The tension between faith and reason is an ancient one, made even more distinct in the West by the scientific revolution that preceded the era of the Enlightenment. Alan Lightman is a scientist whose personal transcendent experience shapes his view of spirituality today.

Every American has heard a conspiracy theory whether about 9/11, Area 51, or the Kennedy assassination. But conspiracy theorizing has a new and growing place in America's public discourse as social media and the internet spread sensational allega-tions and politicians encourage stories that help themselves or harm their opponents. Michael Isikoff unpacks the conspiracy theories circulating in the United States today.

Since 1976, nearly 1500 Americans have been executed in the name of justice. Sister Helen Prejean, though, cautions about the human cost of the death penalty and the innocent victims wrongfully put to death.

Former Secretary of State and Democratic Senator of Massachusetts John Kerry is interviewed.

Domestic political and economic considerations influence nations' foreign policies and how they wage conflict. Rosella Cappella Zielinski has analyzed the costs of war dating back almost two centuries and shared her insights about the enormous cost of war.

Even for the devout, questions about the earliest history of Christianity can seem lost behind a shroud of history and official church teachings. Karen King traces the power of stories told and untold in the growth of the early church.

There are not a lot of examples of perfection in life-except in the world of sports. On rare and exciting nights, a baseball pitcher can throw a perfect game or a basketball player can have a perfect night shooting. But a perfect career-that's the rarest of accomplishments. Mike Stanton recounts the life of Rocky Marciano, who finished his heavyweight championship career with a perfect 49 and 0 record.

Poets, rock stars, authors-and even mere mortals-all share a nightly sojourn-a temporary stay-in the land of dreams. Alice Robb argues they are not just flights of fancy, but critical to health and happiness in our waking hours too.

Stories are sometimes told with a particular message for their audiences. Other times, they are just stories. And in some cases, you can't tell the difference. Enter the playwright, songwriter and novelist Jeff Jackson, who explores the intersection of fame and violence in a remarkable new novel.

Students don't fail nearly as often as society fails students-especially students of color. The amount of research supporting the link between educational outcomes and socio-economic factors is staggering. Darnisa Amante develops strategies to help organization dismantle racism and build equity in communities, classrooms, and schools.

Global health problems are often made worse by complex emergencies. Helen Ouyang, M.D., of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and New York-Presbyterian Hospital works to develop effective approaches to humanitarian assistance.

We live in a golden age of digital media content. From pod-casts to blogs and online programs, there's never been so much competition for audience attention. Elisa Kreisinger brings humor and a mastery of pop culture to some of today's most pressing issues.

Video games are a $138 billion per year global industry with their own language and culture. Kim Wallace take us inside the industry, its controversies, and its successes.

Human actions are changing the environment in catastrophic ways for many species. Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction, describes humanity's impact on the planet and all of its inhabitants.

It's easy to be convinced by talk show hosts and politicians that American security hangs on the razor's edge and that the world is more dangerous, now, than it has ever been. But Michael A. Cohen and Micah Zenko claim the facts simply don't match that narrative. In fact, the world has never been better.