Podcasts about Why People Believe Weird Things

In this episode I have a special returning guest, the famous Dr. Michael Shermer on the show to discuss the interesting times our neighbours to the south are experiencing.  I'm hoping to discuss the polarization and the bias that have catalyzed conspiratorial thinking emerging around the Trump assassination attempt. Dr. 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.  Neil deGrasse Tyson has called him “a beacon of reason in an ocean of irrationality”. Support the podcast at patron.podbean.com/TheRationalView Make your voice heard on Facebook @TheRationalView

Today's disagreement is on whether or not extraterrestrial life exists. We've brought on two guests who are out of this world. ;)Dr. Avi Loeb is an astrophysicist and professor of Science at Harvard University. As head of The Galileo Project at Harvard, Dr. Loeb directs the search for evidence of extraterrestrials. Avi is also the author of more than eight hundred scientific papers and the books Interstellar and Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth.Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine. He is the bestselling author of many books, including Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain. Michael is the host of the podcast The Michael Shermer Show and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University.Today we ask a wide range of important questions about extraterrestrial life:Do we already have evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life?What would it take for us to all agree there are technological civilizations beyond earth?How does the media complicate our understanding of the subject?And why is there so much tension in the scientific community about this work? Show NotesFermi's question: where is everybody? [3:45]Addressing anomalies [6:45]Radio communication versus finding objects [10:00]Why media coverage loves “aliens” [12:00]Skepticism and anomalies [14:00]Disagreements in the scientific community [16:00]Real material evidence and the US government [21:00]Machine learning for observing anomalous objects [27:00]Steelmanning [31:30]What did you think about this episode? Email us at podcast@thedisagreement.com. You can also DM us on Instagram @thedisagreementhq.

Peter Boghossian joined two of his favorite Michaels for Spectrum Street Epistemology in Santa Barbara, California. Bestselling authors and esteemed public intellectuals Michael Shermer and Michael Shellenberger discussed a number of topics ranging from religion to alien life. Peter began with a claim that elicited points of agreement and disagreement: “Christianity is a better bulwark against ‘woke' than humanism.” This opens a discussion of nihilism, objective vs. subjective views of reality, and moral realism and pragmatism. They consider the primal (and political) rejection of free speech, history's moral arc, the limits of knowledge, and epistemic humility. Both gentlemen clarify their views on alien life and Mr. Shellenberger, a Christian, identifies the “most important” Biblical passage. Michael Shellenberger is an author, investigative journalist, and the founder & president of Environmental Progress, a nonprofit research organization. He also co-founded the California Peace Coalition, an alliance of parents of children killed by fentanyl and parents of homeless addicts. Michael is the author of “Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility” (with Ted Nordhaus), “Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All,” and most recently, “San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities.” Peter and Michael published “Woke Psychopathology: A Taxonomy” in October 2023. Michael Shermer is the world's leading skeptic and Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine. He hosts the podcast The Michael Shermer Show and is a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. Dr. Shermer is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestsellers “Why People Believe Weird Things” and “The Believing Brain.” His latest book is “Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational.” Watch this episode on YouTube.

Grandpa Bill today outlines and overviews: A breakdown of the key differences between Rupert Sheldrake and Michael Shermer's views on the paranormal: Rupert Sheldrake British biologist and author of several books on the paranormal, including The Presence of the Past (1988) and Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home (1999). Proposes the theory of morphic resonance, which suggests that there are fields of information that connect all things in the universe. Believes that morphic resonance can explain a variety of paranormal phenomena, such as telepathy, animal intuition, and synchronicity. Michael Shermer American science writer, skeptic, and author of several books on skepticism, including Why People Believe Weird Things (1997) and The Skeptic's Handbook (2002). Argues that there is no scientific evidence to support the existence of paranormal phenomena. Believes that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and that the burden of proof is on those who claim that paranormal phenomena exist. Key Differences The existence of morphic resonance: Sheldrake believes that morphic resonance is a real phenomenon that can explain paranormal phenomena. Shermer does not believe that morphic resonance exists. The nature of evidence: Sheldrake believes that anecdotal evidence can be used to support the existence of paranormal phenomena. Shermer believes that anecdotal evidence is not reliable and that only scientific evidence can be used to support the existence of paranormal phenomena. The burden of proof: Sheldrake believes that the burden of proof is on those who claim that paranormal phenomena do not exist. Shermer believes that the burden of proof is on those who claim that paranormal phenomena do exist. Implications The debate between Sheldrake and Shermer has important implications for our understanding of the universe and our place in it. If Sheldrake is correct, then our understanding of the universe is incomplete and there are forces at work that we do not yet understand. If Shermer is correct, then our understanding of the universe is complete and there is no such thing as the paranormal. The debate is also important because it raises questions about the nature of evidence and the burden of proof. If anecdotal evidence is not reliable, then how can we ever know for sure whether something is real or not? And if the burden of proof is on those who claim that something is real, then how can we ever prove the existence of something that is not immediately apparent to the senses? Conclusion The debate between Sheldrake and Shermer is a complex and fascinating one. There is no easy answer to the question of whether or not science can explain the paranormal. However, the debate is important because it forces us to think critically about the nature of reality and the limits of our knowledge. Additional Resources Rupert Sheldrake's website: https://www.sheldrake.org/ Michael Shermer's website: https://www.skeptic.com/ Wikipedia article on Rupert Sheldrake: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Sheldrake Wikipedia article on Michael Shermer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Shermer #HolographicEnhancement #PodcastingEvolution #MindfulExploration #UnveilingReality #GiftsYetUnseen --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bhsales/message

