SKEPTIC: Reality-based. Really.
Jeffrey Kripal — How to Think About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief, and Everything
Michael Shermer and Jeffrey Kripal discuss Kripal’s new book How to Think Impossibly, which explores so-called impossible phenomena like precognitive dreams, telepathic visions, near-death experiences, and UFO encounters as an essential part of the human experience, blending humanistic and scientific inquiry to challenge our assumptions about what is real.
Michael Shermer — Pseudohistory Makes a Comeback on Tucker Carlson’s Show
During a two-hour interview with Tucker Carlson, Darryl Cooper made sensational claims about the Holocaust and World War II, with Carlson calling him “the best and most honest popular historian in the United States.” In this solo episode, Michael Shermer takes a critical look at the pseudohistory and historical revisionism presented by Cooper on Carlson’s show.
Will Gervais — The Science of Disbelief: Understanding Atheism and the Evolution of Religion
Shermer and Gervais explore the nature of religion, various belief systems, and atheism’s prevalence and perception. They delve into the cognitive foundations of faith, evolutionary perspectives on religion, and its historical and societal roles. The discussion covers the adaptive nature of belief, religious diversity, and the impact of religion on personal and social well-being. They also consider the future of belief systems and potential alternatives to traditional religion.
The Road to Singularity: Ben Goertzel on AGI and The Fate of Humanity
Shermer and Goertzel explore various topics related to AI, including the nature of intelligence, AGI, the alignment problem, consciousness, and sentience. They consider AI dystopia, utopia, and protopia, along with ethical and legal issues, such as AI values and universal basic income (UBI). Other discussions involve mind uploading, self-driving cars, robots like Sophia, and whether AI can solve political and economic problems or even achieve consciousness.
Michael Shermer — Unmasking the Unknown: UFOs, Alien Tech, and Military Secrets?
Michael Shermer dives into the world of UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) and the sensational claims of former Pentagon insider Lue Elizondo. Are we truly being visited by extraterrestrials, or is this another case of overhyped speculation? Shermer discusses the credibility of UFO and UAP claims, government secrecy, alien contact theories, and the contrasting skepticism of scientists like Avi Loeb.
Helen Pluckrose — Principled Strategies for Surviving and Defeating Critical Social Justice
Shermer and Pluckrose discuss: origin of the problem • DEI and CRT • what it means to “Educate yourself,” “Do the work,” “Listen and learn.” • top-down vs. bottom-up counter measures • race reckoning • antiracism • gender ideology • decolonizing and dismantling • fragility • intersectionality • normativity • positionality • privilege • wokeness.
Joshua Blu Buhs — The Cultural History of Charles Fort and His Followers
Shermer and Buhs discuss his research and writing on weird phenomena like Bigfoot, Charles Fort, Fortean followers, anomaly hunting, science fiction, UFOs, skeptics, and the cultural impact of Fortean ideas that blurred the boundaries between truth and falsehood, undermining expert authority and fueling conspiracies.
Michael Shermer — The Logic of Nuclear Policy: Deterrence and MAD Explained
Michael Shermer discusses escalating tensions in the Middle East, highlighting the U.S. deployment of the USS Georgia submarine as a deterrent to Iran. He also addresses Ukraine’s incursion into Russia and the potential nuclear response from Putin. Shermer explores nuclear annihilation, deterrence theory, and evolutionary origins of moral emotions, emphasizing the need to reduce nuclear stockpiles and stigmatize nuclear weapon ownership.
What Type of Social Justice Do We Want?
What if the pursuit of social justice on college campuses was silencing free speech and stifling intellectual diversity? This provocative article delves into the rise of critical theories in academia, exposing a growing tension between traditional liberal values and a new, more radical approach to social justice. As professors increasingly use classrooms for political activism, students face a crucial dilemma: speak up or stay silent? Discover how this ideological shift is reshaping higher education and what it means for the…
Behavioral Science Needs to Return to the Basics
In this thought-provoking piece, three behavioral scientists argue that the field has strayed from fundamental scientific principles in its pursuit of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals. They contend that an overreliance on “lived experience,” poor measurement practices, and confusion between correlation and causation have led to flawed research and misguided policies. The authors offer a critical examination of popular DEI concepts and suggest ways to get behavioral science back on track with rigorous, objective methods.
A Scientific Perspective on the Patriarchy: The Gender Pay Gap and Unequal Opportunity
New research challenges common assumptions about the gender pay gap and women’s career advancement. This article examines economic studies revealing how factors like career choices, work hours, and job preferences contribute to wage disparities between men and women. It explores the “educational-gender-equality paradox” and questions the effectiveness of quotas in addressing workplace inequality. Marc Defant shares insights into the complex interplay of personal decisions, societal expectations, and labor market dynamics shaping gender differences in the workforce.
The New Archaeology Wars: How Cancel Culture and Identity Politics Have Corrupted Science
This article explores the controversial debate surrounding repatriation laws and their impact on archaeological research. Dr. Elizabeth Weiss recounts her experiences facing academic censorship and professional retaliation after publishing a book critical of repatriation policies. She argues that prioritizing Native American oral traditions over scientific evidence hinders objective study of human remains and artifacts. The piece raises thought-provoking questions about academic freedom, the role of identity politics in science, and the future of anthropological research.
