Skeptic

Read More Skeptic 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 […]

Read More Skeptic Shermer and Stephenson discuss various topics including professional and science fiction writing, the interplay of genetics, environment, and luck in shaping lives, historical contingencies, the development and ethics of the atomic bomb, geopolitical concepts like the Hobbesian Trap and Mutual Assured Destruction, cryptocurrency, AI and the Singularity, mind uploading, human evolution, future

Read More Skeptic In her review of Knowing What We Know by Simon Winchester and Informatica by Alex Wright, Michelle Ainsworth explores how these books delve into the history of knowledge transmission, from ancient practices to modern technologies. The review highlights each book’s strengths in presenting interdisciplinary narratives, balancing compelling storytelling with in-depth analysis of

Read More Skeptic Terrence Sejnowski, a leading cognitive neuroscientist, delves into the evolving world of AI, focusing on large language models like ChatGPT. Explore AI’s intelligence, consciousness, and ethics while uncovering the future of human-AI interactions. This discussion will leave you questioning what it truly means to think.

Read More Skeptic Explore the complexities of free speech with First Amendment scholar Tara Smith. Delve into historical perspectives, contemporary challenges, and the nuanced distinctions between speech and action. Unpack crucial concepts like censorship, freedom, and rights in this thought-provoking discussion that examines the very foundations of our discourse on liberty and expression.

Read More Skeptic Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed revealed a supposed conspiracy to suppress Intelligent Design (ID) within academia. The article reflects on the film’s production, its controversial use of deception, and the author’s shift from supporting ID to embracing open scientific inquiry. It emphasizes the importance of dialogue over division in the science versus religion

Read More Skeptic Explore how the power of belief can make you feel sick in this intriguing episode. Michael Bernstein delves into the nocebo effect, where negative expectations create the perception of harm, from mysterious workplace outbreaks to the debated Havana Syndrome. Learn how psychology, biology, and ethics converge in understanding the mind’s role in

Read More Skeptic Explore how religions compete like businesses, accumulating wealth and power as platforms for communities. Economist Paul Seabright discusses the economic aspects of religious movements, their role in modern society, and how they can be forces for both good and harm. Discover insights on religion’s evolution, its future, and its complex relationship with

Read More Skeptic This article features two thought-provoking interviews with Christopher Rufo and Yascha Mounk, both critiquing identity politics and its effects on modern society. Rufo explores the rise of Critical Race Theory (CRT), its Marxist roots, and the growing influence of DEI policies. Mounk discusses the dangers of cultural appropriation debates, identity politics in