Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, capitalism has unleashed unimaginable growth in opportunity and prosperity. And yet, at key points in American history, economic disruption has led to a greater role for government, ostensibly to protect against capitalism’s excesses. Today, government regulates, mandates, subsidizes and controls a growing share of the American economy. Today on the show, retired U.S. Senator Phil Gramm, one of America’s premier public policy advocates, and noted econ...
May 31, 2025•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 524
By most popular accounts, the universe started with a bang some 13.8 billion years ago. But what happened before the Big Bang? And how do we know it happened at all? Cosmologist Niayesh Afshordi and science communicator Phil Halper offer a tour of the peculiar possibilities: bouncing and cyclic universes, time loops, creations from nothing, multiverses, black hole births, string theories, and holograms. Incorporating insights from Afshordi’s cutting-edge research and Halper’s original interviews...
May 27, 2025•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 523
In 2010, in a small New Hampshire town, next door to a copy center and framing shop, a ghost lab opened. The Kitt Research Initiative’s mission was to use the scientific method to document the existence of spirits. Founder Andy Kitt was known as a straight-shooter; he was unafraid—perhaps eager—to offend other paranormal investigators by exposing the fraudulence of their less advanced techniques. But when KRI started to lose money, Kitt began to seek funding from the paranormal community, attrac...
May 24, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 522
This is the inside story of the CIA’s secret mind control project, MKULTRA, using never-before-seen testimony from the perpetrators themselves. Sidney Gottlieb was the CIA’s most cunning chemist. As head of the infamous MKULTRA project, he oversaw an assortment of dangerous―even deadly―experiments. Among them: dosing unwitting strangers with mind-bending drugs, torturing mental patients through sensory deprivation, and steering the movements of animals via electrodes implanted into their brains....
May 20, 2025•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 521
In this eye-opening episode, Michael Shermer chats with evolutionist Telmo Pievani about the surprising coexistence—and hybridization—of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens . They discuss recent scientific discoveries, the evolving understanding of race and biology, and the crucial role of serendipity in advancing scientific knowledge. This episode offers a nuanced perspective on how unexpected findings continue to reshape our understanding of human origins and the scientific process itself. Telmo Pie...
May 17, 2025•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 520
Amid rising concerns about AI, inequality, trade wars, and globalization, New Yorker staff writer and Pulitzer Prize finalist John Cassidy takes a bold approach: he tells the story of capitalism through its most influential critics. From the Luddites and early communists to the Wages for Housework movement and modern degrowth advocates, Cassidy’s global narrative features both iconic thinkers—Smith, Marx, Keynes—and lesser-known voices like Flora Tristan, J.C. Kumarappa, and Samir Amin. John Cas...
May 12, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 519
What does your diet have to do with your mood? Is mercury in fish really dangerous? Psychiatrist Dr. Drew Ramsey joins Michael Shermer to discuss the science behind nutritional psychiatry and how food, sleep, exercise, and social habits influence brain health. They explore why mental health issues are rising—especially among teens—and what role parenting, social media, and modern lifestyles play. The conversation also covers the effectiveness of SSRIs and other treatments, the role of inflammati...
May 10, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 518
Jacob Mchangama, author of Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media , joins Michael to examine the evolving landscape of free expression amid rising political and cultural tensions. They discuss how far governments, universities, and tech platforms should go in regulating speech, and what’s at stake when they do. In this episode: Should non-citizens have the same speech protections as citizens? Social media, mental health, radicalization, and the “moderation dilemma” The global shift...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 517
Is it really possible to change your entire personality in a year? An award-winning journalist experiments with her own personality to find out—and reveals the science behind lasting change. Research shows that you can alter your personality traits by behaving in ways that align with the kind of person you’d like to be—a process that can make you happier, healthier, and more successful. Olga embarked on an “experiment” to see whether it’s possible to go from dwelling in dread to radiating joy. F...
May 03, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 516
The ways that statisticians and governments measure the economy were developed in the 1940s, when the urgent economic problems were entirely different from those of today. Diane Coyle argues that the framework underpinning today’s economic statistics is so outdated that it functions as a distorting lens, or even a set of blinkers. When policymakers rely on such an antiquated conceptual tool, how can they measure, understand, and respond with any precision to what is happening in today’s digital ...