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. Jeremy Rys has a B.S. degree in Physics from Bridgewater State University and is a co-founder of APEC the Alternative Propulsion Engineering Conference an academic think tank of scientists, engineers, and inventors who explore the potentials of new physics and technologies including metamaterials, warp drives, ion thrusters, laser induced plasmas, invisibility cloaks, and other "Alien" technologies. - He is also an avid researcher of alternative history and the history behind classified programs and covert operations. He also enjoys researching scientific controversies and conspiracy theories. Find Michael Shermer at: https://www.skeptic.com/ - https://michaelshermer.com/Find Jeremy Rys at: https://www.altpropulsion.com/ - https://alienscientist.com/ ***** Join DarkHorse on Locals! Get access to our Discord server, exclusive live streams, live chats for all streams, and early access to many podcasts: https://darkhorse.locals.com/ A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century, is available everywhere books are sold, including from Amazon: https://a.co/d/dunx3at Check out the DHP store! Epic tabby, digital book burning, saddle up the dire wolves, and more: https://www.darkhorsestore.org/ Theme Music: Thank you to Martin Molin of Wintergatan for providing us the rights to use their excellent music. ***** Jeremy Sources:JFK -- https://www.youtube.com/@AmericasUntoldStories https://spartacus-educational.com/JFKwhiteR.htm https://www.jfkpaine.com/the-story/ RFK -- Autopsy Records https://www.grunge.com/799514/tragic-details-found-in-robert-f-kennedys-autopsy-report/ "RFK Must Die" by Shane O'Sullivan William Joseph Bryan Jr. - MKULTRA Hypnotist 9/11 -- The Armageddon Planners: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2004/03/the-armageddon-plan/302902/ Bremer on 9/11 giving the official theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLdR87wQK_0 The Pentagon Renovations: https://digwithin.net/2012/01/01/a-small-world/ "Another 19" by Kevin RyanSupport the show

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. 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, Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist, Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational, and was a monthly columnist for Scientific American for 18 years. He 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. EPISODE LINKS: - Michael's Website: https://michaelshermer.com/ - Michael's Channel: https://youtube.com/@skepticmagazine/ - Michael's Books: https://tinyurl.com/5t4ef2zr - Skeptic: https://www.skeptic.com/ TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) - Introduction (0:42) - The Null Hypothesis (5:00) - Popperian Falsification & Bayesian Reasoning (13:41) - Ontology vs Epistemology (18:39) - Anthropomorphising God & The Fermi Paradox (25:08) - Non-Human Biologics & Teleology (35:32) - The Lamarckian Fallacy (40:15) - Skepticism 101 (Biases & Fallacies) (55:45) - Hard Problem of Consciousness & Mind-Body Skepticism (1:02:15) - Navigating Beyond Materialism (1:08:43) - Free Will (Self-Determined) & Moral Responsibility (1:30:36) - Idealogies & Conspiracies (1:37:38) - Sentience & Metacognition (1:46:27) - Extraterrestrials & Artificial Intelligence (1:53:27) - Protopia (1:59:48) - Signal Detection Problems & Truth (2:04:15) - Magic & Illusions (2:08:46) - Conclusion CONNECT: - Website: https://tevinnaidu.com/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drtevinnaidu - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtevinnaidu/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/drtevinnaidu/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtevinnaidu/ For Business Inquiries: info@tevinnaidu.com ============================= ABOUT MIND-BODY SOLUTION: Mind-Body Solution explores the nature of consciousness, reality, free will, morality, mental health, and more. This podcast presents enlightening discourse with the world's leading experts in philosophy, physics, neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, AI, and beyond. It will change the way you think about the mind-body dichotomy by showing just how difficult — intellectually and practically — the mind-body problem is. Join Dr. Tevin Naidu on a quest to conquer the mind-body problem and take one step closer to the mind-body solution. Dr Tevin Naidu is a medical doctor, philosopher & ethicist. He attained his Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery degree from Stellenbosch University, & his Master of Philosophy degree Cum Laude from the University of Pretoria. His academic work focuses on theories of consciousness, computational psychiatry, phenomenological psychopathology, values-based practice, moral luck, addiction, & the philosophy & ethics of science, mind & mental health. ===================== Disclaimer: We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of watching any of our publications. You acknowledge that you use the information provided at your own risk. Do your research. Copyright Notice: This video and audio channel contain dialog, music, and images that are the property of Mind-Body Solution. You are authorised to share the link and channel, and embed this link in your website or others as long as a link back to this channel is provided. © Mind-Body Solution

The world's leading skeptic, author Michael Shermer, explains what it would take for him to believe claims of extraterrestrial visitation. Michael follows Pierre-Simon Laplace's principle, popularized by Carl Sagan: “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” Michael has bet $1,000 that irrefutable evidence of human contact with aliens will not materialize by the end of next year. So far, he has no takers. Peter and Michael discuss the brain as “an engine of belief” and how the human desire for transcendence and moralization leads people to extend their confidence beyond the warrant of the evidence. Education is one antidote to this cognitive malady, and Michael promotes teaching children statistics, probability, and how to “think like scientists”.  Peter and Michael also discuss organizational splintering (including in the skeptic and atheist movement), fashionable beliefs, why believers in alien visitations aren't interested in SETI, Bayesian reasoning, the deep state, true conspiracies, Dr. Paul Hotez vs. RFK Jr., childhood gender transition, and Michael's forthcoming book, Truth.  Dr. Michael Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of The Michael Shermer Show, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. Michael wrote a monthly column for Scientific American for 18 years. He is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestsellers Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain. His latest book is Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational.  Twitter: @michaelshermerYou can watch this conversation on YouTube!

