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2 episodes with The Skeptics Society
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Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, executive director of The Skeptics Society, and founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, a publication focused on investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. For the Sake of Argument podcast: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jakenewfield Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4k9DDGJz02ibpUpervM5EY Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/for-the-sake-of-argument/id1567749546 Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeNewfield Timeline: 00:06 - Are Aliens Real? 13:25 - Is DEI Good or Bad? 24:53 - Israel vs Palestine 29:34 - Assembly Theory 34:02 - The Genocide Debate 35:09 - Why are we so polarized? 44:31 - Why would you vote for Trump?
Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?Looking for a link we mentioned? Find it here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesIn this intimate interview, Michael Shermer explores how conspiracy theories undermine objective truth or the generally accepted scientific, materialist paradigm. He covers everything from his most recent work to why conspiracy theories are so good at creating cult followings and what objective truth might look like.Michael Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, executive director of The Skeptics Society, and founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, a publication focused on investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. The author of over a dozen books, Shermer is known for engaging in debates on pseudoscience and religion in which he emphasizes scientific scepticism.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=conspiracy-and-beliefEmail us on podcast@iai.tv!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Michael Shellenberger explains the role of government agencies in social media censorship, his work on the Twitter files, and the differences between independent and mainstream journalism. PLUS: how to deal with the opioid epidemic, what we can do about homelessness, his take on January 6, George Floyd, UFOs and UAPs, and more. Recorded live in Santa Barbara, CA at the Skeptics Society 2023 conference.
Michael Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, and executive director of The Skeptics Society. He and I spoke about God, reason, morality, science and the future, in a good-humored discussion in Berlin, 2018, under the auspices of the German branch of the Richard Dawkins Foundation.
How do we assess claims to scientific knowledge?Looking for a link we mentioned? Find it here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesWhat is it possible to know? Is the physical universe all there is, or is the immaterial part of reality too? Join radical scientist, Rupert Sheldrake, and world-leading sceptic, Michael Shermer, as they go head-to-head on where the edges of knowledge lie. Güneş Taylor hosts.Michael Shermer is a famous science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of its magazine 'Skeptic'.Rupert Sheldrake is an English scientist whose research into parapsychology and evolution led to the theory of morphic resonance, expounded in the book A New Science of Life. The theory posits that "memory is inherent in nature" which makes it possible for "telepathy-type interconnections between organisms." Other topics he has written and spoken on include precognition, the relationships between spirituality and science and the psychic staring effect. Sheldrake's most recent book is Science and Spiritual Practices (2017).There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=on-the-edges-of-knowledgeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Michael Brant Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, executive director of The Skeptics Society, and founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, a publication focuses on investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. We discuss the limitations of certainty in science, the pitfalls of reliance upon consensus, and the benefits and dangers of supernatural beliefs, and the association of science with state-crafting. Support both us when you pick up on of Michael's books: https://amzn.to/3QHjQkN (00:00:00) Go! (00:00:17) Who is Michael Shermer (00:08:08) real ASK (00:09:12) Patreon Ask (00:24:58) Is Woo Stuff Good for People? (00:32:23) Replication Crisis & Misplaced Faith in Science (00:50:09) Trust the Science (01:02:12) Centralizing Narratives (01:13:17) Marker 15 (01:22:26) What's in the water? (01:37:30) There's more to life than Algebra (01:45:13) Rationality isn't everything (01:55:18) Nurturing intuition (02:04:55) Mass hysteria (02:16:44) The Overswing (02:28:15) Closing thoughts Support the scientific revolution by joining our Patreon: https://bit.ly/3lcAasB Tell us what you think in the comments or on our Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub #science #uap #belief Check our short-films channel, @DemystifySci: https://www.youtube.com/c/DemystifyingScience AND our material science investigations of atomics, @MaterialAtomics https://www.youtube.com/@MaterialAtomics Join our mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. - Blog: http://DemystifySci.com/blog - RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss - Donate: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD - Swag: https://bit.ly/2PXdC2y SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci MUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671
Michael Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, executive director of The Skeptics Society, and founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, a publication focussed on investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. He is the author of over a dozen books, the most recent of which is ‘Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational.' You can find Michael's book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1421444453/ SPONSORED BY: ATHLETIC GREENS. Get a free 1-year supply of Vitamin D and 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. Go to https://athleticgreens.com/triggernometry/ Join our exclusive TRIGGERnometry community on Locals! https://triggernometry.locals.com/ OR Support TRIGGERnometry Here: Bitcoin: bc1qm6vvhduc6s3rvy8u76sllmrfpynfv94qw8p8d5 Music by: Music by: Xentric | info@xentricapc.com | https://www.xentricapc.com/ YouTube: @xentricapc Buy Merch Here: https://www.triggerpod.co.uk/shop/ Advertise on TRIGGERnometry: marketing@triggerpod.co.uk Join the Mailing List: https://www.triggerpod.co.uk/sign-up/ Find TRIGGERnometry on Social Media: https://twitter.com/triggerpod https://www.facebook.com/triggerpod/ https://www.instagram.com/triggerpod/ About TRIGGERnometry: Stand-up comedians Konstantin Kisin (@konstantinkisin) and Francis Foster (@francisjfoster) make sense of politics, economics, free speech, AI, drug policy and WW3 with the help of presidential advisors, renowned economists, award-winning journalists, controversial writers, leading scientists and notorious comedians. 00:00 Intro 01:16 Michael Shermer's Background 03:21 The Information Era's Impact on Conspiracies 10:06 Big Tech Speech Censorship 16:40 When Should a Media Platform Censor Someone? 19:27 Sponsor Message: Athletic Greens 20:58 The Twitter Files 28:33 Have We Become More Conspiratorial? 36:51 Epstein's Island & Flight Logs 42:33 The Great Reset 48:11 The Conspiracy Theorist Demographic 55:52 Conspiracy & Victimhood 1:00:54 What's the One Thing We're Not Talking About?
