freeman Dyson and Paul Davies. I had to open my podcast molded mind to this radio molded podcast. Short interview snippets, music, leaders etc; the program is much more of an assemblage than a singular built up thinking arch. Funny to see how pure podcast invites such different broadcasting style.

The show ends with a quote from Einstein's writings:

I cannot conceive of a personal God who would directly influence the actions of individuals or would sit in judgment on creatures of His own creation. I cannot do this in spite of the fact that mechanistic causality has, to a certain extent, been placed in doubt by modern science. My religiosity consists in a humble admiration of the infinitely superior spirit that reveals itself in the little that we, with our weak and transitory understanding, can comprehend of reality. Morality is of the highest importance, but for us, not for God.

By the way. I found these two parts thanks to a post in the open culture blog.

The Daily Whiplash (3)

My wife is running double and triple shifts. She is taking over much of the household stuff that I used to do or share with her, because I can't strain my back. Cooking, cleaning and bathing the kids. Then, I have had a couple of pain attacks that had me rolling in bed (or on the floor next to it) and she drove me to the Police and several other places. In short, she is making everything happen right now. Otherwise, a small accident would have brought our lives to a kind of stand still.

In the mean time the whiplash makes its rounds. I have had a couple of stretches with little pain again. One hour here, a couple of hours there and this coupled with some short but hefty attacks of excruciating pains. It's all in one bag.