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

Dhruv is a PhD student at the Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge. He has interests in psychology, philosophy and animal advocacy. In Sentientist Conversations we talk about the two most important questions: “what's real?” & “who matters?” Sentientism is "evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings." The video of our conversation is ⁠here on YouTube⁠. We discuss: 00:00 Welcome 01:33 Dhruv Intro 02:25 What's Real? - Born in India, moving to Scotland "A mix of two cultures" - Hindu temple at home, outside was "classic western materialism, science..." - @OfficialDerrenBrown 's "Tricks of the Mind". Magic, charlatanism, #homeopathy , #religion, #GMO scepticism (e.g. Golden Rice) - Reading Michael Shermer's "Why People Believe Weird Things" at 12 yrs old - Finding school academically easy but socially hard "immigrant children willl know... feeling like half and half and the halves don't really mix" - Culturally universal values: "There was this value of transcendence that was just missing... it would be really nice if god was real... I switched back and forth" - Celebrating #diwali when visiting India "I could see the appeal... but I couldn't see any reason or logic" - "It's not like the western materialists have any really great answers on how to live..." - Experiencing clinical #depression at Cambridge University - Discovering #stoicism & #nietzsche "a very positive nihilism" - The @philosophizethispodcast and @theschooloflifetv "self-directed, exploratory learning" - Existentialism "I couldn't really follow the continental philosophers". Camus' "The Plague" made more sense during #covid19 - A personal situation "which just did not seem amenable to being logiced out of" - A talk by @akalamusic - Going back to Indian religion & philosophy "there might be something here" - Reading the #mahabharata to understand the context for the #bhagavadgita - #arjuna , #krishna roles & responsibilities "why should I act if the fruits of my acts are not my own?" - Encountering #buddhism Graham Priest's "Paraconsistent logics" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_Priest - 2 weeks at a Buddhist monastery in Scotland "everyone had their own story... so much suffering... worse than mine" - Values of patience, generosity, loving - Practising #meditation & #mindfulness - "Let me just try things that seem to work" - The wisdom of hunter-gatherer cultures - Not dismissing or reifying any culture - "I accidentally moved to New Zealand" - Going #vegan (after growing up #vegetarian ) mainly for environmental reasons - Trying vegan pizza "this is fine" - @SimonAmstellNumb 's #Carnage documentary https://youtu.be/6dXG0_yr7HE - @ed.winters Watching #EarthlingEd - Ethical & epistemological journeys developing in parallel - Meeting an activist community - Reading Peter Singer's "The Life You Can Save" and #effectivealtruism - Sam Harris' "Waking Up" - Identity & Derek Parfit - Physicist Carlo Rovelli's "The Order of Time" & intepretations of quantum physics - "I have 4 extremely diverse points of view pointing to this very strange thing about notions of identity... the Buddha takes things one step further... his is one of the reasons you're upset" - "Being troubled by open metaphysical questions is not because you don't have an answer... it's because you expect the answer" - A local #yoga group - "I stopped being bothered by these big existential questions" - Exploring from the outside & the inside (e.g. via meditation) - Cravings & suffering Also what matters, who matters, how we can make a better future... ...and much more. Full show notes at ⁠Sentientism.info⁠. Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” More at ⁠Sentientism.info⁠. Join our ⁠"I'm a Sentientist" wall⁠ via ⁠this simple form⁠. Everyone, Sentientist or not, is welcome in our groups. The biggest so far is ⁠here on FaceBook⁠. Come join us there!

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.----

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, Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist and Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational.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.Websitesmichaelshermer.comskeptic.commoralarc.orgBooksConspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the IrrationalHow We Believe: Science, Skepticism, and the Search for GodWhy People Believe Weird ThingsThe Believing BrainFollow him on Twitter @michaelshermer.

Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine and the author of many books, including Why People Believe Weird Things, the Moral Arc, and most recently, Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational.Conspiracy:https://www.amazon.ca/Conspiracy-Why-Rational-Believe-Irrational/dp/1421444453Richard Hanania Interview:Jon Askonas: Reality is Just a Game Nowhttps://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/reality-is-just-a-game-now0:00 History6:30 Conspiracy Theories24:00 Religious Sects41:00 Evolutionary Adaptation57:30 Social Media Algorithms1:13:30 Sex Differences1:17:00 Trump1:31:00 Pandemics1:36:00 Deep State1:51:00 Lab Leak1:59:00 The Intellectual Dark Web2:10:00 Academia2:28:00 Chaos and Order This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cactus.substack.com

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.

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

Michael Shermer is a longtime figure in the New Atheist movement that arose in the early 2000s. He is the Founding Editor of Skeptic Magazine, the host of the podcast The Michael Shermer Show, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, where he teaches Skepticism 101. His new book, Conspiracy: Why The Rational Believe The Irrational, looks at the psychological processes and societal forces that cause people, often en masse, to believe outlandish stories and theories. In this conversation, Michael talks with Meghan about a range of subjects, including what makes certain conspiracy theories take hold, what "cognitive dissonance" really means, why even military pilots can't be trusted when it come to UFO sightings, and how he went from being a born again Christian to a committed atheist. They also discuss the state of the heterodox movement and ask whether tribalism can be solved with a tribe.   Guest Bio:    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 and he now writes a weekly Substack column. He is the author of many books, including the New York Times bestsellers Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain.

