Michael Shermer

A viral story is spreading across media: a mysterious string of scientists connected to UFOs, nuclear weapons, aerospace, and defense work have disappeared or died under suspicious circumstances. Politicians are calling it a possible national security threat. Michael Shermer takes a skeptical look.

Michael Shermer responds to a remarkable letter from a group of eighth graders at a Christian school in Texas who say they've been praying for him and want to talk about Christianity, Jesus, and the Bible.

Michael Shermer recounts the moment he discovered his name in the Jeffrey Epstein files and uses it as a jumping-off point to tell a few unforgettable stories about con men he's encountered over the years, and how their tactics work.

In this episode, Michael Shermer walks through the core ideas behind his new book Truth: What It Is, How to Find It, and Why It Still Matters , breaking down how humans confuse meaning with reality, stories with facts, and confidence with correctness. He also explains why changing your mind is a strength, not a flaw; why extraordinary claims really do require extraordinary evidence; and why "just asking questions" isn't as innocent as it sounds. BUY THE BOOK Amazon Shop Skeptic (autographed) "Michael Shermer reminds us that the search for truth is not a luxury, but a necessity. This book is a powerful argument for why reality matters and a practical toolkit for how to find it." ―Sabine Hossenfelder "Michael Shermer has a fine record as a long-time crusader for evidenced rationality. This fascinating and wide-ranging book should further enhance his impact on current controversies." ―Lord Martin Rees "Michael Shermer is one of our most influential intellectuals. Truth lances the myth of truth's subjectivity, arguing (provocatively) that truth can generate moral absolutes. This stimulating, excellent book inspires you to spread the word that the Earth is not flat and that truth matters." ―Robert Sapolsky "Michael Shermer has spent his career grappling with the slipperiest word in our language: truth. As someone who knows firsthand what happens when truth gets lost in noise and narrative, I'm grateful for Shermer's clear-eyed insistence that truth is not only real, but necessary." ―Amanda Knox "Michael Shermer pulls no punches: in a world where opinion too often masquerades as fact, he dismantles delusion and arms us with the tools to meet reality head-on." ―Brian Greene

In this solo episode of The Michael Shermer Show , Michael Shermer responds to the shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old healthcare worker who was killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis during protests over enforcement of immigration law. As political debate intensifies, Shermer asks a tough question that most discussions are avoiding: What role does personal responsibility play in emotionally charged, high-risk situations? He separates the facts we can reasonably assert from what remains uncertain and explains why scrutinizing frame-by-frame video misses something essential about how humans behave under stress and fear.

In this unscripted solo episode, Michael Shermer reflects on a dizzying start to the year and what it reveals about truth, power, and public judgment. From events in Venezuela and the limits of exporting democracy to a viral Planet Fitness controversy, the Minneapolis ICE shooting, and renewed claims about aliens, Shermer keeps returning to the same question: What actually helps, and what only feels like a good idea in the moment?

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.

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 asks what today's renewed interest in faith, spirituality, and meaning says about our culture. Featuring commentary on new books by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Charles Murray, and a preview of Helen Pluckrose's new article for Skeptic .

Art Bell hosts Dr. Michael Shermer , founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, for a spirited debate about the limits of scientific skepticism and the nature of belief. Shermer explains his journey from paranormal believer to professional skeptic after watching James Randi replicate psychic feats, and he outlines how confirmation bias and self-deception fuel belief in the paranormal. The two clash over remote viewing, electronic voice phenomena, quantum mechanics, and whether unexplained anomalies justify serious scientific inquiry. Art challenges Shermer on the vast unknowns of quantum physics and consciousness, while Shermer argues that quantum effects cannot bridge the gap to macro-level phenomena like telepathy. The discussion extends to the power of intercessory prayer, with Shermer questioning the methodology of double-blind prayer studies and Art countering with his own on-air mass consciousness experiments that produced measurable results. Shermer also shares his views on morality without religion, arguing that secular Enlightenment values can sustain ethical behavior independent of faith. The program features updates on Ann Strieber's brain aneurysm surgery, the passing of Betty Hill, and listener reactions to the FCC's approval of broadband over power lines.

In this solo commentary, Michael Shermer reflects on the assassination of Charlie Kirk and places it in the larger context of political violence, the psychology of radicalization, the dangers of false beliefs, and the role of free speech in intellectual discourse.

Michael Shermer in conversation with Debra Soh at FreedomFest 2025 in Palm Springs, CA. Video courtesy of FreedomFest. Additional FreedomFest videos can be viewed on CiVL.

A debate on the mind, soul, consciousness, and the afterlife. Michael Egnor, MD, is Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. He received his medical degree from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University and trained in neurosurgery at the University of Miami. He has been on faculty at Stony Brook since 1991. He is the neurosurgery residency director and has served as the director of pediatric neurosurgery and as vice-chairman of neurosurgery at Stony Brook Medicine. He has a strong interest in Thomistic philosophy, philosophy of mind, neuroscience, evolution and intelligent design, and bioethics and has published and lectured extensively on these topics. His new book is The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon's Case for the Existence of the Soul . Christof Koch is a neuroscientist at the Allen Institute and at the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation, the former president of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, and a former professor at the California Institute of Technology. Author of four previous titles— The Feeling of Life Itself: Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can't Be Computed , Consciousness: Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist , and The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurobiological Approach —Koch writes regularly for a range of media, including Scientific American . His latest book is Then I Am Myself the World .