Best Michael Shermer Podcasts (2025)

1
The Psychology of War: Could YOU Make a Moral Choice in Wartime? 1:26:34

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10h ago1:26:34

1:26:34

War begins in the human mind long before it unfolds on the battlefield. In this episode, Michael Shermer sits down with Nicholas Wright, a neurologist, neuroscientist, security strategist, and advisor to the Pentagon, to explore one of the biggest questions of our time: why do humans fight, and how does the brain shape violence, leadership, and geo…

1
The Ostrich Massacre, with Guest Shaun Rickard 1:49:18

1h ago1:49:18

1:49:18

The facts about the ostrich massacre in BC are still coming out and raising some awful questions about Canada and our bureaucracies. But there is still much we don't know. The biggest question is why would they use such a cruel method with the whole world watching? Is it a message to the citizenry? Shaun Rickard joins us with his evidence. Plus, Tr…

1
Tribes, Teams, and Cults: How Groups Shape What We Believe 1:35:52

7h ago1:35:52

1:35:52

Why do smart people join dangerous cults, follow bad leaders, or stay silent when they know something's wrong? In this episode, Michael Shermer talks with organizational psychologist Colin Fisher about the science of group dynamics and conformity. From jazz bands to political mobs, Fisher explains how our evolutionary need to belong both unites and…

1
Shermer Says 3: Weird Experiences, the Meaning of Dreams, and What Mark Twain Knew About Reality 31:50

2h ago31:50

31:50

In this episode, Michael Shermer explores anomalous experiences through personal anecdotes and historical examples. He reflects on how to balance healthy skepticism with open-mindedness, and how to reckon with the very real emotional significance of such experiences—regardless of the scientific explanations behind them.…

1
Jonathan Rose 2:47:56

8d ago2:47:56

2:47:56

An earth shattering story of loss, love and lies — one that Trish witnessed first-hand — now a best-selling book. 14-year-old Joey Philion was praised around the world as a hero after being catastrophically burned in a house-fire. But the story that drove that praise has fallen apart, revealing the high price of celebrity and victimhood and the fic…

1
A Former Spy Explains How AI is Changing Espionage 1:07:41

8d ago1:07:41

1:07:41

A former senior intelligence officer explains how espionage is evolving in the age of AI and amid rising global tensions with China, and why the mass harvesting of data affects not just nation-states, but all of us. The discussion also explores the history of spying, what life is really like for intelligence officers, and major intelligence failure…

1
Did Lost Civilizations Really Exist? An Archaeologist Explains 1:39:19

5d ago1:39:19

1:39:19

Archaeologist Ken Feder sheds light on how archaeology separates evidence from wishful thinking and entertaining storytelling. He explains what rock art, radiocarbon dating, and DNA can really tell us about the first peoples of the Americas, and talks about the different theories about ancient human migration and the impact of European contact on N…

1
Karl Harrison, Shaun Rickard, and Regina Watteel 1:42:39

6d ago1:42:39

1:42:39

They just keep fighting for us! Karl Harrison and Shaun Rickard's lawsuit against vaccine travel mandates moves forward. Trish also hosts their expert witness, Regina Watteel, with evidence of no scientific basis for a draconian edict based on politics and power. Sign up for the hearings at: : https://cas-satj.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sxTVwcnJSD…

1
Bonus Episode 7.5B: "Kennedy good, CIA bad!" Feat. JFK Conspiracy critic Fred Litwin & Dallas tour guide Dan Evans 2:24:49

10d ago2:24:49

2:24:49

The one where JFK researcher Fred Litwin scrutinizes the conspiracy theories that claim the CIA murdered President Kennedy, and where we chat about Dealey Plaza, conspiracy tourism, Lee Harvey Oswald, General Edwin Walker, and President Lyndon Johnson with veteran Dallas tour guide Daniel Evans. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00:00 Pre-show announcement & eulogy 0:…

201
Charles Murray: Why I'm Taking Religion Seriously 1:43:55

13d ago1:43:55

1:43:55

Michael Shermer sits down with Charles Murray (author of The Bell Curve, Coming Apart, and now Taking Religion Seriously) for a riveting 100-minute conversation about Murray's late-life turn from Harvard-bred agnosticism ("Smart people don't believe that stuff anymore") to Bayesian theism ("I put the afterlife at just over 50%"). This wide-ranging …

1
The Myth of Human Exceptionalism: Why Humans Aren't as Special as We Think 1:03:27

17d ago1:03:27

1:03:27

In this episode, Harvard primatologist Christine Webb challenges one of our deepest beliefs: that humans stand apart from the rest of nature. She traces the roots of human exceptionalism from Aristotle and Descartes to modern science, and explains why we still cling to hierarchies of intelligence. While most critiques of human exceptionalism focus …

1
Shermer Says: Why Secularists Are Turning to Religion, The Substitution Hypothesis, Sleep Paralysis 42:54

29d ago42:54

42:54

Are we entering a Fifth Great Awakening—a cultural swing back toward religion? An increasing number of books and articles are calling for a religious revival. "We need religion to keep our society functioning." "People need meaning." Michael Shermer responds to and revisits the historical waves of religious fervor that shaped American life. He also…

1
Tom Bibby 1:27:20

20d ago1:27:20

1:27:20

Why is new tech like AI embraced without a thought of how it might negatively impact the citizenry? Experts have exploded with warnings about the currently unchecked power of artificial intelligence. Trish welcomes Tom Bibby, from a UK citizen's group trying to do something about it. Pause AI has a Montreal chapter, too. Plus, Chris and Tamara toge…

1
If God designed it, why is it so badly built? 13:09

1M ago13:09

13:09

In this episode, Richard Dawkins revisits a 2012 conversation from the Great Minds program, produced by the Educational Broadcasting System in South Korea. He examines why life looks designed yet is full of flaws, showing how imperfections in nature reveal the true workings of evolution and expose the limits of intelligent design. Hosted by Simplec…