The Moral Arc: How Thinking Like a Scientist Makes the World More Moral
In this, the final lecture of his Chapman University Skepticism 101 course, Dr. Michael Shermer pulls back to take a bigger picture look at what science and reason have done for humanity in the realm of moral progress. Watch The Moral Arc: How Thinking Like a Scientist Makes the World More Moral.
What is Truth, Anyway?
In this lecture Dr. Michael Shermer addresses one of the deepest questions of all: what is truth? How do we know what is true, untrue, or uncertain?
Is Freedom of Speech Harmful for College Students?
In this lecture, Dr. Michael Shermer addresses the growing crisis of free speech in college and culture at large, triggered as it was by the title lecture, which he was tasked to deliver to students at California State University, Fullerton, after a campus paroxysm erupted over Taco Tuesday.
What are Science & Skepticism?
In this lecture, Dr. Michael Shermer presents descriptions of skepticism and science and how they work, along with a discussion of the difference between science and pseudoscience, and some very practical applications of how to test claims and evaluate evidence.
Evolution & Creationism, Part 2: Who says evolution never happened, why do they say it, and what do they claim?
Dr. Michael Shermer continues the discussion of evolution and creationism, focusing on the history of the creationism movement and the four stages it has gone through.
Evolution & Creationism, Part 1
In this lecture on Evolution and Creationism (Part 1), Dr. Michael Shermer takes viewers to the Galápagos Islands to retrace Darwin’s footsteps and show that, in fact, Darwin did not discover natural selection when he was there in September of 1835. He worked out his theory when he returned home, and Shermer shows exactly how Darwin did that, along with the story of the theory’s co-discoverer, Alfred Russel Wallace.
Holocaust Denial
In this lecture on Holocaust Denial, Dr. Shermer employs the methods of science to history, showing how we can determine truth about the past.
Pathways to Evil, Part 2
In his lecture on Pathways to Evil (Part 2), Dr. Michael Shermer fleshes out the themes of Part 1 by exploring how the dials controlling our inner demons and better angels can be dialed up or down depending on circumstances and conditions. Are we all good apples but occasionally bad barrels turn good apples rotten, or do we all harbor the capacity to turn bad?
Pathways to Evil, Part 1
In his Skepticism 101 lecture on Pathways to Evil (Part 1), Dr. Michael Shermer considers the nature of evil in his attempt to answer the question of how you can get normal civilized, educated, and intelligent people to commit murder and even genocide.
How to Think About the Bermuda Triangle
Dr. Michael Shermer examines the claims about the Bermuda Triangle using the tools of skepticism, science, and rationality to reveal that there is no mystery to explain.
Politics of Belief
Dr. Michael Shermer explains how we arrived at the Left-Right spectrum, both historically and evolutionarily, and the numerous metaphors used to wrap our minds around such complex systems as politics and economics.
Deities for Atheists, Skygods for Skeptics: UFOs & ETIs
Dr. Michael Shermer distinguishes between two questions: (1) Are extraterrestrial intelligences (ETIs) out there somewhere in the cosmos? and (2) Have aliens come here? Evidence for both questions is considered in the larger context of why the issue so compels us to answer it almost religiously.
Cults, Myths, and Religion
Dr. Michael Shermer considers the characteristics of cults, how they differ from sects, religions, and myths, the role that myths and religions play in culture and people’s lives, and what Scientologists really believe.
Cognitive Biases & How Thinking Goes Wrong
Dr. Michael Shermer reviews the many ways that our attempts to understand the truth about the world are derailed by cognitive biases, including the anchoring bias, the representative bias, the availability bias, the confirmation bias, the hindsight bias, the self-serving bias, and even the bias bias.
Conspiracies & Conspiracy Theories
Dr. Michael Shermer explains the difference between conspiracies and conspiracy theories, who is more likely to believe which conspiracy theories, the social, political, cultural, and psychological conditions in which conspiracy theories flourish, real conspiracies, and who really killed JFK.
SEP 23 – OCT 10, 2024
Voyage From Greenland to Nova Scotia
Join Pulitzer-prize-winning author and professor Jared Diamond and fellow travelers next fall as we set off on an expedition to explore the Wonders of the Arctic. In a series of lectures and discussions, Jared will bring his experience and expertise to bear on much that we see and do on this epic voyage of discovery!
Research Center
REPORT (PADS-009)
Being “Liberal” in America
Ninth report in the Political Accuracy & Divisions Study
Analysts have recognized for decades now that the world is becoming more liberal. It seems that the more removed people are from basic survival concerns, the more liberal their worldviews become, in the sense of being more accepting of cultural differences and more protective of civil rights. Some analysts have noted how paradoxically intolerant and dogmatic this trend has become in Western societies (i.e., the societies most removed from basic survival concerns): amongst many Western progressives, for example, all group disadvantages are assumed to always be a result of oppression, with oppression always being driven by white people (and usually men) … Thus, it would seem that at the extremes, liberalism and the human tendency towards tribalism interact to produce both a demand for equality and justice as well as …
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