The SciencesMarch 1, 2011
Financial Flimflam: Why Economic Experts' Predictions Fail
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 SciencesFebruary 1, 2011
Houdini's Skeptical Advice: Just Because Something's Unexplained Doesn't Mean It's Supernatural
Before you say something is out of this world, first make sure that it is not in this world
The SciencesJanuary 1, 2011
The Science of Right and Wrong
Can data determine moral values?
Mind & BrainDecember 1, 2010
The Conspiracy Theory Detector
How to tell the difference between true and false conspiracy theories
EvolutionNovember 1, 2010
The Skeptic's Skeptic
In the battle for ideas, scientists could learn from Christopher Hitchens
HealthOctober 1, 2010
Can You Hear Me Now? The Truth about Cell Phones and Cancer
Physics shows that cell phones cannot cause cancer
The SciencesSeptember 1, 2010
Democracy's Laboratory: Are Science and Politics Interrelated?
Mixing science and politics is tricky but necessary for a functioning polity
EvolutionAugust 1, 2010
Our Neandertal Brethren: Why They Were Not a Separate Species
Genome sequencing has revealed our common humanity
Mind & BrainJuly 1, 2010
When Scientists Sin
Fraud, deception and lies in research reveal how science is (mostly) self-correcting
Mind & BrainJune 1, 2010
When Ideas Have Sex
How free exchange between people increases prosperity and trust
The SciencesMay 23, 2010
Hermits and Cranks: Lessons from Martin Gardner on Recognizing Pseudoscientists
Fifty years ago Gardner launched the modern skeptical movement. Unfortunately, much of what he wrote about is still current today
The SciencesMay 1, 2010
Doing Science in the Past
The comparative method of historical science helps to explain Haiti's poverty
Mind & BrainApril 1, 2010
The Sensed-Presence Effect
How the brain produces the sense of someone present when no one is there
The SciencesNovember 1, 2009
Will E.T. Look Like Us?
Evolution helps us imagine what aliens might be like
The SciencesOctober 1, 2009
Pirate Economics?: Captain Hook Meets Adam Smith
Debunking pirate myths reveals how hidden economic forces generate social order
The SciencesAugust 1, 2009
Skeptic's Take on the Life and Argued Works of Shakespeare
The anti-Stratfordian skeptics are back, and this time they have a Supreme Court justice on their side
PolicyJuly 1, 2009
What Skepticism Reveals about Science
A skeptic's journey for truth in science
Mind & BrainJune 5, 2009
Notes from an evolutionary psychology conference: Why won't your daughter call?
The SciencesJune 1, 2009
Why People Believe Invisible Agents Control the World
A Skeptic's take on souls, spirits, ghosts, gods, demons, angels, aliens and other invisible powers that be
EvolutionMay 1, 2009
The Contradictions between the Creationist Movements
A skeptic engages three types of creationists who claim science supports their beliefs, yet they contradict one another
BehaviorApril 1, 2009
Skeptic's Take on the Origins of Success
Are successful people primarily the beneficiaries of luck, timing and cultural legacy?
Mind & BrainMarch 1, 2009
The Art of the Con—Learning from Bernard Madoff
A Skeptic's advice on how to avoid falling prey to con artists
The SciencesFebruary 1, 2009
A Skeptic's Take on the Public Misunderstanding of Darwin
On the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birthday two myths persist about evolution and natural selection
The SciencesJanuary 25, 2009
The Curious Case of J. Robert Oppenheimer
A review of The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a film by David Grubin, airing on PBS January 26 for the American Experience series, in association with the BBC