Episode #1222
Michael Shermer
Books mentioned
Heavens on Earth
Mentioned by Michael Shermer · at 00:00:54
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Unlimited Power
Mentioned by Michael Shermer · at 00:10:53
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Unf*ckology
Mentioned by Michael Shermer · at 00:14:13
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Rule Makers, Rule Breakers
Mentioned by Michael Shermer · at 00:26:04
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Dianetics
Mentioned by Michael Shermer · at 00:34:38
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Going Clear
Mentioned by Michael Shermer · at 00:36:46
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Mortality
Mentioned by Michael Shermer · at 00:43:13
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The Coddling of the American Mind
Mentioned by Joe Rogan (host) · at 01:01:28
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Why People Believe Weird Things
Mentioned by Michael Shermer · at 01:24:15
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Case Closed
Mentioned by Michael Shermer · at 01:58:53
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A Savage Order
Mentioned by Michael Shermer · at 02:26:08
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Enlightenment Now
Mentioned by Michael Shermer · at 02:41:23
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Timestamps are segment start times from the podscripts.co transcript of the audio release (includes ad reads), so they may differ from the video by a few minutes.
Michael Shermer, a science writer and editor in chief of Skeptic magazine, discusses why people embrace psychics, astrology, Scientology, conspiracy theories, and other beliefs that lack strong evidence. The conversation also covers religious certainty, political polarization, academic disputes, the Kennedy assassination, humanist values, and how cities, literature, and popular culture shape social attitudes.
What they talked about
- Debating the nature of nothingness and death
- Critique of psychics, faith healers, and cold reading
- Tight vs. loose cultures and social norms
- Scientology's origins and L. Ron Hubbard
- The Bible as a collaborative text
- Conspiracy theories and the JFK assassination
- Bias, tribalism, and resistance to facts
- Abstinence education and its effectiveness
Data last updated · Report a mistake · How it works: mentions are pulled from public transcripts and episode descriptions, partly with AI-assisted extraction, so details and timestamps can be off.