The quest-a thirst unquenchable..

Some beliefs, although strange and bizarre, are benign, even humorous. Those who think NASA faked moon landings and Astrology is scientific are probably not hurting anyone, they’re just fooling themselves. But people who deny vaccines to children, practice faith healing or use alternative medicine could be causing real...

He will present an upbeat and hopeful talk on how skeptics can be more successful in discouraging irrational belief. Harrison will offer practical tips for having positive and productive interactions with believers. He will detail some of the mistakes most people make when discussing or debating gods; the...

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. That is, applying the methods of science and principles of reason since the Scientific Revolution in the 17th century has solved not...

In this monologue commentary on the events of January 6, 2021, Dr. Shermer applies causal inference theory to Trump’s speech that morning, the violent assault on the Capitol that followed, the banning of Trump off social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, the fears on the Right of...

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...

“Pathways to Evil” lecture, 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. Are we basically good and made bad by evil situations, or are...

Dr. 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. Selective reporting, false reporting, quote mining, anecdote chasing, and mystery mongering all conjoin to create what appears to be an unsolved mystery...