Do You Believe Weird Things?
Michael Shermer is the founder of Skeptic Magazine and the Skeptics Society.
He is also the successful author of 9 books, including bestsellers Why People Believe Weird Things
Shermer’s mission (and that of the Skeptics Society) is to “serve as an educational tool for those seeking clarification and viewpoints on those controversial ideas and claims.” In doing so, he tends to ruffle a lot of feathers. Not intentionally, as you’ll see in my interview, he’s anything but confrontational. However, when you aggressively question the claims of religion, pseudoscience, cults, psychics, holocaust deniers and UFO believers, you’re bound to encounter some resistance.
The Skeptics Society seeks to follow the example of Spinoza:
I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them.
—Baruch Spinoza
I recently asked Shermer if that was easier said than done. Below is his answer to that question as well as some other parts of our conversation.
Below is Shermer’s 2006 “TED Talk.” It’s well worth your time if you want to see what Mother Theresa, the Virgin Mary and Led Zeppelin have in common.
Here’s a bonus video Shermer made for The Richard Dawkins foundation. It’s a useful guide to analyzing outrageous claims – a common sense check. Michael also reveals the “mystery” of the pyramids at the 4:20 mark.
Don’t forget to become a fan of Michael Shermer on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.
About the Author: Randall H. Miller is an American college educator/blogger. He is also a former U.S. Army officer (82nd Airborne) with a M.A. in Diplomacy (focusing on International Terrorism) and a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Use the form on the right to sign up and receive notifications of new content. The words and ideas expressed here are 100% his own and not those of his employers or affiliated organizations.
dickmill | Jan 18, 2010 | Reply
Michael’s talks and books remind me of Will Rogers — he just told honest stories about people and what they thought and how they acted. You can’t write humor better than that.
Michael’s correct. No amount of logic will generally change a weird opinion — but shining a spotlight on it provides a lot of entertainment!