Future Squared with Steve Glaveski - Helping You Navigate a Brave New World
This episode originally appeared in episode 318, Feb 2019. --- Dr Michael Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic. Shermer engages in debates on topics pertaining to pseudoscience and religion in which he emphasizes scientific skepticism. He's also a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. He is the author of Why People Believe Weird Things, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, and The Moral Arc. His new book is Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality & Utopia. Shermer is also a member of what's become known as the intellectual dark web, alongside others such as Sam Harris, Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Jordan Peterson. Having recently appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience and the David Rubin Show, today he appears for the first time on Future Squared. We covered a lot of ground in this episode, including: People's last words and what we can glean from them about how we live our lives Immortality and whether you and I might live long enough to live forever Tribalism, identity politics and diversity quotas in tech This only scratches the surface of what we covered, so sit back and strap yourselves in for an enlightening conversation with the skeptic, Dr. Michael Shermer. --- Topics Discussed: Michael's new book, Heavens on Earth Our fear of death and how people come to terms with the inevitable People's last words The afterlife The technotopian quest for immortality The intellectual dark web Jordan Peterson The meaning of life Why people believe in God Evolutionary advantages of belief Morality without religion Tribalism and identity politics Diversity quotas in tech The shortcomings of science Why decision outcomes shouldn't be equated with the quality of the decision Stein's Law The value of counterfactuals Show Notes: michaelshermer.com skeptic.com Twitter: @michaelshermer Shermer's books: https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Shermer/e/B001H6MCNY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1550116103&sr=1-1
Dr. Michael Shermer: Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the Executive Director of the Skeptics Society, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. For 18 years he was a monthly columnist for Scientific American. He is the author of New York Times bestsellers Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, The Moral Arc, and Heavens on Earth. His new book is Conspiracy: Why The Rational Believe The Irrational.Michael Shermer's Website: - https://michaelshermer.comIn this episode, we cover:Why The Rational Believe The Irrational.Conspiracies During The 2024 Presidential Election.Are We Heading Towards a Civil War?Sports and Trans Rights.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, here's what to do next:Subscribe now to learn from the world's most brilliant minds.Share this episode with a friend.Rate the show on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.------Highlights00:00 Intro01:23 Michael's Trajectory04:30 Defining Skepticism06:06 Can Science Answer the Question of Meaning?09:57 What Are the Key Challenges We Face Today.14:28 How Much Can We Trust Our Modern Scientific Tools?19:20 The Emergence of Ideology Becoming Identity.22:44 Why The Rational Believe The Irrational.27:17 The Twitter Files Conspiracy.34:30 How To Distinguish Signal From Noise on Twitter.37:03 Conspiracies During The 2024 Presidential Election.43:10 Are We Heading Towards a Civil War?47:52 Sports and Trans Rights.51:20 What is Epistemic Humility?52:50 One Conspiracy Theory That Blew Michael's Mind?55:35 What Are Some Conspiracy Theories That Michael is Keeping a Mind On?59:30 Closing Remarks.----
Formerly known as Roaming Millennial, Lauren Chen is a Canadian political commentator on YouTube and Evie Magazine contributor. She is a Christian conservative and has interned for Republican Paul Ryan. Chen's first videos were cartoon based, covering cultural and political issues. She then featured many interviews of figures ranging from Jordan Peterson, Senator Marsha Blackburn, Michael Shermer, founder of The Skeptics Society, and YouTuber Milo Stewart. From 2019 to 2020, she produced a commentary show for BlazeTV titled Pseudointellectual. As of 2021, she produces commentary videos independently on her channel and hosts the podcast No Malarkey with Marie Oaks.
Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founder of Skeptic magazine and the Executive Director of The Skeptics Society. He is the author of New York Times bestsellers Why People Believe Weird Things, The Believing Brain, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, The Moral Arc, Heavens on Earth, Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist and his new book is called Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational. He has also delivered two popular TED talks, appeared on Oprah, The Colbert Report, 20/20, Dateline, Charlie Rose, Larry King Live, Joe Rogan (7 times) and now, in what is clearly the highlight of his career (lol), he finds his way to TYP-HQ. Dr. Shermer received his B.A. in psychology from Pepperdine University, M.A. in experimental psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and his Ph.D. in the history of science from Claremont Graduate University. He has been a college professor since 1979, also teaching at Occidental College, Glendale College, and Claremont Graduate University, where he taught a transdisciplinary course for Ph.D. students on Evolution, Economics, and the Brain. Enjoy. michaelshermer.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Long a fringe part of the American political landscape, conspiracy theories are now mainstream: 147 members of Congress voted in favor of objections to the 2020 presidential election based on an unproven theory about a rigged electoral process promoted, in part, by followers of the mysterious QAnon community, itself a network of believers of a wide-ranging conspiracy involving pedophilia among elected officials and other civic and business leaders. But these are only the latest examples of a long history of conspiracies that have gained adherents in society. In his timely new book, Conspiracy, Michael Shermer, founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, discusses what makes conspiracies so appealing to segments of the population. Shermer finds that conspiracy theories cut across gender, age, race, income, education level, occupational status―and even political affiliation. One reason that people believe these conspiracies, Shermer argues, is that enough of them are real that we should be constructively conspiratorial: elections have been rigged, medical professionals have intentionally harmed patients in their care, your government does lie to you, and, tragically, some adults do conspire to sexually abuse children. But Shermer reveals that other factors are also in play: anxiety and a sense of loss of control play a role in conspiratorial cognition patterns, as do certain personality traits. Join us for Dr. Shermer's discussion in our continuing series on false narratives. It is for anyone concerned about the future direction of American politics, as well as anyone who has watched friends or family fall into patterns of conspiratorial thinking. MLF ORGANIZER Eric Siegel SPEAKERS Michael Shermer Publisher, Skeptic Magazine; Executive Director, The Skeptics Society; Author, Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational Eric Siegel Chair, Personal Growth Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 1st, 2022 by the Commonwealth Club of California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to episode 370 with Dr. Michael Shermer, author of “Conspiracy”, historian of science, executive director of The Skeptics Society, and founding publisher of Skeptic magazine. “This book is a must read for understanding conspiracy theories, who believes them and why, and how to counter them. When author Michael Shermer saw the video of a […]
