The Michael Shermer Show

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 is, whether in political debates, personal conflicts, or even everyday situations.

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 reserves), and successful governance models in places like Dubai (a small desert fishing and pearl diving village until the early 1970s) and Hong Kong (under British rule until 1997).

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 edited Time’s Asian and European editions. He coauthored several books, including Guy Spier’s The Education of a Value Investor. Born in London, he studied English at Oxford and earned a journalism master’s at Columbia. Now based in New York, he lives with his family. His latest book is Richer, Wiser, Happier: How the World’s Greatest Investors Win in Markets and Life. Shermer and Green discuss the financial literacy of Americans, the mechanics of wealth creation, and the psychology behind investment decisions. They cover the stock market, the importance of resilience, and the relationship between money, happiness, and luck. The conversation includes wisdom from legendary investors, the power of compound interest, and practical strategies for financial independence.

In the U.S. alone, more than $400 billion are donated to charity each year—equivalent to two percent of American GDP. This generosity is wonderful, but these gifts don’t do nearly as much good as they could. In recent years, researchers have started studying the effectiveness of different charities, just as investors study the effectiveness of different companies. These researchers ask questions like: How much money does it cost for this charity to save someone’s life? The answers are stunning. Charity experts estimate that the most effective charities are about 100 times more effective than typical charities. For example, you can do more good by donating $100 to a highly effective charity than by donating $10,000 to a typical charity. Shermer and Greene discuss effective altruism, evidence-based philanthropy, and GivingMultiplier’s unique model for maximizing charitable impact. They explore moral judgment theories, from deontology to consequentialism, and delve into complex topics like donor fatigue, public vs. private solutions, abortion, capital punishment, and political polarization. Greene shares practical insights into addressing societal divides and inspiring collective action. Joshua Greene is a Professor of Psychology at Harvard, where he teaches “Evolving Morality: From Primordial Soup to Superintelligent Machines,” one of the university’s most popular courses. He is also the author of Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them, which integrates moral philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience to explain the underlying causes of modern conflict. Josh’s latest applied research has led to novel, evidence-based strategies for reducing political animosity and inspiring thousands of people to support nonprofits addressing extreme poverty, climate change, and other pressing societal issues. His new organization is GivingMultiplier.org.

In The Suggestible Brain, cognitive psychologist Amir Raz delves into how suggestions can influence everything from wine preferences to memory and emotional reactions. As society grapples with misinformation, Raz’s research spans across cognitive psychology, sociology, and culture, emphasizing the profound impact of suggestion on both personal and collective levels. Raz’s expertise, merging magic with neuropsychology, unveils actionable insights for utilizing suggestion to enhance mental resilience and defend against manipulation. Dr. Raz’s career includes roles as Canada Research Chair and Director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Brain and Behavioral Sciences. A speaker and author, his insights on suggestion have been widely recognized by media and academic audiences. His work, grounded in extensive research and engaging storytelling, highlights the interconnectedness of suggestion with consciousness, memory, and identity. Shermer and Raz discuss: the evolutionary basis of suggestibility, how brain imaging captures the power of suggestion, and the psychology behind hypnosis, meditation, and placebos. They discuss historical influences like Milgram’s obedience studies and explore suggestibility’s role in social contagions and cults. Raz also shares insights on psychedelics, neurofeedback, and using suggestion to manage conditions like ADHD, depression, and anxiety.

Guy P. Harrison is an acclaimed author of nine thought-provoking books that encourage curiosity and critical thinking. In this engaging episode, he and Michael Shermer discuss how science fiction inspires us to think beyond the ordinary and explore the vast possibilities of human progress. From his latest work to his passion for rational dialogue, Harrison’s insights are both inspiring and accessible. Shermer and Harrison tackle a diverse range of topics, including the societal value of science fiction, the flawed debates about religion and evolution, and why humanity might ultimately prevail despite existential threats like AI. They examine UFOs and the Fermi Paradox, discuss redefining atheism, and share optimism about human progress. Harrison’s engaging insights inspire curiosity and critical thinking throughout the episode. Guy Harrison is an award-winning writer and author of nine books, including Think: Why You Should Question Everything, At Least Know This, 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God, and Good Thinking. His work has been featured in Skeptic, Reader’s Digest, The Institute of Arts and Ideas, Skeptical Inquirer, Free Inquiry, Big Think, and many other publications. Guy is a longtime essayist for Psychology Today and contributed a chapter about race and racism to The Cognitive Science of Beliefpublished by Cambridge University Press. Random House featured his book Think: Why You Should Question Everything as recommended reading for all first-year university students, and the San Diego Union-Tribunenamed At Least Know This a top-five summer read. His new book, Damn You, Entropy! 1,001 of the Greatest Science Fiction Quotes was a New Scientist magazine “Best Science Fiction Books of the Month” selection.

