Know Why Podcast

Know Why Podcast
  • 4.6 (9)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A weekly podcast for young adults seeking to go deeper on life’s biggest questions

  1. 1D AGO

    Robot Pets for the Lonely? What This AI-Powered Product Reveals About Us

    The man behind the robot vacuum has developed something new—"The Familiar," an AI-powered robot "pet" designed to bond with its owner.  While the product itself is interesting or weird, depending on how you look at it, its existence highlights deeper issues in American society today, including... The growing loneliness problem Falling fertility rates and an aging society The lie that autonomy leads to fulfillment And more. Listen to understand how we should think about many of the new AI products being pushed on everyday people and how we can build a society where AI friends, companions, and "familiars" aren't needed.  More Resources:  The Roomba Guy's Second Act: A Robot You'll Want to Snuggle https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/familiar-machines-and-magic-robot-c8711e45?st=1KpV63&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink Who do Americans spend time with over their lives? (Graph) https://x.com/BradWilcoxIFS/status/2050776421035905172?s=20 Does This New Study Reveal the Keys to Human Flourishing? (Know Why Podcast) https://youtu.be/g3tobGiNVvM?si=mk5vdPu1uDtnnh5E  Dismal Demographic https://pointofview.net/viewpoints/dismal-demographic/  More Gen Z Adults Say Life Can Be Fulfilling Without Marriage, Children: study https://www.christianpost.com/news/more-gen-z-adults-say-life-can-be-fulfilling-without-marriage.html?utm_source=Daily&utm_campaign=Daily&utm_medium=newsletter

    31 min

  2. APR 29

    60 Percent of Gen Z Said They Cut Someone Out of Their Life. Why?

    A recent survey said that 60% of Gen Zers and 50% of Millennials cut someone out of their life in the last year. In the reasons given, many survey respondents listed reasons that had to do with conflict and disagreement. At the same time, young adults report the highest rates of loneliness and poor mental health. If we're cutting out the people who stress us out, shouldn't our mental health improve? Liberty argues that young adults were raised in environments that eliminated friction, and that this has harmed expectations about conflict in relationships, and is harming young people today by isolating them from the people they need. More Resources: Why So Many Gen Z Cut Family and Friends Off Without Warning https://www.vice.com/en/article/why-so-many-gen-z-cut-family-and-friends-off-without-warning/  Jonathan Haidt — "The Anxious Generation" on the Daily Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcr0yg7Mvg8&t=1s  The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting a Generation up for Failure https://www.thecoddling.com/  How Gen Z is helping to drive a digital detox boom https://www.axios.com/2026/04/24/phone-free-spaces-digital-detox-retreats-gen-z  The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/book  Friend-Wise: Practical Ideas for Richer Relationships https://www.moodypublishers.com/friend-wise?srsltid=AfmBOoqYEKZ8Zqy8BhUWiCiVAUHATnXG2WceVojbBu3u80cjsZVLI1wV

    22 min

  3. APR 22

    Understanding Transhumanism With Help From Tolkien, Lewis, and Ancient Literature

    Sam Altman talks about uploading his brain to the cloud. Elon Musks says humans should merge biological intelligence with digital intelligence. Peter Thiel isn’t sure if the human race should continue without that kind of human-tech merger. What do these tech leaders have in common? Transhumanism—the idea that humans should be able to change, or even eradicate, their physical bodies by merging with technology. This may sound sci-fi, but the core tenets of transhumanism aren’t actually new. In fact, humans have been moving toward this idea for a long time. Some even predicted it. In this episode, Liberty discusses how ancient and classic literature and thinkers of the past, including J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, can help us understand transhumanism and the “brave new world” we find ourselves in. More Resources: Do You Want to Live Forever? A Tolkienian Critique of Transhumanism by Julie Miller https://press.ratiochristi.org/product/do-you-want-to-live-forever/ The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis https://www.amazon.com/Abolition-Man-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652942 Christians Reading Classics by Nadya Williams https://zondervanacademic.com/products/christians-reading-classics Inside the alarming cyborg future 'transhumanists' Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Sam Altman are already preparing for https://nypost.com/2026/04/15/tech/inside-the-alarming-cyborg-future-transhumanists-elon-musk-peter-thiel-and-sam-altman-are-preparing-for/ How Ben Sasse is Living Now That He's Dying https://youtu.be/7CFo6-6BN9k?si=yGBbvXL3TcK-zw0E