On episode 149, we welcome Michael Shermer to discuss why people believe in conspiracy theories; focusing on the evolutionary perspective: better to be safe than sorry, the proxy: that they're symbols to, or natural inferences from, more fundamental beliefs, the tribal: they further unite us with our communities; how they're maintained through cognitive biases; Leon's past conspiratorial mindset and his beliefs about global conspiracies; real conspiracies and why they're more likely to be caused by few people and have a narrow goal/effect; 2Pac's murder and why we struggle with accepting that celebrities can be killed randomly; the real conspiracy that fostered World War I; how to effectively talk to conspiracy theorists; the difficulty of debunking theories that explain every major political event with one fundamental cause; and why and how wars and international conflicts are reduced over time. Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. He is the author of New York Times bestsellers Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, The Moral Arc, and Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist. He's the host of the largely popular podcast, The Michael Shermer Show, and his newest book, out on October 25, 2022 is called Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational. | Michael Shermer | ► Podcast | https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show ► Website | https://michaelshermer.com ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/michaelshermer ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/michaelshermer1 ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/Michael.Brant.Shermer ► Books | https://amzn.to/3MZ9qJh Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment ► TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@seizethemomentpodcast ► Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32208666
Peace Radicals Episode 61- Dr. Michael Shermer Founding Publisher of Skeptic Magazine & Skeptics Society & New York Times Best Selling Author. Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the podcast The Michael Shermer Show, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. For 18 years he was a monthly columnist for Scientific American. He writes a weekly Substack column. He is the author of New York Times bestsellers Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, The Moral Arc, Heavens on Earth, and Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist.
Between all we know to be true and all we know to be false lies a world of woo. “Woo-woo,” to use the full term, refers to ideas considered irrational or based on extremely flimsy evidence or that appeal to mysterious occult forces or powers. But who decides what’s woo-woo, and what gets accepted into the hallowed halls of scientific truth? The easy answer is that scientists decide. But the answer becomes harder when we remember that it was scientists who once deemed the world to be flat, light to be transmitted through “aether,” and a mysterious element called “phlogiston” to be responsible for combustion. On any given day in history, one person’s science is another person’s woo-woo. This hour, we bring together both skeptics and believers in an attempt to pin down exactly what constitutes “woo-woo.” GUESTS: Stuart Hameroff: Anesthesiologist and professor at the University of Arizona known for theories on quantum consciousness Michael Shermer: Founder of The Skeptics Society and the author of The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies — How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths and The Moral Arc: How Science Makes Us Better People Jess Tomlinson: Creator of Radiant & Rise The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired September 22, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr. Michael Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, executive director of The Skeptics Society, and founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, a publication focused on investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/out-of-the-blank-podcast/support
Michael Shermer shares his thoughts on life and death, in an emotional remembrance of his friend and business partner of 30 years, Pat Linse (1947–2021), the co-founder of the Skeptics Society and Art Director of Skeptic magazine.
Between all we know to be true and all we know to be false lies a world of woo. “Woo-woo,” to use the full term, refers to ideas considered irrational or based on extremely flimsy evidence or that appeal to mysterious occult forces or powers. But who decides what’s woo-woo, and what gets accepted into the hallowed halls of scientific truth? The easy answer is that scientists decide. But the answer becomes harder when we remember that it was scientists who once deemed the world to be flat, light to be transmitted through “aether,” and a mysterious element called “phlogiston” to be responsible for combustion. On any given day in history, one person’s science is another person’s woo-woo. This hour, we bring together both skeptics and believers in an attempt to pin down exactly what constitutes “woo-woo.” GUESTS: Stuart Hameroff - Anesthesiologist and professor at the University of Arizona known for theories on quantum consciousness Michael Shermer - Founder of The Skeptics Society and the author of The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies — How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths and The Moral Arc: How Science Makes Us Better People Jess Tomlinson - Creator of Radiant & Rise Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Greg Hill, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired September 22, 2015.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michael Shermer is the editor-in-chief of the magazine Skeptic, an American science writer, a historian of science, and the founder of The Skeptics Society. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jake-newfield/support
Michael Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. The Skeptics Society currently has over 55,000 members. Shermer engages in debates on topics pertaining to pseudoscience and religion in which he emphasizes scientific skepticism. Shermer is producer and co-host of the 13-hour Fox Family television series Exploring the Unknown which was broadcast in 1999. From April 2001 to January 2019, he was a monthly contributor to Scientific American magazine with his Skeptic column. He is also a scientific advisor to the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH).Shermer was once a fundamentalist Christian, but ceased to believe in the existence of God during his graduate studies. He accepts the labels agnostic, nontheist, atheist and others. He has expressed reservations about such labels for his lack of belief in a God, however, as he sees them being used in the service of "pigeonholing", and prefers to simply be called a skeptic. He also describes himself as an advocate for humanist philosophy as well as the science of morality. LYRICS: Through much of my life I was lost, to what opinions were mine I was blown with the wind, confused, most of the time But hindsight is helpful for learning, and I learnt a lot I'm older and wiser and stronger with the knowledge I've got The right from the wrong, the false from the true I gave the Devil his due There were times when I had to close my ears, cos I couldn't bear to hear When people had terrible views, that filled me with fear Or lies like a virus infected, I thought all conspiracy But more times exposed, meant greater immunity Consensus can hide. Discern and decide I gave the Devil his due I've learnt the most from those with whom I disagreed They forced me to think what exactly it was I believed Knowledge is a currency. But wisdom is gold Weigh up the value of everything, you've ever been told Most of it's wrong, but some of it's true So I gave the Devil his due
