Episodes

  • A Catholic Response to Transhumanism | Fr. Michael Baggot, LC | Purposeful Lab
    Aug 21 2025

    Father Michael Baggot, LC, professor of bioethics at Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, shares with Dr. Dan Kuebler about his vocation story and what led him to study transhumanism.

    They discuss the philosophies behind transhumanism, why it’s more prevalent than you think, the ethics of emerging technology and enhancements, and what Catholics can bring to the conversation.

    Listen to more Purposeful Lab episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.

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    51 mins
  • What Makes Us Human? | Dr. Paul Symington | Purposeful Lab
    Aug 14 2025

    Transhumanists want to use technology to alter our human condition, but what does it mean to be human?

    Dr. Paul Symington, chair of Franciscan University’s Philosophy Department, joins Dr. Dan Kuebler to talk about why we are both body and soul, what we understand (and don’t understand) about consciousness, Elon Musk’s Neuralink, and if there’s any overlap between transhumanist and Christian views.

    Listen to more Purposeful Lab episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.

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    49 mins
  • A Crash Course in AI | Dr. Fernanda Psihas | Purposeful Lab
    Aug 7 2025

    What is AI, really?

    Dr. Dan Kuebler and Dr. Fernanda Psihas, computer science and physics professor at Franciscan University, explore all things artificial intelligence, including how AI works, why using ChatGPT is different from having a human conversation, how bias appears in algorithms, and where the future of AI is headed.

    Listen to more Purposeful Lab episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.

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    51 mins
  • Genetic Engineering: Ethical or Not? | Dr. Derek Doroski | Purposeful Lab
    Jul 31 2025

    Genetic engineering has been brought from science fiction into reality, but it raises many ethical questions.

    Dr. Daniel Kuebler and Dr. Derek Doroski, a Franciscan University engineering and biology professor, discuss the moral dilemma of genetic engineering, addressing everything from how it can help produce medical products such as insulin to the dangers of genetically modifying humans.

    Listen to more Purposeful Lab episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.

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    54 mins
  • How Has Technology Changed Us? | Dr. Alex Plato | Purposeful Lab
    Jul 24 2025

    Dr. Dan Kuebler talks with Dr. Alex Plato, philosophy professor at Franciscan University, about the impact of technology, for good and for ill, on society and on the human person.

    They explore how rapid technological advances have drastically altered our relationships with each other, ourselves, nature, and God—and how we always have the freedom to make more virtuous choices.

    Listen to more Purposeful Lab episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.

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    56 mins
  • What Is Transhumanism? | Dr. Michael Deem | Purposeful Lab
    Jul 17 2025

    In the new season of Purposeful Lab, Dr. Dan Kuebler discusses transhumanism, exploring how humans interact with technology and how technology changes us.

    He talks with Dr. Michael Deem, professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public Health, about the history of transhumanism, why the movement has escalated in recent years, and its ethical implications.

    Listen to more Purposeful Lab episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.

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    53 mins
  • Purposeful Lab | Dr. Deborah Savage | What Are the Feminine and Masculine Genius?
    Feb 26 2025
    Dr. Dan Kuebler talks with Dr. Deborah Savage, theology professor at Franciscan University and the director of the Institute for the Study of Man and Woman, about the complementarity of man and woman, the feminine genius and masculine genius, and how a proper understanding of sexuality leads to human flourishing. Listen to more Purposeful Lab episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.
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    53 mins
  • Purposeful Lab | Dr. Abigail Favale | The Purpose of Sex and Gender
    Feb 19 2025

    Dr. Abigail Favale, author of The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory, and Dr. Dan Kuebler explore the meaning of sex and gender, how modern culture and the feminist movement have fallen away from this truth, and how Catholic Church teaching provides a fuller vision of the reality of man and woman.

    Listen to more Purposeful Lab episodes and discover other Catholic podcasts, videos, and resources at Faith and Reason.

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    52 mins