1
The Serial Killer Era of the 70s/80s: Lore, Patterns, and Plausible Explanations 1:35:46

28d ago1:35:46

1:35:46

Pulitzer-winner Caroline Fraser maps the lives and crimes of Ted Bundy and his infamous peers—the Green River Killer, the I-5 Killer, the Night Stalker, the Hillside Strangler, and even Charles Manson—and explores an intriguing hypothesis: might environmental factors have played a role in the rise of serial killers in the 1970s and '80s? Caroline F…

1
Shermer Says: Debate Skills, 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, Autism, Vaccines, ANTIFA, Bari Weiss & CBS News 29:28

24d ago29:28

29:28

First installment of our new series Shermer Says. Topics covered: Debate Skills Nobel Peace Prize 2025 Autism & Tylenol COVID Vaccines & Myocarditis ANTIFA Bari Weiss & CBS News New Skeptic Research Center StudyBy Michael Shermer

1
When Rationality Becomes Irrational 1:27:46

1M ago1:27:46

1:27:46

For many decision scientists, their starting point—drawn from economics—is a quantitative formula called Rational Choice Theory, allowing people to calculate and choose the best options. The problem is that this framework assumes an overly simplistic picture of the world, in which different types of values can be quantified and compared, leading to…

1
Chad Bishop, with Guest Host Jeffrey Tucker 1:27:37

1M ago1:27:37

1:27:37

There are enduring mysteries surrounding the COVID experience, including the role that exposure and natural immunity had in protecting people BEFORE the shot arrived. To put it in scientific terms: what precisely was the seroprevalence level of the population and when? At what point did we leave pandemic conditions and enter into endemicity? Jeffre…

1
The Science of Revenge: Why Getting Even Feels So Good 1:29:06

1M ago1:29:06

1:29:06

Why do we crave revenge? And why can't we stop? In this episode, James Kimmel explains the neuroscience behind one of our most destructive urges. Drawing from his new book, The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World's Deadliest Addiction, Kimmel reveals how revenge activates the same brain circuits as drugs like cocaine—and why even imagining …

1401
Why No One Thinks They're in a Cult 1:13:42

1M ago1:13:42

1:13:42

What really defines a cult—and why do smart, well-intentioned people get caught up in them? In this episode, Michael Shermer sits down with cult intervention specialist Ashlen Hilliard to explore the psychology of high-control groups and the people drawn into them. Her work has been featured in prominent media outlets like Hulu, NewsNation, HuffPos…

1
Mollie Engelhart, with Guest Host Jeffrey Tucker 1:43:35

1M ago1:43:35

1:43:35

Mollie Englehart is a new type of philosopher/farmer; a genuine expert whose knowledge comes from real experience. She understands the vast world of regenerative farming, and how it relates to human health. Her new book is not only a challenge to veganism, but also a direct hit on every type of conventional wisdom over food, family, and freedom – a…

1
Was Benjamin Franklin America's First Scientist? 1:29:22

2M ago1:29:22

1:29:22

Michael Shermer sits down with economist and Franklin descendant Dr. Mark Skousen to explore the wit, wisdom, and modern relevance of Benjamin Franklin, the man who bridged science, politics, and philosophy like no other. Shermer and Skousen discuss Franklin's contributions to science, moral philosophy, economics, and religious thought, while askin…

Michael Shermer Podcasts

1
The Michael Shermer Show

Michael Shermer

1
Trish Wood is Critical

Trish Wood

1
Paranoid Planet

Burden Of Proof Media

51
World's Greatest Con

Dog And Pony Show Audio

4
The Poetry of Reality with Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins

1601
IFC's Conversations for Open Minds

St. Olaf College

1
The Psychology of War: Could YOU Make a Moral Choice in Wartime? 1:26:34

1
The Ostrich Massacre, with Guest Shaun Rickard 1:49:18

1
Tribes, Teams, and Cults: How Groups Shape What We Believe 1:35:52

1
Shermer Says 3: Weird Experiences, the Meaning of Dreams, and What Mark Twain Knew About Reality 31:50

1
Jonathan Rose 2:47:56

1
A Former Spy Explains How AI is Changing Espionage 1:07:41

1
Did Lost Civilizations Really Exist? An Archaeologist Explains 1:39:19

1
Karl Harrison, Shaun Rickard, and Regina Watteel 1:42:39

1
Bonus Episode 7.5B: "Kennedy good, CIA bad!" Feat. JFK Conspiracy critic Fred Litwin & Dallas tour guide Dan Evans 2:24:49

201
Charles Murray: Why I'm Taking Religion Seriously 1:43:55

1
The Myth of Human Exceptionalism: Why Humans Aren't as Special as We Think 1:03:27

1
Shermer Says: Why Secularists Are Turning to Religion, The Substitution Hypothesis, Sleep Paralysis 42:54

1
Tom Bibby 1:27:20

1
If God designed it, why is it so badly built? 13:09

1
The Serial Killer Era of the 70s/80s: Lore, Patterns, and Plausible Explanations 1:35:46

1
Shermer Says: Debate Skills, 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, Autism, Vaccines, ANTIFA, Bari Weiss & CBS News 29:28

1
When Rationality Becomes Irrational 1:27:46

1
Chad Bishop, with Guest Host Jeffrey Tucker 1:27:37

1
The Science of Revenge: Why Getting Even Feels So Good 1:29:06

1401
Why No One Thinks They're in a Cult 1:13:42

1
Mollie Engelhart, with Guest Host Jeffrey Tucker 1:43:35

1
Was Benjamin Franklin America's First Scientist? 1:29:22