In this AMA special, Dr. Michael Shermer conducts a postmortem on his debate with the evangelical Christian theologian Luuk van de Weghe, elaborating on his notes from the debate, and suggesting ways to think about miracles from a scientific or naturalistic perspective.
In Science Salon # 62, Dr. Shermer has a riveting conversation with Dr. Mark Moffett, biologist (Ph.D. Harvard, under E. O. Wilson), wildlife photographer for National Geographic, cave explorer, and world traveler about his new book, The Human Swarm: How Our Societies Arise, Thrive, and Fall, on the nature of societies from a biologist’s perspective.
Richard Wrangham offers a startlingly original theory of how, in the last 250 million years, humankind became an increasingly peaceful species in daily interactions even as its capacity for coolly planned and devastating violence remains undiminished. In tracing the evolutionary histories of reactive and proactive aggression, biological anthropologist Richard Wrangham forcefully and persuasively argues for the necessity of social tolerance and the control of savage divisiveness still haunting us today.
In Science Salon # 60 — an exceptionally important conversation — Dr. Shermer discusses at length the background to and research of Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a physician and evolutionary sociologist famous for his study of social networks in humans and other animals.
Cass Sunstein asks us to rethink freedom. He shows that freedom of choice isn’t nearly enough. Drawing on perspectives from the humanities, religion, and the arts, as well as social science and the law, Sunstein explores a crucial dimension of the human condition that philosophers and economists have long missed — and shows what it would take to make freedom real.
In Science Salon # 58, Michael Shermer and noted conservative political commentator and public intellectual Ben Shapiro discuss and debate “what made the West great” in this wide ranging conversation.
In Science Salon # 57, Dr. Shermer speaks with legendary biologist and primatologist Dr. Frans de Waal about his empirical and theoretical work on animal societies, politics, intelligence, sentience, consciousness and, now, feelings and emotions. His latest book is called Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves.
Shermer and Cowen discuss: the meaning of “on the margin” and “marginal utility” • trade wars and tariffs • Is Trump a savvy economist? • why capitalism is a moral system as well as an economic system • income inequality • universal basic income • regulating financial markets • immigration • libertarian paternalism • social media • governmental regulation • Jordan Peterson • governing mars and more…
In Science Salon Ask Me Anything # 4, Dr. Shermer performs a postmortem on his debate/dialogue on with Dr. Brian Huffling at the Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday February 23, 2019. The specific topic was: “Is the Reality of Evil Good Evidence Against the Christian God?”
Shermer speaks with evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson about: the Darwinian Revolution • solving “is-ought” and “naturalistic fallacy” problems • dispelling the myth of social darwinism • the evolutionary origins of good and evil • group selection • multi-level selection • why nationalism is like religion • how a biologist thinks about immigration and nuclear deterrence • the rise of nationalism and what to do about it…
Why are clocks in Germany so accurate while those in Brazil are frequently wrong? Why do New Zealand’s women have the highest number of sexual partners? Why are “Red” and “Blue” States really so divided? Why is the driver of a Jaguar more likely to run a red light than the driver of a plumber’s van? Why does one spouse prize running a “tight ship” while the other refuses to “sweat the small stuff?” Cultural psychologist Michele Gelfand provides answers.
In Science Salon Podcast # 53, Michael Shermer speaks with the author of the newly published book Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster, Adam Higginbotham who tells what really happened at Chernobyl, by far the worst nuclear disaster in history, and why it took so long to discover what really happened.
Shermer and Schneier discuss: how to protect yourself from being hacked and what to do if you are hacked • the motivation of hackers • the probability of your car or an airplane being hacked • Edward Snowden and Wikileaks • The Pentagon Papers and Daniel Ellsberg • what would happen if the electrical grid was hacked • cyberdeaths and how the government will respond with regulations when they happen • Russian hack of the 2016 election and how to
Shermer and Hurwitz discuss: being a public intellectual • how to convey ideas through fiction vs. nonfiction • the role of myths and archetypes in narrative stories • Jordan Peterson and religion • the role of life experience and suffering in the development of a successful novelist, screenwriter, or filmmaker • the role of narrative in politics, and more…
In Science Salon AMA # 3, Dr. Shermer offers a brief summary of his current opinion of Jordan Peterson and then reads his essay: “Have Archetype — Will Travel: The Jordan Peterson Phenomenon”.
In Science Salon Podcast episode # 50, Michael Shermer speaks with Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she focuses on issues of rule of law, security, and governance in post-conflict countries, fragile states, and states in transition.
Shermer reviews the latest issue of Skeptic magazine • introduces upcoming podcast guests Rachel Kleinfeld, Bruce Schneier, Mark W. Moffett, and Jared Diamond • discusses his book publishing plans for 2019, including an essay collection of his last 70 Scientific American columns • reflects on his 18 years writing for Scientific American and reads aloud the final column, titled “Stein’s Law and Science’s Mission”.
Shermer speaks with renowned evolutionary behavioral scientist, Gad Saad, about: his is escape to Canada from war-torn Lebanon • how he got interested in the study of human nature in general and consumer behavior in particular through the evolutionary lens • why people make the choices they do in the marketplace • why evolutionary psychology is an equal-opportunity offender to both the political left and right • what’s wrong with the Blank Slate model of human nature, and much more…
In this wide-ranging dialogue Michael Shermer talks with Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees — a leading astrophysicist as well as a senior figure in UK science and a public intellectual in England and America.
In Science Salon # 47, Dr. Michael Shermer speaks with Dr. Susan Blackmore about: how science can test subjective mystical experiences; memes and tremes; free will and determinism; the hard problem of consciousness, out of body experiences, near-death experiences, and God.