Apr 29, 2025•54 min•Ep. 515
David Zweig’s new book An Abundance of Caution (MIT Press) is an account of the decision-making process behind the extended closures of public schools during the pandemic. In fascinating and meticulously reported detail, Zweig shows how some of the most trusted members of society—from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists to eminent health officials—repeatedly made fundamental errors in their assessment and presentation of evidence. By fall 2020, many students in Europe were already back in classro...
Apr 26, 2025•56 min•Ep. 514
It’s tempting to see ourselves as damaged or powerless—defined by past traumas, overwhelming emotions, and daily struggles. But is that really the most helpful way to understand ourselves? Does seeing ourselves as victims lead to growth? Psychologist and author Scott Barry Kaufman joins us to examine how popular narratives around sensitivity, self-esteem, and emotional regulation may be holding us back. He unpacks the psychological costs of coddling (vs. empowerment), the rise of risk aversion, ...
Apr 22, 2025•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 513
Why do ordinary people carry out extraordinary harm when simply told to do so? From the Holocaust to the genocides in Rwanda, Bosnia, and Cambodia, history shows how obedience to authority can lead to unimaginable acts. But what’s happening in the brain when we follow orders—even ones that conflict with our morals? In this episode, we speak with neuroscientist Emilie Caspar, whose groundbreaking research explores how authority influences cognition and behavior. Drawing from real-life accounts of...
Apr 19, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 512
Amanda Knox spent nearly four years in prison and eight years on trial for a murder she didn’t commit—and became a notorious tabloid story in the process. Though she was exonerated, it’s taken more than a decade for her to reclaim her identity and truly feel free. Amanda’s new book, Free recounts how she survived prison, the mistakes she made and misadventures she had reintegrating into society, culminating in the untold story of her return to Italy and the extraordinary relationship she’s built...
Apr 15, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 511
Albert Einstein remains renowned around the world for revolutionizing our understanding of the cosmos, but very few realize that the celebrated scientist had a deep spiritual side. Einstein believed that one wondrous force was woven through all things everywhere—and this sense of the pervasive sacred influenced every aspect of his existence, from his marvelous science to his passionate pacifism. Kieran Fox studied medicine at Stanford University and holds a doctorate in cognitive neuroscience fr...
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 510
Outside of the academics and activists whose ideology came to dominate the West in the second decade of the twenty-first century, arguably no group influenced public discourse as much as the Intellectual Dark Web. Challenging the intellectual and cultural orthodoxies that engulfed universities, the media, and big tech, this group—a loose collective of politically diverse intellectuals, commentators, and scholars critical of political correctness, identity politics, and cancel culture—relied on a...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 509
In all animals, mating is a deal. But few creatures behave as if sex is a simple, even mutually beneficial, transaction. Many more treat it with reverence, suspicion, angst, and violence. Matt Ridley revisits Darwin’s revelatory theory of mate choice through the close study of the peculiar rituals of birds, and considers how this mating process complicates our own view of human evolution. Ridley also explores the scientific research into the evolution of bright colors, exotic ornaments, and elab...
Mar 25, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 508
Phil Tinline, author of the new book Ghosts of Iron Mountain , explores the origins of the infamous Report from Iron Mountain , its role in conspiracy culture, and its lasting influence on perceptions of the military-industrial complex. The conversation also examines Holocaust denial, nativism, and the evolution of deep state conspiracies, highlighting the power of narratives in shaping democracy and public trust. Tinline is a British freelance writer and documentarian. His book The Death of Con...
Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 507
A few reflections on religion following The Free Press debate in Austin, TX on February 27, 2025. Michael Shermer and Adam Carolla (atheists) faced off against Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Ross Douthat (Christians). You can watch the debate here: https://www.thefp.com/p/watch-does-the-west-need-a-religious
Mar 11, 2025•37 min•Ep. 506
Michael and Katherine Stewart discuss the rise of religious nationalism in America, its impact on public education, and the broader implications for democracy. They explore the strategies employed by religious groups to infiltrate public schools, the culture wars surrounding education, and the divisive nature of the New Right. Katherine Stewart is the author of The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism , the award-winning book upon which the documentary feature, G...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 505
Michael Shermer and Jeff Sebo explore moral philosophy, focusing on animal rights, sentience, and consciousness. They discuss the definitions of morality, ethical pluralism, and the divide between consequentialism and deontology. The conversation examines who belongs in our moral circle, the ethics of insect farming, the future of animal agriculture, abortion, and whether advanced AI could be considered sentient beings or even co-citizens.