The best-selling author of Why People Believe Weird Things sees a fundamental clash between wokeness and scientific inquiry.

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, 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 including Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, 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.Visit: https://michaelshermer.com/ and https://www.skeptic.com/

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, 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 including Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, 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.Visit: https://michaelshermer.com/ and https://www.skeptic.com/

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, 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 including Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, 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.

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.

In this episode, with Michael Shermer we discuss conspiracy theories, group identities and differences, tribalism, systematic racism, religion and more. Michael Shermer, who is the founding publisher of Skeptic Magazine, the host of the Michael Shermer Show, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, where he teaches the class Skepticism 101. For 18 years he was a monthly columnist at Scientific American. He's the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including Why People Believe Weird Things, The Believing Brain, Why Darwin Matters, the Moral Arc and more.

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 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. Follow him on Twitter @michaelshermer. @MythVision Podcast @Skeptic Agenticity, the tendency to confuse patterns with a central agency. (God must of shot lightning at us) Patternicity, the tendency to find meaningful patterns in random noise. (Seeing Jesus' face on toast) Also, how fundamentalist theists use Deist arguments to defend belief systems that are not backed by any sound data. https://michaelshermer.com/ https://www.skeptic.com/ Derek Lambert: https://mythvisionpodcast.com/ #MichaelShermer #TheBelievingBrain #DerekLambert #MythVision #Gnostic #GnosticInformant --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/nickel-city-chronicles/message

We're talking about Books That Make You Hesitant to Believe in UFOs The U.S. government has revealed that UFOs, or UAPs (Unidentified Ariel Phenomenon) are, in fact, real. They have the footage. Former president Obama confirmed not long ago on TV: “What is true, and I'm actually being serious here, is that there is footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't know exactly what they are.” The staple program “60 Minutes” aired an episode featuring interviews with pilots and other officials putting their experiences on the record. And there's the footage from the Navy off the coast of San Diego, there for all to see. No one is denying it any more -- UFOs are real. Except, perhaps, for our guest today. Professional skeptic Michael Shermer is not so hot to jump on the UFO train. In our chat, he deals with a number of questions pertaining to the growing discussions about this topic, from his own personal stance to hypothetical fallout scenarios from having a once-derided “conspiracy theory” turn out to be true, and what people may make -- or not make -- of any announcement to come. A New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Shermer has written countless books such as The Moral Arc, Why People Believe Weird Things, The Believing Brain, The Science of Good and Evil, and his most recent, Giving the Devil His Due. He is also the Publisher of Skeptic Magazine, host of the podcast The Michael Shermer Show, and Presidential Fellow at Chapman University. You've seen him speaking in many documentaries and shows as the go-to “clear the air” skeptic. He's also participated in numerous debates on religion and spirituality. Find out more on Books That Make You. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, 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 including Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, 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. Visit: https://michaelshermer.com/ and https://www.skeptic.com/ For Your Listening Pleasure all the radio shows available on The 'X' Zone Broadcast Network with our compliments, visit - https://www.spreaker.com/user/xzoneradiotv. Our radio shows archives and programming include: A Different Perspective with Kevin Randle; Alien Cosmic Expo Lecture Series; Alien Worlds Radio Show; America's Soul Doctor with Ken Unger; Back in Control Radio Show with Dr. David Hanscom, MD; Connecting with Coincidence with Dr. Bernard Beitman, MD; Dick Tracy; Dimension X; Exploring Tomorrow Radio Show; Flash Gordon; Imagine More Success Radio Show with Syndee Hendricks and Thomas Hydes; Jet Jungle Radio Show; Journey Into Space; Know the Name with Sharon Lynn Wyeth; Lux Radio Theatre - Classic Old Time Radio; Mission Evolution with Gwilda Wiyaka; Paranormal StakeOut with Larry Lawson; Ray Bradbury - Tales Of The Bizarre; Sci Fi Radio Show; Seek Reality with Roberta Grimes; Space Patrol; Stairway to Heaven with Gwilda Wiyaka; The 'X' Zone Radio Show with Rob McConnell; Two Good To Be True with Justina Marsh and Peter Marsh; and many other! That's The ‘X' Zone Broadcast Network Shows and Archives - https://www.spreaker.com/user/xzoneradiotv *** AND NOW *** The ‘X' Zone TV Channel on SimulTV - www.simultv.com The ‘X' Chronicles Newspaper - www.xchroniclesnewspaper.com