Michael Shermer é fundador da The Skeptics Society, a sociedade dos céticos, e editor chefe da revista, Skeptic, que se dedica a investigar alegações pseudocientíficas e sobrenaturais. A Fundação Richard Dawkins pela Razão e Ciência publicou um vídeo com ele, chamado “Kit de Detecção de Bobagens”, com dez questões que você deve perguntar quando encontrar esse povo cheio de certezas que prega suas verdades por aí. A inspiração para o Kit foi, evidentemente, Carl Sagan e o vídeo já existe legendado no Youtube, vou colocar o link no roteiro deste programa em portalcafebrasil.com.br. Este episódio é a adaptação do texto daquele vídeo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michael Shermer (@michaelshermer) is the founder of Skeptic magazine and several books on the nature of belief. He’s the Director of The Skeptics Society, a non-profit dedicated to the promotion of science, reason, and critical thinking. He joins us to discuss why people believe weird things. [This is a rebroadcast that originally aired in 2016.] What We Discuss with Michael Shermer: How do beliefs form and persist even when we know they’re wrong? Why do skeptics (and restaurant owners) scowl at the mention of Uri Geller? Why are smart people even more susceptible to faulty beliefs? How do our genes influence our political and religious beliefs? What’s the difference between a skeptic and a cynic? And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/492 Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!
On episode 91, we welcome author Michael Shermer to discuss why and how humans come to believe in anything, our difficulty with understanding randomness and how it contributes to the belief in improbable conspiracy theories, the harms of cancel culture, combating misinformation and bad arguments with better ones, why we should become better public speakers instead of silencing opposing views, using Socratic questioning rather than argumentation to increase the chance of altering a belief, the Jordan Peterson controversy regarding pronoun use, and Leon’s clinical practice. Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. He has written many books, the latest of which is called Giving the Devil his Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist and he’s the host of the largely popular podcast, The Michael Shermer Show. Michael Shermer | ► Podcast | https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/ ► Website | https://michaelshermer.com/ ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/michaelshermer ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/michaelshermer1/?hl=en ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/Michael.Brant.Shermer ► Books | https://michaelshermer.com/giving-the-devil-his-due/ Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment
Michael Shermer is one of the world's most prominent skeptics - founder of The Skeptic Society and editor of its magazine Skeptic. Once a fundamentalist Christian, Michael has spent his career uncovering the workings and causes of our 'Believing Brain'.“Our brains are wired to think more like lawyers than scientists - to win arguments, to bolster what we already believe...”We evolved to discern patterns in the world around us. When our ancestors ate the wrong mushroom, they very quickly learnt to link it to their upset stomach. Discovering patterns is the way humans learn. But humans are sometimes too good at it: we ‘discern' patterns where none exist, and we infuse them with agency.Listen to Michael and Turi discuss the two key evolutionary drivers of belief:Patternicity - our tendency to find patterns in both meaningful and meaningless data.Agenticity - our tendency to infuse patterns with meaning, intention, and agency.And learn more about:The evolutionary origins of beliefWhere conspiracy theories come fromDopamine: the belief drugWhat Twin Studies teach us about the Heritability of beliefHow to keep a healthy mindAnd B.F Skinner's famous pigeon experiment, which shows all animals exist on the belief spectrum.“Belief comes quickly and naturally, skepticism is slow and unnatural, and most people have a low tolerance for ambiguity.”Michael ShermerMichael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic. He's also the author of The Believing Brain and most recently, Giving the Devil his Due on the free speech wars raging across the West.More on this episodeLearn all about the Parlia Podcast here.Meet Turi Munthe: https://www.parlia.com/u/TuriLearn more about the Parlia project here: https://www.parlia.com/aboutAnd visit us at: https://www.parlia.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This is one of the best conversations on the internet. Share it now if you want to mainstream the awakening. This is Ep 3 featuring Michael Shermer Ep 2 ► https://bit.ly/ShermerEp2 Ep 1 ► https://bit.ly/ShermerEp1 Dr. Michael Shermer is Founder of The Skeptics Society with 55,000 members, EIC of its magazine Skeptic, 214x Monthly Columnist for Scientific American from 2001-2019, Presidential Fellow at Chapman University Teaching Skepticism 101, and a 16x Author with several NYT Bestsellers, most recently The Moral Arc, Heavens on Earth, & Giving The Devil His Due. https://michaelshermer.com https://skeptic.com https://scientificamerican.com/author/michael-shermer Twitter ► https://twitter.com/michaelshermer TED ► https://ted.com/speakers/michael_shermer The Moral Arc ► http://bit.ly/MoralArc Heavens on Earth ► http://bit.ly/HeavensEarth Giving The Devil His Due ► https://bit.ly/DevilHisDue Our First Book ► https://highlevelperception.com SHOW NOTES
**Audio issues** Very sorry about the audio problems within this episode. Had a major microphone problem on my part (Not on Michael's.). I sincerely apologise. Dr Michael Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic. Michael Shermer is the best-selling author of numerous books that include The Moral Arc, The Believing Brain and most recently 'Giving The Devil His Due'. Topics discussed: - Reinventing the education system - Deepak Chopra - The sceptic philosophy - Whether we should cancel student debt - Why people believe in UFO’s and conspiracy theories - Jordan Peterson and much much more Links: Links: https://www.youtube.com/c/FreedomPact (video interviews) https://freedompact.co.uk/newsletter (Healthy, Wealthy & Wise Newsletter) https://instagram.com/freedompact https://michaelshermer.com https://twitter.com/michaelshermer?s=20
This classic lecture on skepticism was given by James Randi on March 22, 1992 at the inaugural session of the Distinguished Science Lecture Series hosted by Michael Shermer and presented by The Skeptics Society in California (1992–2015). The transcript for this lecture appeared in Skeptic magazine 1.1 (1992). James Randi presents an amazing first-hand analysis of astonishing claims encountered in his European visit. New-found freedoms stimulate rampant pseudoscientific practices in eastern bloc nations. With wit and wonderfully illustrative examples, Randi teaches us several lessons on the scientific investigation of unusual claims. Famed magician and investigator of paranormal claims, Randi is best selling author of The Faith Healers and Flim Flam! Randi was awarded the prestigious MacArthur Grant for his investigation of faith healers.
