Why Do Humans Speak?
In a radical new story about the birth of our species, evolutionary biologist Madeleine Beekman argues that it was not hunting, fighting, or tool-making that forced early humans to speak, but the ines...
2 Sep 20251h 11min
Depopulation: The Silent Global Emergency
Economist Dean Spears explains the forces driving global population change, from past fears of overpopulation to today's concerns about declining birth rates. He contrasts the perspectives of biologis...
30 Aug 20251h 16min
Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper-Persuasion
Because brainwashing affects both the world and our observation of the world, we often don't recognize it while it's happening―unless we know where to look. As Rebecca Lemov writes in her new book The...
26 Aug 20251h 24min
How Foreign Governments Influence U.S. Universities
In an era of globalized education, where ideals of freedom and inquiry should thrive, an alarming trend has emerged: foreign authoritarian regimes influencing American academia. In her new book Author...
19 Aug 20251h 9min
Can We Prevent Aging? Eric Topol on Genes, Lifestyle, and AI in Healthcare
In this conversation, Michael Shermer and Dr. Eric Topol discuss the realties of aging, with particular focus on the role of AI in enhancing patient care and disease prevention, the importance of life...
18 Aug 20251h 17min
Is Nuclear Energy Our Best Shot at Saving the Planet?
Isabelle Boemeke explains how nuclear energy is our best option for ensuring the future of the planet—it can power cities, desalinate water, create carbon-free fertilizer, and heat homes, all with the...
12 Aug 20251h 14min
Why the Left Needs Its Own Reckoning
In his new book Coming Clean, Eric Heinze rejects the idea that we should be less woke. In fact, we need more wokeness, but of a new kind. Yes, we must teach about classism, racism, colonialism, patri...
11 Aug 20251h
Is Traditional Religion Doomed?
Traditional religion in the United States has suffered huge losses in recent decades. The number of Americans identifying as "not religious" has increased remarkably. Religious affiliation, service at...
5 Aug 20251h 21min