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, 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 including Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, 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.Visit: https://michaelshermer.com/ and https://www.skeptic.com/For Your Listening Pleasure all the radio shows available on The 'X' Zone Broadcast Network with our compliments, visit - https://www.spreaker.com/user/xzoneradiotv.Our radio shows archives and programming include: A Different Perspective with Kevin Randle; Alien Cosmic Expo Lecture Series; Alien Worlds Radio Show; America's Soul Doctor with Ken Unger; Back in Control Radio Show with Dr. David Hanscom, MD; Connecting with Coincidence with Dr. Bernard Beitman, MD; Dick Tracy; Dimension X; Exploring Tomorrow Radio Show; Flash Gordon; Imagine More Success Radio Show with Syndee Hendricks and Thomas Hydes; Jet Jungle Radio Show; Journey Into Space; Know the Name with Sharon Lynn Wyeth; Lux Radio Theatre - Classic Old Time Radio; Mission Evolution with Gwilda Wiyaka; Paranormal StakeOut with Larry Lawson; Ray Bradbury - Tales Of The Bizarre; Sci Fi Radio Show; Seek Reality with Roberta Grimes; Space Patrol; Stairway to Heaven with Gwilda Wiyaka; The 'X' Zone Radio Show with Rob McConnell; Two Good To Be True with Justina Marsh and Peter Marsh; and many other!That's The ‘X' Zone Broadcast Network Shows and Archives - https://www.spreaker.com/user/xzoneradiotv*** AND NOW ***The ‘X' Zone TV Channel on SimulTV - www.simultv.comThe ‘X' Chronicles Newspaper - www.xchroniclesnewspaper.com

My guest today is Michael Shermer. Michael Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic Magazine, the host of 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's 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', and ‘Giving The Devil His Due', which is the subject of today's podcast. Michael and I talked about the declining relevance of Christianity on the political landscape today, threats to free speech, QAnon, conspiracy theories, and why people believe them. We talked about the one conspiracy theory I do believe in and laws that would ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in schools, and much more.

Welcome to another episode of Conversations with Coleman. My guest today is Michael Shermer. Michael Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic Magazine, the host of 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's 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', and ‘Giving The Devil His Due’, which is the subject of today's podcast. Michael and I talked about the declining relevance of Christianity on the political landscape today, threats to free speech, QAnon, conspiracy theories, and why people believe them. We talked about the one conspiracy theory I do believe in and laws that would ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in schools, and much more.

ABOUT THIS EVENT: Despite our best efforts, we’re all vulnerable to believing things without using logic or having proper evidence—and it doesn’t matter how educated or well read we are. But there is a method for avoiding such pitfalls of human nature, and it’s called skepticism. By using rational inquiry and seeing subjects from a scientific perspective, we can approach even the most sensitive claims with clear eyes to ultimately arrive at the truth. In this lecture Dr. Shermer will surprise, challenge, and entertain you, you will learn how to think, not just what to think—and you’ll come to understand why extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. You’ll discover how skepticism can help differentiate between real science and pseudoscience, as well as between “scientific” history and pseudohistory—distinctions that have serious educational and political implications. As you learn how our brains work to form beliefs, you’ll examine the classic fallacies of thought that lead us to experience mistakes in thinking and to form bad arguments in favor of our beliefs. Is there a God? Is there life after death? Is there a basis for morality without God? Skepticism 101 doesn’t shy away from controversial questions, nor does it give final answers. What it offers are methods and hard evidence for rationally evaluating various claims and positions, and an opportunity to understand why you believe what you believe. ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Dr. Michael Shermer is the Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon podcast, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University. For 18 years he was a monthly columnist for Scientific American. He is the author of a number of New York Times bestselling books including: Heavens on Earth, The Moral Arc, The Believing Brain, Why People Believe Weird Things, Why Darwin Matters, The Mind of the Market, How We Believe, and The Science of Good and Evil. His new book is Giving the Devil His Due, a defense of free speech and free inquiry. His two TED talks, viewed nearly 10 million times, were voted in the top 100 of the more than 2000 TED talks. 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, having also taught at Occidental College, Glendale College, and Claremont Graduate University. As a public intellectual he regularly contributes Opinion Editorials, book reviews, essays, and articles to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Science, Nature, Quillette, Aeon, and other publications. This project is part of a national program entitled “Scientists in Synagogues,” a grass-roots initiative run by Sinai and Synapses in consultation with the American Association for the Advancement of Science Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion, and funded by the John Templeton Foundation, along with other individual donors. DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP​​​​​​​ For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library/ https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmi...​ Become a member today, starting at just $18 per month! Click the link to see our membership options: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/become-a-member/

Real live ghost encounters are discussed.  Tangents include: "Satan baiting"; PolterDICE; Another creepy grandmother reference;  and of course, long-haired hamsters.Notes:1.  "Why People Believe Weird Things." Michael Shermer.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=27701128)

Today I’m speaking with Dr. Michael Shermer. Michael has been on the Joe Rogan podcast multiple times, is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, 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 also a New York Times best-selling author of such books as Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain.I invited Michael on because I wanted to hear from a professional skeptic how to think critically so we get closer to the truth, which is what this entire podcast is all about. In this interview he shared techniques to avoid our brain tricking us into believing things that aren’t true, what Michael believes that many skeptics don’t, his take on UFO’s in light of government released video footage, how to improve our personality traits, how in the world birds could evolve wings, and much more....I’d love to hear from you. Let me know what you like about the podcast, what you don’t, ideas for future guests, etc:Email: truthjunkiepodcastwithkevin@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/truthjunkiepodcastYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIma3aXx3l6UfjvTNM2Bg2A...Links to resources Michael mentioned:Not Born Yesterday by Hugo MercierRapoport’s Rules of Debate (Wiki) Intelligence Squared Debates: Unf*ckology by Amy Alkon Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko WillinkThe Language Of God by Francis CollinsThe Parasitic Mind by Gad SaadContents[4:14]- Michael shares techniques to avoid our brain tricking us into believing things that aren't true.[9:52]- Suggesting real high-level, civilized debate platforms.[15:28]- Bill Eddy and his book "Why we elect sociopaths and narcissists".[24:39]- Sharing current views about UFO's[31:08]-Explaining capitalism and how poverty can be minimized in the world.[39:36]-Sharing personal experiences with UFO's/Alien abductions[44:49]-Bringing an end to psychosis, depression, suicide, violence, conflict, and war.[50:58]-Motivation should be given to the people who are feeling low in their life[57:28]- Discussing ancient hominid