Michael Shermer is a science writer, founder of The Skeptics Society and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic. Support TRIGGERnometry: Paypal: https://bit.ly/2Tnz8yq https://www.subscribestar.com/triggernometry https://www.patreon.com/triggerpod Find TRIGGERnometry on Social Media: https://twitter.com/triggerpod https://www.facebook.com/triggerpod https://www.instagram.com/triggerpod About TRIGGERnometry: Stand-up comedians Konstantin Kisin (@konstantinkisin) and Francis Foster (@failinghuman) make sense of politics, economics, free speech, AI, drug policy and WW3 with the help of presidential advisors, renowned economists, award-winning journalists, controversial writers, leading scientists and notorious comedians.
Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society", and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic. His new book “Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist” is available now.
Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic. His new book “Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist” is available now. https://amzn.to/2XmplJY
In this 100th episode of the Science Salon podcast Dr. Shermer gives a brief overview and history of the salon and how it evolved from the Distinguished Science Lecture Series at Caltech, which began in 1992, along with the founding of the Skeptics Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit science education organization, and it’s publication Skepticmagazine. Following this brief history Dr. Shermer answers questions sent to him on social media, on such topics as: ETIs and the chances we’ve been visited by aliens Generic Subjective Continuity, a secular version of reincarnation, and what happens after we die Trump-style propaganda and how to deal with it Should we separate artist from artwork, e.g., Michael Jackson’s music or Adolf Hitler’s paintings? Eliminative Materialism (a type of determinism) and its implication for moral progress How reliable are eyewitnesses, particularly those in the Bible, particularly with regard to stories about miracles? When did you first learn that we are made of stardust and how did this change your thinking? How much power do Christian Nationalists have in the U.S. today? Have you changed your mind about science, religion, health, and politics in the past ten years? Will we ever reach an end of scientific knowledge and understanding? Listen to Science Salon via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play Music, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn.
Episode 190: Skepticism 101 Michael Brant Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. The Skeptics Society currently has over 55,000 members. Michael joined the program to talk about a plethora of topics including, The “Woke” culture”, Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro & Tom Delonge.
Episode 190: Skepticism 101 Michael Brant Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. The Skeptics Society currently has over 55,000 members. Michael joined the program to talk about a plethora of topics including, The “Woke” culture”, Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro & Tom Delonge. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Dr Michael Shermer is founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic. He's written several books on science and skepticism and his latest work is an audio-only 12-part course on Conspiracies.
Dr. Michael Shermer is Founder of The Skeptics Society with 55,000 members, EIC of its magazine Skeptic, 214x Monthly Columnist for Scientific American from 2001-2019, Presidential Fellow at Chapman University Teaching Skepticism 101, and a 15x Author with several NYT Bestsellers, most recently The Moral Arc & Heavens on Earth. https://michaelshermer.com https://skeptic.com https://scientificamerican.com/author... Twitter ► https://twitter.com/michaelshermer TED ► https://ted.com/speakers/michael_shermer The Moral Arc ► http://bit.ly/MoralArc Heavens on Earth ► http://bit.ly/HeavensEarth ******* Simulation interviews the greatest minds alive to inspire you to build the future ► http://simulationseries.com Design Merch, Get Paid, Spread Thought-Provoking Questions ► https://yoobe.me/simulation ******* Subscribe across platforms ► Youtube ► http://bit.ly/SimYoTu iTunes ► http://bit.ly/SimulationiTunes Instagram ► http://bit.ly/SimulationIG Twitter ► http://bit.ly/SimulationTwitter Spotify ► http://bit.ly/SpotifySim ******* Facebook ► http://bit.ly/SimulationFB Soundcloud ► http://bit.ly/SimulationSC LinkedIn ► http://bit.ly/SimulationLinkedIn Patreon ► http://bit.ly/SimulationPatreon Crypto ► http://bit.ly/SimCrypto PayPal ► https://paypal.me/simulationseries ******* Nuance-driven Telegram chat ► http://bit.ly/SimulationTG Allen's TEDx Talk ► http://bit.ly/AllenTEDx Allen's IG ► http://bit.ly/AllenIG Allen's Twitter ► http://bit.ly/AllenT ******* List of Thought-Provoking Questions ► http://simulationseries.com/the-list Get in Touch ► simulationseries@gmail.com
In this live podcast event hosted by the Santa Barbara Science Salon in conjunction with the Skeptics Society and the Unitarian Society, co-hosted by Dr. Whitney Detar, Dr. Shermer reflects on the question “What is Truth?” in the context of his lifelong search to understand why people believe weird things. What is a weird thing and how do we know what is true? This is what is known as the demarcation problem, and Dr. Shermer provides numerous examples of the difficulty of drawing a clear demarcating line between science and pseudoscience. Sometimes it’s obvious, sometimes it’s not. Michael Shermer in Santa Barbara 2019 (photo by Robert Bernstein) Science, Dr. Shermer begins, is “A set of methods designed to describe and interpret observed or inferred phenomenon, past or present, aimed at building a testable body of knowledge open to rejection or confirmation.” That is, it is “A method to explain the world that is testable and open to change.” Through the scientific method we aim for objectivity: the basing of conclusions on external validation. And we avoid mysticism: the basing of conclusions on personal insights that lack external validation. Dr. Shermer then presents examples of subjective/internal truths (dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate; Stairway to Heaven is the greatest rock song) and objective/external truths (evolution happened, the dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago), and gave examples of how subjective truths (meditation makes me feel better) may become objective truths (meditation works). The lecture was followed by an extensive AMA/Q&A with the audience. Listen to Science Salon via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and Soundcloud. This Science Salon was recorded on May 19, 2019. You play a vital part in our commitment to promote science and reason. If you enjoy the Science Salon Podcast, please show your support by making a donation, or by becoming a patron.
