Sam Harris
A neuroscientist turned public intellectual who uses razor-sharp logic to dissect faith, morality, and the nature of consciousness itself.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American neuroscientist and philosopher·Birthday: April 9·Generation X
Biography
Sam Harris emerged from the halls of Stanford's neuroscience lab to become one of the most provocative and listened-to voices in modern secular thought. His 2004 bestseller, 'The End of Faith,' launched him into the center of the New Atheism movement, arguing that religious dogma was not just incorrect but dangerously incompatible with a civilized society. Harris, however, has never been a simple polemicist. He grounds his critiques in a deep engagement with philosophy and cognitive science, exploring the roots of belief, ethics, and the self. His work extends into practical realms, advocating for a science of morality and a secular approach to meditation, which he details in 'Waking Up.' Through his long-running podcast, 'Making Sense,' he engages with experts across disciplines, from artificial intelligence researchers to political scientists, always probing the edges of what we can know and how we should live. His willingness to tackle taboo subjects and challenge ideological orthodoxies on both the left and right has made him a figure of intense debate and a guide for those seeking a rational path through a fractious world.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Sam was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sam Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Sam's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Authored 'The End of Faith,' which won the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction in 2005.
- Co-founded the 'Waking Up' meditation app, applying a secular, science-based approach to mindfulness practice.
- Earned a PhD in cognitive neuroscience from UCLA, with a dissertation on the neural basis of belief.
- Hosts the 'Making Sense' podcast, featuring long-form conversations with leading thinkers across multiple fields.
Did You Know?
He spent years traveling the world to study meditation with both Eastern and Western teachers.
He has practiced various forms of martial arts.
His mother was the television writer and producer Susan Harris, creator of 'Soap' and 'The Golden Girls.'
He dropped out of Stanford University as a philosophy major before returning years later to complete a degree in psychology.
““The secret of life is to have a task that you devote your entire life to, and the most important thing is that it be something you cannot possibly do.””