“All culture is appropriation. No culture invents their culture and says ‘this is ours’ and silos it off from everybody else. Everybody borrows everything." Science historian and best-selling writer Michael Shermer is here. Free speech and free expression have been on his mind lately, and that’s what occupies a lot of the conversation. What’s happening with free speech and campus culture? What is the border between “protected speech” and "acceptable speech?” In addition to discussing Michael’s ten commandments of free speech, he and Daniel also talk about Darwin, and why, for Michael, he is the scientist that fascinates him most. Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, 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 Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist. Follow @michaelshermer. Michael regularly contributes opinion editorials, essays, and reviews to: the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Science, Nature, and other publications. He wrote 214 consecutive monthly columns for Scientific American. He appeared on such shows as The Colbert Report, 20/20, Dateline, Charlie Rose, Oprah, and Larry King Live (but, proudly, never Jerry Springer!). He has been interviewed in countless documentaries aired on PBS, A&E, Discovery, The History Channel, The Science Channel, and The Learning Channel. Dr. Shermer was the co-host and co-producer of the 13-hour Family Channel television series, Exploring the Unknown. His two TED talks, seen by millions, were voted in the top 100. -------------------------------------- Please consider supporting Talking Beats with Daniel Lelchuk via our Patreon: patreon.com/talkingbeats In addition to early episode access, bonus episodes, and other benefits, you will contribute to us being able to present the highest quality substantive, long-form interviews with the world's most compelling people. We believe that providing a platform for individual expression, free thought, and a diverse array of views is more important now than ever.

Conspiracy theories are all crazy, right? Well, maybe not. There’s some history as to why so many people believe in them. What we really need is a conspiracy theory detection kit and that’s what we have in today’s episode. Our guest today is Dr. Michael Shermer. Dr. Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic Magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, 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 New York Times bestselling author of Why People Believe Weird Things and his latest book is Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist. Show Notes: [1:40] - Dr. Shermer’s magazine is called Skeptic Magazine which is devoted to teaching critical thinking skepticism and scientific reasoning. [2:03] - None of us are omniscient. We can’t know anything with certainty. Most of the decisions we make in life are made with uncertainty. So how best should we best make decisions? [2:39] - For centuries, we have developed methods, tools, and technology to help us with this problem of uncertainty. [4:47] - Finding the cause of something has many variables and once you start getting into economics and politics, things get messy. [5:50] - It is important to separate the correlation between seemingly cause and effect relationships. Dr. Shermer uses the fraudulent connection between vaccines and autism to demonstrate. [7:48] - The curse of knowledge is the Hindsight Bias. After the fact, it is clear what should have been done, but at the time it wasn’t clear. Dr. Shermer shares several great historical events as examples of this. [9:27] - There’s let something happen on purpose and make something happen on purpose and it is unfair to place blame on others using the Hindsight Bias. [11:40] - There is a difference between conspiracy and conspiracy theory. A conspiracy is something that actually happened and a conspiracy theory is the idea that there is something that is happening. [12:08] - The main reason people believe conspiracy theories are true is because many shocking conspiracies have actually happened. They are not so far out of the realm of possibility. [12:55] - It is not completely crazy to think that something will happen because historically something similar has happened. Dr. Shermer uses examples from the Kennedy administration. [14:49] - Another reason people are quick to believe conspiracy theories is because of the messiness of the world. Our brains are wired to try to simplify things. [15:39] - Money is a proxy for power and a lot of people believe that these people who have power are actually more powerful than they are. For example, Bill Gates is the center of some conspiracy theories, but in reality, what power does he actually have? [16:10] - This is not unreasonable for people to believe because there have been powerful people with money who have rigged the system. [16:58] - It is easier to believe that horrific things that happen in the world are controlled by a small group of people. This is an example of the human brain trying to simplify things. [17:17] - The fact is, nobody is running the world. And in a way, that is scary. [18:27] - The more people that have to be involved, the less likely the conspiracy is true. People don’t typically keep secrets and have big mouths. [19:56] - Dr. Shermer uses a 9/11 conspiracy theory as an example of how crazy the theory sounds due to its complexity. [21:05] - Some conspiracy theories are harmless, but many can be harmful. [22:40] - An example of a dangerous conspiracy theory is the one surrounding Hitler’s rise to power. Hitler’s initial platform was spreading the conspiracy theory that the only reason they lost the first world war was because they were stabbed in the back by the Jewish community. [23:25] - People are very confused about the term freedom. You have to give up certain freedoms for security. [24:54] - The United States and Italy are examples of countries with a loose culture. This means that they are not rigidly following guidelines and the spread of COVID-19 is rapid in nations like this. [27:12] - Chris and Dr. Shermer discuss the title of Dr. Shermer’s new book Giving the Devil His Due which was inspired by the play A Man For All Seasons by Robert Bolt. [29:12] - The book is a series of essays on the theme of free speech. [29:27] - The only way to make sure you haven’t gone off the rails and believe things that aren’t true is to interact with people who think differently from you. This gets you out of a bubble and gives you a better ability to make your own decisions and form your own opinions. [29:58] - Dr. Shermer is concerned about the lack of diversity in ideas and opinions within politics. [31:00] - The new book has had mostly positive reviews. [32:12] - Even scientists need critical review. This helps us determine if we should be skeptical. [33:27] - It is important to know and understand the arguments behind a differing opinion from your own. [35:04] - Dr. Shermer predicts that there will be many changes and feels that this is not always a bad thing. Some changes will be good and bad. [38:01] - Dr. Shermer offers tons of free content on his website and also offers courses for more information. You can find them in the links and resources. Thanks for joining us on Easy Prey. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and leave a nice review.  Links and Resources: Podcast Web Page Facebook Page whatismyipaddress.com Easy Prey on Instagram Easy Prey on Twitter Easy Prey on LinkedIn Easy Prey on YouTube Easy Prey on Pinterest Michael Shermer Web Page Skeptic Salon Podcast Skeptic Magazine Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist by Michael Shermer Michael Shermer on Facebook Michael Shermer on Twitter Skeptic Magazine on YouTube    