Historically, Western societies were defined by stark divisions between wealth and poverty, with only a slim middle class. Today, the economic landscape has transformed, largely through political and institutional changes that have enabled wealth distribution and middle-class growth. Economist Daniel Waldenström explores this evolution, highlighting that effective social and tax policies are essential to advancing shared prosperity without undermining entrepreneurship. Using rigorous research, Waldenström’s work demonstrates how wealth accumulation patterns have shifted since the 1800s, emphasizing the significant role of increased access to education, property ownership, and pensions. His insights advocate for policies that promote wealth creation across all social tiers, ensuring sustainable growth and financial security for future generations. Shermer and Waldenström cover the scientific basis of economics, how personal beliefs shape economic theories, and differences between income and wealth inequality. They delve into historical wealth disparities, factors that have driven middle-class growth, and policies like the Laffer Curve and labor taxation. Waldenström also offers practical advice on fiscal policy and strategies to help poorer nations achieve wealth and stability.

Banco Popular, once a top global bank, collapsed unexpectedly in 2017. Investigative journalist Gareth Gore initially expected to find another case of capitalist greed, but instead uncovered a web of deception orchestrated by men linked to Opus Dei. Gore’s investigation revealed decades of hidden corruption, with Opus Dei using its control over the bank to amass wealth and spread its influence. Using access to insider accounts and bank records, Gore exposed how Opus Dei recruited vulnerable individuals—often children—into lives of servitude. His findings also unveiled Opus Dei’s financial ties to far-right movements, including its role in overturning Roe v. Wade, raising important questions about the forces shaping modern society. Shermer and Gore discuss Opus Dei’s role in the collapse of Banco Popular, its influence in politics, and the group’s history. They explore Opus Dei’s abusive practices, financial power, and efforts to spread its agenda, including through human trafficking and infiltration of institutions. Gore also explains its ties to the erosion of democracy and its influence on U.S. policies, from reproductive rights to LGBTQ+ issues.

In this thought-provoking conversation, Dan Barker, a former evangelical preacher turned prominent atheist and co-president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, explains the current state of separation of Church and State, the influence of Catholicism on the Supreme Court, and the ongoing debates surrounding public education and religious symbols. Barker also discusses the legal challenges tackled by his organization, and introduces “Contraduction,” a new philosophical concept that reexamines how beliefs and arguments can reverse in order and meaning. Plus, the moral implications of belief systems and the fine-tuning argument for the existence of God, the nature of nothingness, and free will. Dan Barker is co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, co-host of Freethought Radio, and co-founder of The Clergy Project. He worked 19 years as an evangelical minister and is a member of the Lenape (Delaware) tribe of American Indians. His new book is Contraduction.

Paul Ehrlich reflects on his extensive career, including what he got wrong in The Population Bomb, the challenges of population growth, and the critical issue of biodiversity loss. He also discusses the importance of education and wealth in promoting environmental stewardship, the role of nuclear power, and the ethical dilemmas of cloning extinct species. Paul Ehrlich is Professor Emeritus of Population Studies in the Department of Biology and the president of the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford University. He is the author of The Population Bomb. His new book is Before They Vanish: Saving Nature’s Populations—and Ourselves.

