CultureJune 1, 2015
The Humanities and Science Share the Virtues of Empiricism and Skepticism
Reason, empiricism and skepticism are not virtues of science alone
Stories by Michael Shermer
Michael Shermer is publisher of Skeptic magazine (www.skeptic.com) and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University. His new book is Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia (Henry Holt, 2018).
The SciencesMay 1, 2015
Is Terrorism a Form of Self-Help Justice?
The moralistic motivations of ISIS
BiotechApril 1, 2015
Are Paleo Diets More Natural Than GMOs?
What do we mean by “natural”?
BehaviorMarch 1, 2015
What Can Be Done about Pseudoskepticism?
Just because we don't know everything doesn't mean we know nothing
PolicyFebruary 1, 2015
How Science Can Inform Ethics and Champion Sentient Beings
The arc of the moral universe really is bending toward progress
The SciencesJanuary 1, 2015
Why We Are So Intrigued by Zombies
What the living dead can teach us about ancient prejudices
The SciencesDecember 1, 2014
Why Do People Believe in Conspiracy Theories?
Who believes in conspiracy theories—and why
The SciencesNovember 1, 2014
Perpetual Peace
Are democracies less warlike?
The SciencesOctober 1, 2014
Anomalous Events That Can Shake One’s Skepticism to the Core
I just witnessed an event so mysterious that it shook my skepticism
The SciencesSeptember 1, 2014
How the Survivor Bias Distorts Reality
How the survivor bias distorts reality
EnvironmentJuly 15, 2014
Act on Climate Change, but Tackle Other Global Problems, Too
Should action on the climate be just another line item in the budget?
The SciencesJuly 1, 2014
The American Dream of Income Equality Still Lives
The American dream is not dead yet
The SciencesJune 1, 2014
Will Mutual Assured Destruction Continue to Deter Nuclear War?
Does deterrence prohibit the total abolishment of nuclear weapons?
The SciencesMay 1, 2014
Naughty or Nice? When Does It Begin?
Before all learning, an infant's mind has a sense of right and wrong
April 1, 2014
What Science Tells Us about Why We Lie
When are we most (and least) likely to lie?
The SciencesMarch 1, 2014
Can an Atheist Be in Awe of the Universe?
What does the magnificence of the universe have to do with God?
BehaviorFebruary 1, 2014
Can a Scientific Utopia Succeed?
The SciencesJanuary 1, 2014
Where Do Nonhuman Mammals Fit in Our Moral Hierarchy?
Where do nonhuman mammals fit in our moral hierarchy?
The SciencesDecember 1, 2013
Is God Dying?
The decline of religion and the rise of the “nones”
November 1, 2013
A Tale of Tax Returns and Tax Scams
How weird beliefs can land you in jail
The SciencesOctober 1, 2013
Why We Should Choose Science over Beliefs
Ideology needs to give way
Mind & BrainSeptember 1, 2013
The Danger for Scientists of Keeping an Open Mind
Why great scientists make great mistakes
The SciencesAugust 1, 2013
The Five Myths of Terrorism—Including That It Works
Why terror doesn't work
June 1, 2013
Searching for the True Sources of Crime
Where neuroscience meets criminology