------------------Support the channel------------ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter ------------------Follow me on--------------------- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT Dr. Michael Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic. He's also the author of 19 books, including Why People Believe Weird Things; The Science of Good and Evil; Why Darwin Matters; The Believing Brain; and, more recently, Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia. Here, we talk about his latest book, Heavens on Earth; the afterlife, immortality and utopia; terror management theory; social experiments on political utopias; scientific utopias; the concept of protopia; progress; morality; skepticism; pseudoscience and how to combat it. -- O Dr. Michael Shermer é um divulgador de ciência americano, historiador de ciência, fundador da The Skeptics Society, e editor-chefe da sua revista, Skeptic. É também o autor de 19 livros, incluindo Why People Believe Weird Things; The Science of Good and Evil; Why Darwin Matters; The Believing Brain; e, mais recentemente, Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia. Aqui, falamos sobre o seu último livro, Heavens on Earth; a vida depois da morte, imortalidade e utopia; a “terror management theory”; experiências sociais com utopias políticas; utopias científicas; o conceito de protopia; progresso; moralidade; ceticismo; pseudociência e como combate-la. -- Skeptic website: https://www.skeptic.com/ Heavens on Earth European version: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heavens-Earth-Scientific-Afterlife-Immortality/dp/1472140613 Heavens on Earth original version: https://www.amazon.com/Heavens-Earth-Scientific-Afterlife-Immortality/dp/1627798579 Support Skeptic on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/skeptic More books by Dr. Shermer and others at Skeptic: https://shop.skeptic.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SS&Category_Code=B Dr. Shermer's Twitter handle: @michaelshermer -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, JUNOS, SCIMED, PER HELGE HAAKSTD LARSEN, LAU GUERREIRO, RUI BELEZA, MIGUEL ESTRADA, ANTÓNIO CUNHA, CHANTEL GELINAS, JIM FRANK, JERRY MULLER, FRANCIS FORD, AND HANS FREDRIK SUNDE! I also leave you with the link to a recent montage video I did with the interviews I have released until the end of June 2018: https://youtu.be/efdb18WdZUo And check out my playlists on: PSYCHOLOGY: https://tinyurl.com/ybalf8km PHILOSOPHY: https://tinyurl.com/yb6a7d3p ANTHROPOLOGY: https://tinyurl.com/y8b42r7g
Future Squared with Steve Glaveski - Helping You Navigate a Brave New World
Dr Michael Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic. Shermer engages in debates on topics pertaining to pseudoscience and religion in which he emphasizes scientific skepticism. He’s also a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. He is the author of Why People Believe Weird Things, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, and The Moral Arc. His new book is Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality & Utopia. Shermer is also a member of what’s become known as the intellectual dark web, alongside others such as Sam Harris, Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Jordan Peterson. Having recently appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience and the David Rubin Show, today he appears for the first time on Future Squared. We covered a lot of ground in this episode, including: People’s last words and what we can glean from them about how we live our lives Immortality and whether you and I might live long enough to live forever Tribalism, identity politics and diversity quotas in tech This only scratches the surface of what we covered, so sit back and strap yourselves in for an enlightening conversation with the skeptic, Dr. Michael Shermer. --- Topics Discussed: Michael’s new book, Heavens on Earth Our fear of death and how people come to terms with the inevitable People’s last words The afterlife The technotopian quest for immortality The intellectual dark web Jordan Peterson The meaning of life Why people believe in God Evolutionary advantages of belief Morality without religion Tribalism and identity politics Diversity quotas in tech The shortcomings of science Why decision outcomes shouldn’t be equated with the quality of the decision Stein’s Law The value of counterfactuals Show Notes: michaelshermer.com skeptic.com Twitter: @michaelshermer Shermer’s books: https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Shermer/e/B001H6MCNY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1550116103&sr=1-1 --- Patreon: www.patreon.com/thesteveglaveski Employee to Entrepreneur book: www.employeetoentrepreneur.io Listen to Future Squared on Apple Podcasts goo.gl/sMnEa0 Also available on: Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, Stitcher and Soundcloud Twitter: www.twitter.com/steveglaveski Instagram:www.instagram.com/@thesteveglaveski Future Squared: www.futuresquared.xyz Steve Glaveski: www.steveglaveski.com Medium: www.medium.com/@steveglaveski NEW Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/futuresquared/
Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims.
Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims.