Journey to the frontiers of human knowledge with astrophysicist Kelsey Johnson as she explores mind-bending questions about the cosmos. Rather than just celebrating what we know, Johnson delves into the profound mysteries that remain unsolved—from the Big Bang to black holes—and examines how these uncertainties intersect with philosophy, theology, and human understanding. Kelsey Johnson is a professor of astronomy at the University of Virginia, former president of the American Astronomical Society, and founder of the award-winning Dark Skies, Bright Kids program. She has won numerous awards for her research, teaching, and promotion of science literacy. She lives in rural Virginia with her family, including two very large dogs. Her new book is Into the Unknown: The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos. Shermer and Johnson engage in a wide-ranging discussion covering fundamental questions about knowledge, existence, and the nature of our universe. Their conversation spans from the origins of the cosmos and the mysteries of dark matter to the possibilities of alien life and multiple dimensions. They explore philosophical concepts like free will, the mathematical nature of the universe, and the intersection of science with theology.

Michael Shermer interviews Jon Mills, a psychoanalyst and philosopher, on a variety of topics, including the evolution of psychoanalysis, the dynamics of therapeutic relationships, and the psychological roots of aggression and trauma. Mills explains Freud’s lasting influence, the moral implications of aggression, and the role violence plays in society. The conversation also explores how trauma affects individuals and families across generations and the difficulty of understanding human behavior when faced with global challenges. The discussion extends to broader issues such as individuality, the struggles faced by modern youth, and the evolution of belief in God. Shermer and Mills discuss how technology impacts mental health and the pursuit of spirituality without relying on traditional religion. Jon Mills, PsyD, PhD, ABPP, is a philosopher, psychoanalyst, and clinical psychologist. His two latest books are Inventing God: Psychology of Belief and the Rise of Secular Spirituality, and End of the World: Civilization and its Fate.

In this special solo episode, Michael Shermer reflects on the 2024 election.

In 2023, 107,543 Americans died from an overdose—over 75 thousand of those overdosed from fentanyl. This is almost double the number of people who died in car accidents or from gun homicides that year. Fentanyl has been cut into heroin for years, but now is often mixed into meth and cocaine, fueling rising death counts for those drugs, a troubling development, considering that Americans are much more likely to try meth and cocaine than heroin. In Canada, the numbers are similarly astronomical, and fentanyl deaths have marched upward in Australia and many European countries as well. Ten years ago, fentanyl and its analogues overtook heroin to become the deadliest drug in Sweden. “Fentanyl is the game changer,” Special Agent in Charge James Hunt of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) told Vice News. “It’s the most dangerous substance in the history of drug tracking. Heroin and cocaine pale in comparison to how dangerous fentanyl is.” Ben Westhoff is a best-selling investigative journalist focused on drugs, culture, and poverty. His book Fentanyl, Inc.: How Rogue Chemists Created the Deadliest Wave of the Opioid Epidemic is the bombshell first book about fentanyl. Since its publication, Westhoff has advised top government officials on the fentanyl crisis, including from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, the U.S. embassy in Beijing, and the U.S. State Department.

Dr. Warren Hern’s book, Abortion in the Age of Unreason: A Doctor’s Account of Caring for Women Before and After Roe v. Wade, chronicles the difficult realities of providing abortion care amidst a polarized political and social climate. Drawing from personal experiences, Hern describes protecting patients and staff from aggressive protesters and emphasizes the critical need for abortion services to protect women’s health. His work also highlights insights from his research in Latin America, underscoring abortion’s role in addressing national and global public health challenges. Hern argues that the recent dismantling of Roe v. Wade has intensified a long-standing crisis, which now endangers democracy as political groups exploit the issue to gain power. His book exposes the real risks of restricted access and urges for political action to safeguard reproductive rights, stressing that women’s need for safe abortion services is an essential, ongoing component of healthcare and freedom. Warren M. Hern, M.D., is known to the public through his many appearances on CNN, Rachel Maddow/MSNBC, Sixty Minutes, and in the pages of The Atlantic magazine, The New York Times, Washington Post, and dozens more media. A scientist, Hern wrote about the need for safe abortion services before the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and was present at the first Supreme Court arguments. In his research and medical work, he pioneered since 1973 the modern safe practice of early and late abortion in his highly influential books and scholarship. A tireless national activist for women’s reproductive rights, he is an adjunct professor of anthropology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and holds a clinical appointment in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado medical center. He holds doctorates in medicine and epidemiology. His book is Abortion in the Age of Unreason: A Doctor’s Account of Caring for Women Before and After Roe v. Wade. Shermer and Hern discuss Hern’s journey into abortion care, abortion history pre- and post-Roe, and the complex procedures involved. They explore the risks of pregnancy versus abortion, societal and political challenges like protests and threats, and the debate over fetal personhood. Hern also delves into the broader implications of abortion rights on democracy and society, shedding light on contentious issues surrounding reproductive health.

