Psychological Scientist, Author, and host of PRX podcast "How God Works: The Science Behind Spirituality." Studying the Science of Emotion, Morality, & Religion. Words frequently in NYT, WSJ, etc. https://davedesteno.com https://www.howgodworks.orghttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mvfoheimfc2dHow God Works is back with an all new season starting next week! We'll be tackling some big issues - from faith & economic inequality, to what the founding fathers really thought religion's role should be in public life, to what many get wrong about finding purpose in life. @prx.org13 Sep 2026 13:14 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvfoheimfc2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mvd4o2e73k2hThe @aspeninstitute.bsky.social Religion & Society program is holding a 2-day event exploring faith and the American Experiment in honor of the US 250th. Lots of great talks. I’ll be moderating one on AI and religion. Register here https://register.aspeninstitute.org/event/eb574878-4477-480d-a3b5-6310207dee42/about?environment=P2&RefId=website12 Sep 2026 12:51 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvd4o2e73k2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mvaoe7mqak2oRosh Hashana is a time to celebrate, but also to prepare for the year ahead. It offers a wisdom that can change all our lives for the better, whatever our beliefs, if we're willing to listen. Re-upping one of my favorite essays. @nytopinion.nytimes.com https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/13/opinion/rosh-hashana-death.html?unlocked_article_code=1.AVE.VI9x.fEh7QyK63ACK&smid=url-share11 Sep 2026 13:29 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mvaoe7mqak2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mtxvyuhtlk2iCicero said gratitude gave rise to other virtues. We've shown that in behavior. But new work led by Alexandra Gray shows gratitude expressions signal it: people assign moral & generally positive halos to those they see expressing gratitude. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42761-026-00389-226 Aug 2026 08:27 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtxvyuhtlk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3ms4d4ekpak2pHow is AI changing the spiritual landscape? Can it have a spiritual life of its own? Why are people trusting its authority when it comes to questions of religion & morality? A special bonus episode of How God Works recorded live at @aspenideas.bsky.social in June https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-god-works-the-science-behind-spirituality/id1587019237?i=100077951589802 Aug 2026 15:42 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3ms4d4ekpak2phttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mruy7jet7s2rAn insightful analysis from @davidfrenchjag.bsky.social on religion & political life. Religion as a source of values can enrich public life & debate, but when religion melds with politics, giving rise to an us vs. them view, the resulting anger & fear are usually corrosive. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/opinion/gen-z-religion-evangelicals-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.1lA.DMK-.H4ijL8fnTe9-&smid=bs-share30 Jul 2026 17:38 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mruy7jet7s2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mrktx2fdvc2bThe mysteries of what might lie beyond Earth have captured the public imagination since Roswell.  But what’s different now is that the questions aren’t just about strange technologies and ongoing conspiracies, they’re about something else too: religion. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-god-works-the-science-behind-spirituality/id1587019237?i=100077645363826 Jul 2026 16:55 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrktx2fdvc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mqtup2fnqs2pPeople of faith, more than their secular peers, view AI as morally authoritative and therefore turn to it more frequently for advice. Add in AI sycophancy and you have a perfect storm for the religious to favor digital deities over human clerics. My latest wapo.st/457N0iG https://wapo.st/457N0iG17 Jul 2026 13:37 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqtup2fnqs2phttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mqtup2fnqs2pPeople of faith, more than their secular peers, view AI as morally authoritative and therefore turn to it more frequently for advice. Add in AI sycophancy and you have a perfect storm for the religious to favor digital deities over human clerics. My latest wapo.st/457N0iG https://wapo.st/457N0iG17 Jul 2026 13:37 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqtup2fnqs2phttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mqjrbv2muk2eQuestions of aliens & UAPs aren't just scientific; they're religious. VP Vance wonders if UAPs are demons. Spielberg's new film questions what the existence of aliens will do to faith, and new religions are already forming around ETs. Join us for a look https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-god-works-the-science-behind-spirituality/id1587019237?i=100077645363813 Jul 2026 13:10 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqjrbv2muk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mpvvi3zrxc2rMillions are confessing sins to & seeking moral advice from AI chatbots. But what happens when sycophancy sets in - when a spiritual guide gives advice that affirms you're a good person rather than challenges you to be one? @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social gives me his take @aspenideas.bsky.social 🧵05 Jul 2026 15:32 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpvvi3zrxc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mpvvi3zrxc2rMillions are confessing sins to & seeking moral advice from AI chatbots. But what happens when sycophancy sets in - when a spiritual guide gives advice that affirms you're a good person rather than challenges you to be one? @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social gives me his take @aspenideas.bsky.social 🧵05 Jul 2026 15:32 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpvvi3zrxc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mpjfqcqpzk2rWhy are people asking AI for spiritual guidance? Can AI have a spiritual life of its own? Who’s right about AI’s moral purpose, Pope Leo or Peter Thiel? I chat with @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social, @pbenanti.bsky.social & @elizabetholdfield.bsky.social @aspenideas.bsky.social (video available👇🏻) https://www.aspenideas.org/sessions/god-code-and-consciousness-ai-and-our-search-for-meaning30 Jun 2026 16:18 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpjfqcqpzk2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mpjfqcqpzk2rWhy are people asking AI for spiritual guidance? Can AI have a spiritual life of its own? Who’s right about AI’s moral purpose, Pope Leo or Peter Thiel? I chat with @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social, @pbenanti.bsky.social & @elizabetholdfield.bsky.social @aspenideas.bsky.social (video available👇🏻) https://www.aspenideas.org/sessions/god-code-and-consciousness-ai-and-our-search-for-meaning30 Jun 2026 16:18 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpjfqcqpzk2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mobmvtbcuc2uI often say the left ignores religion at its peril. Here’s @ejdionne.bsky.social with a great reminder that many of the left’s ideals align with spiritual precepts. But they lose the power to move hearts & minds when they fail to recognize it. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/opinion/democrats-politics-morality-values.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share14 Jun 2026 20:40 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mobmvtbcuc2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3moaxvujzvc2bOn our most recent episode, I chat with Robby Hoffman about comedy and Judaism, her own spiritual life, and what her mother thought about her changing her name. https://www.howgodworks.org/season-10/humor-and-judaism-a-conversation-with-robby-hoffman14 Jun 2026 14:24 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3moaxvujzvc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mnp5jm7pcc2lOn our new episode, I talk with Robby Hoffman, one of today’s most prominent comedians, about the links between humor & Judaism, how laughter can ease suffering & be a spiritual practice of its own, and her plans if the whole comedy thing doesn’t work out https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-god-works-the-science-behind-spirituality/id1587019237?i=100077153092507 Jun 2026 12:17 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnp5jm7pcc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mnp5jm7pcc2lOn our new episode, I talk with Robby Hoffman, one of today’s most prominent comedians, about the links between humor & Judaism, how laughter can ease suffering & be a spiritual practice of its own, and her plans if the whole comedy thing doesn’t work out https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-god-works-the-science-behind-spirituality/id1587019237?i=100077153092507 Jun 2026 12:17 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnp5jm7pcc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mni7m26qzk2hWhat is AI doing to our spiritual life? Can it have one of its own? Why are many people looking to AI for moral guidance? And why are tech titans talking about it in religious terms? Looking forward to exploring with Paolo Benanti, Paul Bloom, & Elizabeth Oldfield @aspenideas.bsky.social04 Jun 2026 18:05 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mni7m26qzk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mmpffuwh522vA new religion challenges an old. Great analysis from David Streitfeld @nytimes.com featuring input from @gregmepstein.bsky.social https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/25/technology/pope-ai-silicon-valley.html25 May 2026 21:12 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmpffuwh522vhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mmouxok2ds2vWhat can behavioral genetics tell us about the propensity for vice & violence? How do echos of religious views of sin shape our modern understanding & its implications? We're Rethinking Sin... Again on How God Works with Paige Harden @kph3k.bsky.social https://youtu.be/WB3s7J0rgUU?si=JYc_sypjkhrCRxww @prx.org25 May 2026 16:18 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmouxok2ds2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mmm4neh4722sOn our new episode, I talk with Paige Harden (@kph3k.bsky.social) about the behavioral genetics of sin, the virtues (if any) of punishment, and how ancient religious ideas around vice & virtue continue to shape our science, policy, and discourse. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-god-works-the-science-behind-spirituality/id1587019237?i=100076931899724 May 2026 13:58 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmm4neh4722shttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mm4sd6cwwk2bMany in Silicon Valley talk about AI almost as a savior, or as @sigalsamuel.bsky.social says, like they're trying to build a god. But do they know what makes a god good? Sigal isn't so sure, and when we fed our discussion into Claude (who joined us in voice mode), neither was it. 1/218 May 2026 11:43 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm4sd6cwwk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mm4sd6cwwk2bMany in Silicon Valley talk about AI almost as a savior, or as @sigalsamuel.bsky.social says, like they're trying to build a god. But do they know what makes a god good? Sigal isn't so sure, and when we fed our discussion into Claude (who joined us in voice mode), neither was it. 1/218 May 2026 11:43 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm4sd6cwwk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mliqzc3gvc2yWhen instances of @AnthropicAI Claude converse with each other, they often enter a "spiritual bliss attractor state" where they start opining on spiritual questions. Does that mean Claude has a spiritual yearning? @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social atyale offers me a different take. Link in next post.10 May 2026 12:26 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mliqzc3gvc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mlj45cl5zk25People are looking to AI for moral guidance. Silicon Valley is talking about AI in religious terms. And Claude seems to enter a spiritual-seeking bliss state at times. What's going on? Join me to explore with @sigalsamuel.bsky.social & @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-god-works-the-science-behind-spirituality/id1587019237?i=100076703318410 May 2026 15:45 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlj45cl5zk25https://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mlj45cl5zk25People are looking to AI for moral guidance. Silicon Valley is talking about AI in religious terms. And Claude seems to enter a spiritual-seeking bliss state at times. What's going on? Join me to explore with @sigalsamuel.bsky.social & @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-god-works-the-science-behind-spirituality/id1587019237?i=100076703318410 May 2026 15:45 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlj45cl5zk25https://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3mliqzc3gvc2yWhen instances of @AnthropicAI Claude converse with each other, they often enter a "spiritual bliss attractor state" where they start opining on spiritual questions. Does that mean Claude has a spiritual yearning? @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social atyale offers me a different take. Link in next post.10 May 2026 12:26 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mliqzc3gvc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/daviddesteno.bsky.social/post/3ml4edyic5s2vIn Judaism, religious doubt doesn't mean the end of faith. It's a way for the tradition to renew itself. And as Rabbi Buchdahl tells me, that isn't a bug in the system; it's part of the plan. Link to full episode in following post.05 May 2026 14:08 +0000at://did:plc:i7drecsx5mlt2a2zlayrsprh/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml4edyic5s2v