Dr. Susan Blackmore is no stranger to skeptics. Dr. Shermer has known Dr. Blackmore since the early 1990s. When the Skeptics Society and Skeptic magazine were founded in 1992 she was already a rock star in the skeptical movement, having moved from believing in the paranormal, ESP, telepathy, and all the rest, to being an arch skeptic of all such claims. After earning a Ph.D. in the paranormal she devoted a decade to testing various phenomena under rigorous laboratory conditions, and continually found null results. That is, the tighter the controls she implemented and the more rigorous the research protocols, the weaker the paranormal effects became until they disappeared entirely. She went on from there to develop a theory about the neural correlates of such altered states of consciousness as Out of Body Experiences and Near Death Experiences, and after that wrote her bestselling book The Meme Machine, in which she developed a theory of how memes can be replicated and selected in a manner first proposed by Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene, when he coined the term. Dr. Blackmore went on to publish one of the leading textbooks on consciousness and is now working on a theory of tremes, or technological memes and how they can be replicated and selected in machines without human input. Listen to Science Salon via iTunes, Spotify, Google Play Music, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and Soundcloud. This Science Salon was recorded on November 7, 2018.
Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic. His new book "Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia" is available now.
Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic. His new book "Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia" is available now.
Graham Hancock is an English author and journalist, well known for books such as "Fingerprints Of The Gods" & his latest book "Magicians of the Gods". Randall Carlson is a master builder and architectural designer, teacher, geometrician, geomythologist, geological explorer and renegade scholar. Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic.
Graham Hancock is an English author and journalist, well known for books such as "Fingerprints Of The Gods" & his latest book "Magicians of the Gods". Randall Carlson is a master builder and architectural designer, teacher, geometrician, geomythologist, geological explorer and renegade scholar. Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic.
We talked with author (The Moral Arc, among others) and founder of The Skeptics Society, Michael Shermer about immortality, UFOs, and how technology has made us the most moral society in history.
Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims.
Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims.
Michael Shermer (@michaelshermer) is the founder of Skeptic magazine and several books on the nature of belief. He's the Director of The Skeptics Society, a non-profit dedicated to the promotion of science, reason, and critical thinking. He joins us to discuss why people believe weird things. The Cheat Sheet: How do beliefs form in our brains and persist even when we know they're wrong? Why do skeptics (and restaurant owners) scowl at the mention of Uri Geller? Why are smart people even more susceptible to faulty beliefs? How do our genes influence our political and religious beliefs? What's the difference between a skeptic and a cynic? And so much more... Show notes at http://theartofcharm.com/podcast-episodes/michael-shermer-believe-weird-things-episode-531/ HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! If you dig the show, please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! This is what helps us stand out from the crowd and help people find the credible advice they need. Review the show in iTunes! We rely on it! http://www.theartofcharm.com/mobilereview Stay Charming!
Derek nabs some time with Dr. Micheal Shermer, the man in charge of Skeptic Magazine and the Skeptics Society for a little update and chat about his new book highlighting his fifteen years writing a regular column for Scientific American magazine, followed by some discussion about how science factors into the current United States presidential election.
Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims.
Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims.
You don't have to look far for claims of the miraculous. But what constitutes a "miracle" and do Christian beliefs in this area make sense? Michael Shermer is a well-known atheist in the USA and Director of the Skeptics Society. He says miraculous claims always have a natural explanation. Adrian Holloway is a London Pastor and apologist. He claims to have witnessed the miraculous and says that Michael's skepticism is unjustified. For Michael Shermer see www.michaelshermer.com For Adrian Holloway see www.christchurchlondon.org/team.php For more Christian/Non-Christian debate www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy: Unbelievable? 17 Nov 2007 - Are miracles evidence for God? Miracles and healing - is it evidence for the truth of Christianity? Unbelievable? 10 May 2008 The gift of tongues - faith or fake? The gift of tongues - Faith or fake? Gerald Coates, Mark Johnston & Stephen Pilcher discuss. Join the discussion at the Premier Community www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable
The editor of Skeptic Magazine, Michael Shermer, delivers a lecture on his book Why People Believe Weird Things.
The editor of Skeptic Magazine, Michael Shermer, delivers a lecture on his book Why People Believe Weird Things.
Host: Chris Mooney Our guest this week is Michael Shermer, the publisher of Skeptic magazine and head of the Skeptics Society, and a longtime commentator on issues relating to science, critical thinking, and the paranormal. Chris asked Michael on to discuss his new book, which is entitled The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies, How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them As Truths. Clearly, much of what Shermer has to say here will be of great relevance to skeptics and freethinkers—and along the way, Shermer also discusses his views on global warming (real, but not such a big deal) and how to promote evolution in a religious America. In addition to publishing Skeptic, Michael Shermer is a monthly columnist for Scientific American, the host of the Skeptics Distinguished Science Lecture Series at Caltech, and Adjunct Professor at Claremont Graduate University. His other books include Why People Believe in Weird Things and Why Darwin Matters.
Over the past 30 years, Skeptics Society founder Dr. Michael Shermer has questioned how and why humans believe what we do in all aspects of our lives—from our suspicions and superstitions to our politics, economics and social beliefs. This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with Dr. Shermer about his new book, The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies - How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths, a compendium of the research and neuroscience that reveals how our brains evolved to connect the dots of our world into meaningful patterns that explain why things happen and ultimately why science is the best tool ever devised to determine whether or not our beliefs are based in reality.
This week on Skepticality, Swoopy talks with a true skeptical original: Skeptics Society co-founder Pat Linse, co-publisher and Art Director of Skeptic magazine. She is among skepticism's most influential pioneers — and yet, she has rarely stepped into the public spotlight. Among Pat's many groundbreaking innovations was the creation of Junior Skeptic (the 10-page kids' critical thinking insert bound within Skeptic magazine). Joining Pat in this interview is current Junior Skeptic editor and illustrator Daniel Loxton, here to talk about their latest creation: a full-color children's book released this week by Kids Can Press, entitled "Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be".