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, 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 Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist. Learn more: https://michaelshermer.com/

  Brian Keating Interviews Skeptic Magazine publisher and author of “Giving The Devil His Due” Michael Shermer. Get Michael Shermer’s Books here: GIVING THE DEVIL HIS DUE HEAVENS ON EARTH THE MORAL ARC:  Find Show Notes and Links here Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, 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 Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist. Follow Michael on Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelshermer and Brian Keating here: https://twitter.com/drbriankeating Michael regularly contributes opinion editorials, essays, and reviews to: the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Science, Nature, and other publications. He wrote 214 consecutive monthly columns for Scientific American. He appeared on such shows as The Colbert Report, 20/20, Dateline, Charlie Rose, Oprah, and Larry King Live (but, proudly, never Jerry Springer!). He has been interviewed in countless documentaries aired on PBS, A&E, Discovery, The History Channel, The Science Channel, and The Learning Channel. Dr. Shermer was the co-host and co-producer of the 13-hour Family Channel television series, Exploring the Unknown. His two TED talks, seen by millions, were voted in the top 100. 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. Watch Michael Shermer discuss Losing the Nobel Prize with Brian Keating on SCIENCE SALON # 70 Topics discussed in this extended interview include: M Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Keating Interviews Skeptic Magazine publisher and author of "Giving The Devil His Due" Michael Shermer. Get Michael Shermer's Books here: GIVING THE DEVIL HIS DUE HEAVENS ON EARTH THE MORAL ARC: Find Show Notes and Links here Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, 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 Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist. Follow Michael on Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelshermer and Brian Keating here: https://twitter.com/drbriankeating Michael regularly contributes opinion editorials, essays, and reviews to: the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Science, Nature, and other publications. He wrote 214 consecutive monthly columns for Scientific American. He appeared on such shows as The Colbert Report, 20/20, Dateline, Charlie Rose, Oprah, and Larry King Live (but, proudly, never Jerry Springer!). He has been interviewed in countless documentaries aired on PBS, A&E, Discovery, The History Channel, The Science Channel, and The Learning Channel. Dr. Shermer was the co-host and co-producer of the 13-hour Family Channel television series, Exploring the Unknown. His two TED talks, seen by millions, were voted in the top 100. 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.

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, 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 including Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, 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.Visit: https://michaelshermer.com/ and https://www.skeptic.com/

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, 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 including Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, 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.Visit: https://michaelshermer.com/ and https://www.skeptic.com/

Dr Michael Shermer is an American historian of science, editor-in-chief of Skeptic magazine, and author of nearly 20 books, including Heavens On Earth, The Moral Arc, and Why People Believe Weird Things. He speaks to Alex about how we should respond to the inevitability of death, and why we shouldn't be afraid of it.

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. 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, and The Moral Arc. His new book is Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality & Utopia. Michael welcomed Dr. Shermer back to the program, once more. This time the topics of discussion span out across the latest with Jussie Smollett & the media putting out a false narrative… shocking I know. The complete lack of self-awareness in America & how social media is now used as a weapon. Turning his back on god?

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon Podcast, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. 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, and The Moral Arc. His new book is Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality & Utopia. Michael welcomed Dr. Shermer back to the program, once more. This time the topics of discussion span out across the latest with Jussie Smollett & the media putting out a false narrative… shocking I know. The complete lack of self-awareness in America & how social media is now used as a weapon. Turning his back on god? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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/

------------------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

Michael is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic Magazine, a former monthly columnist for Scientific American, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. He is also a noted science writer and the author of New York Times bestsellers Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, Why Darwin Matters, and The Science of Good and Evil. His newest book is: Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality & Utopia. We chatted about Michael’s early religious views, interest in psychology, his doctoral work, and his path to becoming a professional skeptic. He explained the logical traps people fall into (motivated reasoning) as we turned to climate change, human fantasies about ghosts and psychics, the founding of Skeptic Magazine and the influence of Dr. Carl Sagan. Really good stuff here.

On this episode, Jay chats with Dr. Michael Shermer, one of the world’s leading skeptic/atheist voices. He is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University. He is the best-selling author of books like Why People Believe Weird Things, The Believing Brain, and many others. On this episode we discuss Michael’s season of life as a passionate evangelical Christian, what led him out of that season and into atheism, as well as some challenges he has for Christians to engage their faith thoughtfully and critically.

