267. Louis Theroux on Neo-Nazis, Jimmy Savile, UFO Cults, and Scientology
Shermer and Theroux discuss: how documentary films are made • religious fanaticism and why people believe • UFO cults, end-times sects, and cognitive dissonance • Scientology: religion or cult? • neo-...
30 Apr 20221h 29min
266. Jesse Singal on Why Fad Psychology Can't Cure Our Social Ills
Michal Shermer and Jesse Singal discuss: how social scientists determine causality • Primeworld: cognitive priming and how it works (and doesn't work) • The Malcolm Gladwell-effect (named after the 10...
26 Apr 20221h 29min
265. Christopher Blattman on Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace
Shermer and Blattman discuss: Putin, Russia, and Ukraine • game theory and violent conflict • 5 Reasons for conflict and war • common elements of conflict in Medellin, Chicago, Sudan, Somalia, etc. • ...
23 Apr 20221h 43min
264. Adam Levin on Identity Theft and How to Protect Yourself from Scammers, Phishers, and Fraudsters of All Types
Increasingly, identity theft is a fact of life: from fake companies selling "credit card insurance"; criminal, medical, and child identity theft; catphishers, tax fraud, fake debt collectors who threa...
18 Apr 20221h 40min
263. Dave Rubin — Left, Right, and Woke, based on his book Don't Burn This Country: Surviving and Thriving in Our Woke Dystopia
In this conversation, Shermer speaks with Dave Rubin: New York Times bestselling author, and creator and host of The Rubin Report. According to Rubin, you don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to see...
16 Apr 20221h 5min
262. Oliver Stone on Ukraine, Putin, and the Military-Industrial Complex
In episode 262, Shermer speaks with Oliver Stone about: the relationship with truth in dramatic films vs. documentary films; how the world would be different if JFK were not assassinated; why diplomac...
12 Apr 202242min
261. Jim Al-Khalili on the Joy of Science
In this conversation with quantum physicist, New York Times bestselling author, and BBC host Jim Al-Khalili reveals how 8 lessons from the heart of science can help us all get the most out of our live...
9 Apr 20221h 42min
260. Batya Ungar-Sargon — Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy
Something is wrong with American journalism. Long before "fake news" became the calling card of the Right, Americans had lost faith in their news media. But lately, the feeling that something is off h...
5 Apr 20222h 19min