Mar 08, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 504
The guests today are co-authors of a new paper in Science Advances titled: “A reassessment of the ‘hard-steps’ model for the evolution of intelligent life.” Jennifer Macalady is a Professor of Geosciences at the Pennsylvania State University. Her research is focused on microbial ecology and evolution, and interactions between microorganisms and Earth materials like minerals and water through geologic time. Daniel B. Mills is a postdoctoral researcher in the Orsi Geomicrobiology Lab at The Univer...
Mar 02, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 503
What is a sugar daddy, really? The answer might disturb you. Brook Urick takes us into the shadowy world of sugar dating, where young women are lured into dangerous situations under the guise of financial security. From being a would-be sugar baby to becoming the public face of SeekingArrangement, Urick unveils the unsettling truth about these platforms and their role in enabling predatory behavior. Urick’s revelations go beyond personal experience. She exposes how these websites intentionally p...
Feb 18, 2025•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 502
In our 501st episode, Michael Shermer takes a moment to reflect on his long journey with skepticism and what he learned recording half a thousand episodes of this podcast. He shares his thoughts on what it means for something to be truly “real” by comparing our personal experiences with evidence-backed facts, tackles the challenge of controversial and extraordinary claims, and even explores how mystical ideas or literary works can offer their own kind of truth.
Feb 11, 2025•38 min•Ep. 501
What happens to American democracy if Christianity is no longer able, or no longer willing, to perform the functions on which our constitutional order depends? Jonathan Rauch—a lifelong atheist—reckons candidly with both the shortcomings of secularism and the corrosion of Christianity. Thin Christianity, as Rauch calls the mainline church, has been unable to inspire and retain believers. Worse, a Church of Fear has distorted white evangelicalism in ways that violate the tenets of both Jesus and ...
Feb 04, 2025•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 500
Dr. Rachel Toles, a licensed forensic psychologist, delves into the psychology of criminals, addressing the motivations behind some of the world’s most notorious killers. Her expertise spans trauma, addiction, and impulse control, culminating in her upcoming U.S. theater tour, The Psychology of a Murderer . Through captivating case studies, Toles sheds light on the dark corners of human behavior. In her show and forthcoming book, Toles examines the pathways leading ordinary people to commit extr...
Jan 28, 2025•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 499
Just as surgeons once believed pain was good for their patients, some argue today that death brings meaning to life. But given humans rarely live beyond a century (while certain whales can thrive for over two hundred years) it’s hard not to see our biological limits as profoundly unfair. No wonder then that most people nearing death wish they still had more time. Yet, with ever-advancing science, will the ends of our lives always loom so close? Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston is a neuroscientist at Mo...
Jan 21, 2025•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 498
In this episode, Kurt Gray offers a groundbreaking perspective on the moral mind, challenging the assumption that liberals and conservatives have radically different moral foundations. Drawing on the latest science, he reveals that everyone’s moral judgments stem from feelings of vulnerability to harm. We all care about protecting ourselves and others, but conflict arises when we perceive harm differently. Gray explores how moral outrage is triggered when we disagree about who the “real” victim ...
Jan 14, 2025•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 497
It’s clear states, borders, and countries constantly evolve. But how do countries form? And what does it take to start a new one? In this episode, Michael interviews Erick Brimen, founder of Prospera, a project dedicated to creating Special Economic Zones that foster economic growth through free-market governance. Brimen shares insights into the challenges of governance in developing nations, lessons learned from Venezuela’s economic collapse (despite the country having the world’s largest oil r...
Jan 07, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 496
William Green delves into the lives of iconic investors like Buffett, Munger, and Templeton, unraveling how their approaches extend beyond financial success. These super-investors possess unique skills such as rigorous thinking, resilience, and intuition. Through years of interviews, Green reveals how their principles can improve decision-making, manage risks, and help us thrive in uncertain environments. William Green has written for top publications like Time , Forbes , and The Economist , and...
Dec 21, 2024•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 495