    42 min

  4. APR 15

    Can Young Adults Escape the Hustle Culture and Still Achieve the American Dream? With Cole Douglas Claybourn

    Is the American Dream dead for Millennials and Gen Z? Is there a version of traditional success that’s still attainable? How are young adults redefining their life dreams in the face of economic instability and loss of trust in institutions? This week on the Know Why Podcast, Cole Douglas Claybourn and Liberty discuss all this and more. A journalist and former English teacher, Cole talks about fighting back against the lies we are prone to believe on his Substack blog “The Road Home” and on his In No Hurry podcast. Both Millennials with similar backgrounds, Cole and Liberty break down why the traditional American Dream isn’t panning out for many young adults who are still struggling to pay off college loans, buy a house, and start a family. They also contrast the expectations Millennials and Gen Z grew up with—change the world, go far in life, do great things—with the realities of what makes life more fulfilling, like local connection and a slower pace of living. In short: Millennials and Gen Z are steeped in what feels like a never-ending hustle culture due to economic pressures and a societal obsession with productivity. And it’s negatively affecting everything from our diets to our creativity to our families.  If you’re a young adult wondering if you’re the only one struggling to feel successful in life, or if you’re a listener who wants to better understand the challenges facing Millennials and Gen Z, this episode is for you. More Resources: The Road Ahead (Cole’s Substack) https://coledouglasclaybourn.substack.com/ In No Hurry (Cole’s podcast) https://www.youtube.com/@innohurrypodcast The Unplugged Hours: Cultivating a Life of Presence in a Digitally Connected World by Hannah Brencher https://www.amazon.com/Unplugged-Hours-Cultivating-Digitally-Connected/dp/0310367700 Come Matter Here: Your Invitation to Be Here in a Getting There World by Hannah Brencher https://www.amazon.com/Come-Matter-Here-Invitation-Getting/dp/0310350840 To Hell with the Hustle: Reclaiming Your Life in an Overworked, Overspent, and Overconnected World by Jefferson Bethke https://www.amazon.com/Hell-Hustle-Reclaiming-Overworked-Overconnected/dp/0718039203 The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World by John Mark Comer https://www.amazon.com/Ruthless-Elimination-Hurry-Emotionally-Spiritually/dp/0525653090 Eddie LaRow on Substack https://eddielarow.substack.com/?utm_source=global-search

    55 min

  5. APR 8

    Humanoid Robot Teachers? No Thanks!

    First Lady Melania Trump recently asked Americans to imagine a humanoid robot tutor named "Plato." Meanwhile, many schools are already incorporating AI into the classroom, in some cases eliminating human teachers altogether. Can AI help solve America's education problems? Or should we draw a line and protect the classroom from AI encroachment? In this episode, Liberty offers three reasons why AI doesn't belong in education. First, from a Christian perspective, education is discipleship, and AI can't disciple. Second, education requires relationship, which research confirms, and AI can't truly relate. Third, studies are already showing evidence of cognitive decline in AI users, and education technology has, in general, been a large failure. Learn more about these arguments in the full episode, where Liberty also shares some practical tips for parents to make sure their kids are truly learning to think in the age of AI. Dig in deeper by checking out the resources below, cited in the episode. More Resources: Ed Tech is Profitable. It is Also Mostly Useless. (The Economist) https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/01/22/ed-tech-is-profitable-it-is-also-mostly-useless?utm_campaign=shared_article  Investment in AI is Exploding (Reuters) https://www.reuters.com/graphics/USA-ECONOMY/AI-INVESTMENT/gkvlqbgxkpb/  There's a Good Reason You Can't Concentrate (The New York Times) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/27/opinion/technology-mental-fitness-cognitive.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ZFA._SqR.AQ0f5SxBmABw&smid=url-shar  Does AI Belong in the Classroom? Emily Harrison on the Know Why Podcast https://youtu.be/NbSWxQKU7RQ?si=dxhJsR3OAnfO81-k  Dear Christian Parent (Emily Harrison on Substack) https://dearchristianparent.substack.com/?utm_source=global-search  First Fish Chronicles (Emily Cherkin on Substack) https://firstfish.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips   The Anxious Generation https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/