In this episode, we join up with historian of science Dr. Michael Shermer to investigate the cross-fertilization between science and free speech. Michael Shermer is a prolific writer on science, philosophy and morality and has appeared in numerous documentaries, talk shows, and TED talks.  Among the topics discussed are: When did scientific freedom make its decisive breakthrough? What comes first: Science or free inquiry? How did both Islam and Christianity affect science? What is the relationship between science and free speech as such? Can science be used to suppress free speech? How did Benjamin Franklin infuse the Declaration of Independence with Newtonian science? Dr. Michael Shermer is a Historian of science, Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, founder of Skeptic Society and the Skeptic Magazine and author of Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality & Utopia, Why People Believe Weird Things, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, and The Moral Arc. You can subscribe and listen to Clear and Present Danger on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, YouTube, TuneIn and Stitcher, or download episodes directly from SoundCloud. Stay up to date with Clear and Present Danger on the show’s Facebook and Twitter pages, or visit the podcast’s website at freespeechhistory.com. Email us feedback at freespeechhistory@gmail.com.

A live recording of our educational podcast The Grammar of Science and Technology with Dr. Michael Shermer. Dr. Michael Shermer is the Publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University. He is the author of The Moral Arc, The Believing Brain, Why People Believe Weird Things, Why Darwin Matters, The Mind of the Market, How We Believe, and The Science of Good and Evil. His next book is Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for Immortality, the Afterlife, and Utopia. His two TED talks, viewed nearly 8 million times, were voted in the top 100 of the more than 2000 TED talks. Michael Shermer on stage at TED2014 - The Next Chapter, All-Stars Session 5 - The Future of Ours, March 17-21, 2014, Vancouver Convention Center, Vancouver, Canada. Photo: Bret Hartman     The Grammar of Science and Technology In 1902, Albert Einstein gifted a book, Karl Pearson’s The Grammar of Science, to his colleagues to start a conversation about the universe. Expanding on that conversation, we invite a variety of experts to share the stories behind landmark advancements and discoveries in the fields of science and technology. Recorded in front of a live audience at the 1888 Center, this educational program is designed as a series of brief explorations into our natural world and the human ability to manipulate it. In partnership with Chapman University and Ingram Micro. 1888 Center programs are recorded and archived as a free educational resource on our website or with your favorite podcast app including Apple and Spotify. Each episode is designed to provide a unique platform for industry innovators to share stories about art, literature, music, history, science, or technology. Produced in partnership with Brew Sessions. Producers: Trevor Allred and Kevin Staniec Manager: Sarah Becker Host: Trevor Allred Guest: Michael Shermer Audio: Brew Sessions Live 1888 Center Podcast music composed and performed by Dan Reckard  

Episode 111: Heavens On Earth Dr. Michael Shermer is the Publisher of Skepticmagazine, 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. 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.

Episode 111: Heavens On Earth Dr. Michael Shermer is the Publisher of Skepticmagazine, 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. 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. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. 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, and The Moral Arc. His new book is Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality & Utopia.

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, and the author of a number of New York Times bestselling books including Why People Believe Weird Things, Why Darwin Matters, The Believing Brain, The Moral Arc, and Heavens on Earth. 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. To learn more about Provocative Enlightenment Radio, go to http://www.provocativeenlightenment.com

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Publisher of Skeptic magazine, 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. Check Out His Website: michaelshermer.com Thank for supporting Us! Please Share and Subscribe truthbetoldwebtv.com

Michael Shermer is the Publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University. He is the author of The Believing Brain, Why People Believe Weird Things, Why Darwin Matters, and others. His latest book is The Moral Arc, now out in paperback.

We hear a lot about moral decline these days. Michael Shermer, the author of Why People Believe Weird Things, The Believing Brain, and eight other books on the evolution of human beliefs and behavior, argues that the scientific way of thinking has made people — and society as a whole — more moral. The Age of Reason and the Enlightenment led theorists to apply scientific reasoning to the nonscientific disciplines of politics, economics, and moral philosophy. Instead of relying on the woodcuts of dissected bodies in old medical texts, physicians opened bodies themselves to see what was there; instead of divining truth through the authority of an ancient book, people began to explore the book of nature for themselves through travel and exploration; instead of the supernatural belief in the divine right of kings, people employed a natural belief in the right of democracy. Abstract reasoning, rationality, empiricism, and skepticism, Shermer says, have profoundly changed the way we perceive morality and, indeed, move us ever closer to a more just world. With advance endorsements from Steven Pinker, Jared Diamond, and Michio Kaku, this book is likely to provoke lots of debate. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.

Editor of Skeptic Magazine, Michael Shermer, delivers an entertaining lecture on his book Why People Believe Weird Things.

Editor of Skeptic Magazine, Michael Shermer, delivers an entertaining lecture on his book Why People Believe Weird Things.

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. 

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 his new book, The Mind of the Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans, and Other Tales from Evolutionary Economics, Michael Shermer examines such questions as: How did we evolve from ancient hunter-gatherers to modern consumer-traders? Why are people so irrational when it comes to money and business? He argues that the new science of evolutionary economics provides an answer to both of those questions. Shermer shows how evolution and economics are both examples of a larger phenomenon of complex adaptive systems. Along the way, he answers such provocative questions as, Do our tribal roots mean that we will always be a sucker for brands? How is the biochemical joy of sex similar to the rewards of business cooperation? How can nations increase trust within and between their borders? Finally, Shermer considers the consequences of globalization and why free trade promises to build alliances between nations. Michael Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and the author of Why People Believe Weird Things and Why Darwin Matters. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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.