In this solo episode, Michael Shermer discusses the upcoming election, reflecting on the historical context of past elections and the political polarization that has intensified over the years.

Edward Goldberg analyzes the United States’ emergence as the global liberal hegemon, detailing its geographical and economic advantages that led to its post-World War II dominance. He argues that America’s shift from merely being an international police force to acting as the world’s central banker solidifies its unique global role. Goldberg further considers how this leadership affects both the country and individual American citizens. Goldberg’s expertise in international political economy gives insight into how the U.S. has maintained its global leadership. As a central figure in international business and academic circles, he evaluates whether the United States is still capable of managing global crises like climate change and financial contagion, as well as the challenges posed by competing world powers. Shermer and Goldberg discuss: the historical factors that led to America’s rise as a global leader, including its economy and political culture. They explore the future of U.S. global dominance, its alliances, and whether the nation can continue to handle global crises. The discussion also touches on the 2024 election’s implications for U.S. foreign policy and the potential risks and rewards of maintaining its hegemonic role.

Across America, a storm is brewing as the Christian Right gains unprecedented power. From book bans to anti-trans laws, this political force is reshaping the nation. In her book, Wild Faith, author Talia Lavin delves deep into the motivations of this movement, exploring its segregationist past and apocalyptic future through primary sources and firsthand accounts. Lavin introduces readers to a cast of characters within the Christian Right, including self-proclaimed prophets, Christian militias, and influential political figures. She examines the movement’s impact on various aspects of society, from abortion rights to child welfare. Wild Faithconfronts the pressing question of whether American democracy can withstand this organized theocratic movement. Shermer and Lavin discuss historical phenomena like the Satanic Panic and Recovered Memory Movement, as well as contemporary issues such as the movement’s influence on societal institutions, opposition to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, and Christian Zionism. The conversation also delves into apocalyptic beliefs, control of female sexuality, and the movement’s impact on children and families.

Mark Weinstein, a tech entrepreneur, privacy expert—and one of the visionary inventors of social networking—explores how social platforms could be redesigned to foster critical thinking, mental health, privacy, and democracy in his book Restoring Our Sanity Online. The book offers actionable solutions for reimagining our digital landscape, addressing crucial issues like user empowerment, privacy concerns, and protecting children from social media’s negative impacts. Weinstein, founder of privacy-focused platform MeWe and a frequent media commentator, brings his expertise in social networking and online privacy to examine emerging technologies and their implications for social media’s future. His book provides insights for users, parents, educators, and policymakers seeking to understand and improve our digital environment. Shermer and Weinstein discuss AI’s impact on social media platforms and personal relationships, solutions to combat teen mental health issues, and strategies for parental control. They examine protective measures, Web3’s promises regarding privacy and data ownership, and methods to defeat bots and trolls. The conversation also explores social media’s potential mental health benefits, creating equitable creator economies, and operating without surveillance capitalism.

Neal Stephenson is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels including Termination Shock, Seveneves, Cryptonomicon, and Snow Crash. His works blend science fiction, historical fiction, and cyberpunk, exploring mathematics, cryptography, philosophy, and scientific history. Born in Fort Meade to a family of scientists, he holds a degree in geography and physics from Boston University. As noted by The Atlantic, his prescient works anticipated the metaverse, cryptocurrency, and AI revolution. His latest novel is Polostan, the first installment in his Bomb Light cycle. Shermer and Stephenson discuss: professional and speculative fiction writing, the interplay of genetics and fate, historical contingency (particularly regarding Hitler and nuclear weapons), atomic bomb development and ethics, game theory in nuclear deterrence, cryptocurrency, AI advancement and mind uploading, human evolution, Mars colonization politics, and philosophical concepts like Peirce’s Fallibilism and Platonic realism.