Michael Shermer is one of the most well-known skeptics in America, working for decades to advance the scientific outlook in society. He is a contributing editor and monthly columnist for Scientific American, and is the host of the Skeptics Distinguished Lecture Series at Caltech. Since his founding of the Skeptics Society in Southern California and Skeptic magazine, he has appeared widely on TV and radio on shows such as 20/20, Dateline, Charlie Rose, Oprah, Unsolved Mysteries, and many more. He is the author of many books, including Science Friction: Where the Known Meets the Unknown, and Why People Believe Weird Things. His most recent book is The Mind of the Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans, and Other Tales from Evolutionary Economics. In this discussion with D.J. Grothe, Michael Shermer discusses skepticism and its possible relationship to libertarianism. He argues that what some organizations define as "humanism" are actually positions that have nothing to do with humanism, but with Marxism and social democracy. He talks about why he has begun speaking out more about libertarianism as a leader in the skeptical movement. He admits that he may be more of a moderate libertarian than some others who defend that political and economic perspective. He talks about tensions within libertarianism as regards national defense, and what he sees as the need for national armies after 9-11. He explains which came first for him: libertarianism or skepticism, and talks about the influence of Ayn Rand on his intellectual development. He argues that Ayn Rand is still relevant even if her view of human nature (that people are basically selfish and that there is no such thing as altruism) upon which her economic theories are based is not born out by recent developments in cognitive and evolutionary psychology. He talks about Adam Smith, and how this year is the 250th anniversary of his first book, A Theory of Moral Sentiments, which presents his views regarding people's natural propensity for empathy and sympathy. He defends free market capitalism despite what some consider recent wholesale failures of the market, and criticizes Alan Greenspan's betrayal of free market ideals. He attacks the current economic system which engages in corporate welfare and "economic tribalism" for being "capitalist in profits but socialist in losses." Other topics he touches on include the gold standard, tax revolt anarchism, income redistribution, and how he would prefer religion and the private sector to help the poor as opposed the government providing for the welfare of the economically disadvantaged. He defends the growing disparity between the super rich and the very poor, and the position that most poor people in the West deserve their lot in life due to their own bad decisions. He talks about his book The Mind of the Market and why people believe weird things about money. He explores the implications of the burgeoning fields of behavioral economics and neuroeconomics for his libertarian position. He describes the basic elements of evolutionary economics, a field he has pioneered. And he defends the position that skepticism should not remain apolitical — instead, he argues that skeptics should apply their skepticism to religion and God, pseudoscience and the paranormal, and also economics and politics.
The hosts of Skepticality are recovering from their spectacularly successful "Skeptrack" events at Dragon*Con 2008: four days of lively discussion featuring guests from some of the most prominent skeptical organizations around the world. Included were James Randi and Dr. Phil Plait from the JREF, Dr. Michael Shermer of the Skeptics Society, Benjamin Radford and D.J. Grothe from the Center for Inquiry, and Richard Saunders and crew from the Australian Skeptics—to name only a few. For those who participated in this groundbreaking weekend, we look forward to hearing your stories. For those who could not attend, Skepticality brings you the first of several recordings from last week's panel discussions, beginning with James Randi and D.J. Grothe discussing "Why Magic is Important to Skepticism." This in-depth discussion of the entwined histories of magic and skepticism reveals how creating illusions can illuminate the truth.
Michael Shermer is the author of ten books, including the bestselling Why People Believe Weird Things and The Science of Good and Evil. An adjunct professor of economics at Claremont Graduate University, he is a columnist for Scientific American, the publisher of Skeptic magazine, and the founder and director of the international Skeptics Society. His latest book is The Mind of The Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans, and Other Tales From Evolutionary Economics. In this discussion with D.J. Grothe, Michael Shermer discusses The Mind of the Market, and the new field of neuroeconomics. He explores the implications of Darwinian evolution for how people fare in market capitalism, including how we are naturally irrational when it comes to economics, due to our evolutionary heritage. He argues why market capitalism and liberal democracy are best suited to people's needs, and discusses socialized medicine and other aspects of social welfare programs, contrasting the economy of the United States with those of northern Europe. He examines how free trade may lead to world peace. He also addresses the growing political and economic diversity when it comes to the skeptical and humanist movements.
In the upcoming a pro-Intelligent Design documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (starring comedy actor Ben Stein), several notable scientists speak in support of science and evolution, including evolutionary biologist (and outspoken atheist) Richard Dawkins, science blogger PZ Meyers, and Skeptics Society founder Michael Shermer. As Swoopy finds out this week when she talks with Dawkins and Shermer, Expelled is not the film these scientists agreed to be a part of—nor were their experiences at advanced screenings what they expected….
Michael Shermer is one of the most well-known skeptics in America. He is a contributing editor and monthly columnist for Scientific American, and is the host of the Skeptics Distinguished Lecture Series at Caltech. He is also the co-host and producer of the Fox Family TV show, Exploring the Unknown. He is the author of many books, including Science Friction: Where the Known Meets the Unknown, and Why People Believe Weird Things. Since founding the Skeptics Society in Southern California and Skeptic magazine, he has appeared widely on TV and radio advancing the scientific and skeptical point of view, on shows such as 20/20, Dateline, Charlie Rose, Oprah, Unsolved Mysteries, and many more. In this discussion with D.J. Grothe, Shermer discusses evolution and Intelligent Design theory, Darwin's impact on the world today, the conflict and the compatibility of science and religion, and the meaning of life without God. Also in this episode, Tom Flynn asks Did You Know? about Darwin, sharing facts and trivia about one of the most influential scientists of the modern era.
In this episode we talk with Dr. Michael Shermer about the Science of Good and Evil, Past Government Pseudoscience programs, and the Skeptics Society. Dr. Shermer is one of the most published Skeptics in the world, and has an incredible resume of work and appearences behind his name. This is one show not to be missed!
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