    42 min

  6. APR 1

    Is There Evidence for Jesus' Resurrection? Interview With Robby Lashua (Repost)

    Historical tests affirm that the New Testament we read today accurately reflects the original documents—but were the authors of the New Testament telling the truth? Did Jesus really do the impossible—come back to life? In this interview, reposted in honor of Holy Week, Stand to Reason apologist Robby Lashua walks listeners through the historical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection, including what non-Christian historians have to say about the event.  More Resources See the following resources recommended by Robby for more historical scholarship regarding the resurrection: GaryHabermas.com The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach by Michael Licona The Resurrection of the Son of God by N. T. Wright

    29 min

  7. MAR 25

    Why the Stories We Consume Matter (And Why Too Much Customization is Harmful)

    A recent story in The Wall Street Journal includes predictions that in 20 years, AI-augmented entertainment will be so customizable that people can watch the same show and choose their own endings—or even entire plot paths—via "unobstrusive" devices like contact lenses or BCIs.  While this prediction may sound futuristic or outlandish to some, it's consistent with a trend we're already seeing: the perception of art as mere entertainment, a matter of personal taste rather than formation of character.  Does it matter that our culture largely views art this way? Yes, and in this episode, Liberty shares reasons why.  If you care about art, our understanding of humanity, the formation of moral character, and the preservation of a culture's "collective memories," listen to this episode and comment with your thoughts about where the entertainment industry is headed.    More Resources:    What Entertainment Might Look Like in 20 Years https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/entertainment-in-20-years-d6d5ac9b?st=pycwWj&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink   Christians Reading Classics by Nadya Williams https://zondervanacademic.com/products/christians-reading-classics   On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior https://bakerpublishinggroup.com/products/9781587435836_on-reading-well

    20 min

  8. MAR 11

    Why Your Story of Reality Matters

    Why do some social movements seem religious in nature? Why do some even seem like a cult, where questioning the narrative is not allowed? Looking at others' actions—and our own lives—through the lens of story can help us understand. Everyone lives within a story of reality that they are either telling themselves, or that they have accepted as true. Often, we don't even realize which "story" we're living in; we just absorb the story the culture around us tells. That story is our worldview. Every story tries to answer three fundamental questions. If things aren't making sense, it's probably because you're trying to live within a false story of reality. In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, Liberty draws on philosophical insight from Nancy Pearcey's popular book, Total Truth, to analyze the different stories in our culture. She argues that there is one true story, and when we acknowledge it, the world makes sense. What story are you telling yourself? Is it true? More Resources: Confessions of a Former Climate Activist https://www.thefp.com/p/confessions-of-a-former-climate-activist?utm_source=publication-search Confessions of a Former Pro-Palestine Activist https://www.thefp.com/p/confessions-of-a-former-pro-palestine?utm_source=publication-search Total Truth: Liberating Christianity From its Cultural Captivity by Nancy Pearcey https://www.wtsbooks.com/products/total-truth-nancy-pearcey-9781433502200?srsltid=AfmBOopl4ihicqmKe1gRIpOaV9aipBT-PBgBCQwP7fn7Mse8ZdpVS0h_ Is the Bible Reliable? Josh Barnes on the Know Why Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kosxhlxC-WI&t=803s Is There Evidence for Jesus' Resurrection? https://knowwhypodcast.com/2024/01/is-there-evidence-for-jesus-resurrection-know-about-jesus/ Does This New Study Reveal the Keys to Human Flourishing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3tobGiNVvM&t=23s

    43 min
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4.6
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

A weekly podcast for young adults seeking to go deeper on life’s biggest questions

Information

  • Creator
    Know Why Podcast
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    136
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Know Why Podcast

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