{"id":11939,"date":"2014-05-07T08:15:46","date_gmt":"2014-05-07T15:15:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.preposterousuniverse.com\/blog\/?p=11939"},"modified":"2014-05-07T08:15:46","modified_gmt":"2014-05-07T15:15:46","slug":"is-there-life-after-death-a-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/preposterousuniverse.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/07\/is-there-life-after-death-a-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"Is There Life After Death? A Debate"},"content":{"rendered":"

No, there’s not. In order to believe otherwise, you would have to be willing to radically alter our fundamental understanding of physics<\/a> on the basis of almost no evidence. Which I’m not willing to do. But others feel differently! So we’re going to have a debate<\/a> about it tonight — to be live-streamed, see below.<\/p>\n

\"death-debate\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is an Intelligence Squared<\/a> debate, which is a series of Oxford-style formal debates that are held around the world, often with quite impressive participants. Four people, two on each side of a resolution. Seven-minute opening statements, round-table discussion, then two-minute closing statements. No slides or other visual aids; just bare-knuckle combat in the gladiatorial arena of ideas.<\/p>\n

The resolution simply reads “Death Is Not Final,” and it will be affirmed by Eben Alexander<\/a> and Raymond Moody<\/a>, both of whom have written best-selling books along these lines. Alexander, in particular, is a neurosurgeon who had a near-death experience and now claims to have proof of the existence of Heaven. (For a skeptical take on Alexander, see this Esquire<\/em> profile<\/a>.) I’ll be negating the resolution, along with my partner Steven Novella<\/a>. Steve<\/a> is a practicing neuroscientist who is also active in the skeptic movement, blogging at Neurologica<\/a> and leading the Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe<\/a> podcast.<\/p>\n

Festivities<\/a> begin at 6:45pm Eastern Time. It will be broadcast on various NPR stations around the US, but you should also be able to see it live-streamed right here:<\/p>\n