Michael Shermer
Host Science Salon Podcast, Publisher Skeptic Magazine, Presidential Fellow Chapman University, author The Moral Arc & more.
Thought Leader
#7 The New Center
Last synced from Twitter 0m ago
Zuckerberg, Inflaming Debate, Asserts Facebook Stands for Free Expression
Nytimes.com 59h 19 tweets
In an address at Georgetown University, the Facebook chief executive called for more free speech — not less — as his company has been assailed for allowing lies and falsehoods to appear.
Michael Shermer Mark Zuckerberg defends free speech. Excellent outline of the problems with censorship of political speech in particular and fact-checking millions of ads, posts, commentaries, etc. Do we really want tech companies filtering what we see? Worth reading. 37h
Religion Is on the Decline as More Adults Check ‘None’
Ian Lovett - WSJ 37h 1 tweets
Religiosity in the U.S. is declining, along with church attendance, while the ranks of people who don’t adhere to any faith are growing, according to a study released by the Pew Research Center.
Michael Shermer The "nones" (no religious affiliation) continue to grow in U.S. while most major faith followings decline. 37h
Skeptic » Geology Tours » 2020 Greece & Magna Graecia
Skeptic.com 4d 1 tweets
Greece & Magna Graecia: 13 days exploring the archeological and cultural riches of Athens, the Peloponnese, and Southern Italy, led by renowned Pulitzer-prize-winning author JARED DIAMOND
Michael Shermer The Skeptics Society & Skeptic magazine present: Greece & Magna Graecia Oct. 3–15, 2020 13 days exploring the archeological & cultural riches of Athens, the Peloponnese, & Southern Italy, led by renowned Pulitzer-prize-winning author JARED DIAMOND. Join: 4d
God Is Now Trump’s Co-Conspirator
Paul Krugman - Nytimes.com 5d 8 tweets
Bigotry, both racial and religious, is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
Michael Shermer "The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion; the nation’s chief law enforcement officer has no business denouncing those who exercise that freedom by choosing not to endorse any religion" (1/4 of all Americans). 4d
Michael Shermer with Douglas Murray — The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race, and Identity
Michael Shermer - Skeptic 5d 2 tweets
In Science Salon # 87 Michael Shermer speaks with Douglas Murray about his new book The Madness of Crowds on sexuality, gender, technology and race playing out in our workplaces, universities, schools and homes in the names of social justice,...
Michael Shermer SCIENCE SALON #87 Douglas Murray The Madness of Crowds We talk: —gay: born this way? —race: why current attitudes are an inversion of MLK —gender & power —trans —intersectionality —campus craziness —political correctness & free speech —moral progress, 5d
Michael Shermer This week's Science Salon podcast with we discuss: —Gender, Race & Identity —Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream —Men and women in the workplace —trans & reversing trans surgeries —intersectionality —political correctness & free speech —PC 11h
Dream Worlds Imagined in Contorted Clay Portraits by Johnson Tsang
Colossal 5d 1 tweets
Johnson Tsang (previously) continues to create spectacularly emotive ceramic sculptures of the human face. The Hong Kong-based artist's latest series, Lucid Dream II, features surreal contortions that squish, wring, melt, and stretch. Titles like...
Michael Shermer Capturing the depth of human emotions in Contorted Clay Portraits by Johnson Tsang. Deeply moving art. Sometimes I feel like this one... 5d
Nigerian astronaut lost in space needs $3m to get home
Boing Boing 35d 3 tweets
Anorak received an urgent email from the cousin of Nigerian Astronaut, Air Force Major Abacha Tunde: Subject: Nigerian Astronaut Wants To Come Home Dr. Bakare Tunde Astronautics Project Manager Nat…
Michael Shermer I'm pretty sure this one is real... 6d
What’s Neil deGrasse Tyson Doing on Ben Shapiro’s Podcast?
Slate Magazine 7d 2 tweets
Michael Shermer Dear Slate: While your censoriousness about talking to was highly predictable it is no less deplorable. Talking to people with views you do not share 100% is the fuel of intellectual life. Otherwise it's a boring dinner party. 6d
Nathaniel Comfort gets all angry about a tweet from Steve Pinker
Jerry Coyne - Why Evolution Is True 8d 2 tweets
Two days ago I wrote a critique of a curiously disjointed and poorly written article by Nathaniel Comfort: a critique of science and “scientism” published in Nature. It was a garbled mi…
Michael Shermer Dear why are you responding to tweets about your OpEd with tweets about his hair and "male gaze" instead of responding point-by-point to long & thoughtful critique of your arguments? Pomo is all about textual analysis! 7d
China Banned South Park After the Show Made Fun of Chinese Censorship
Robby Soave - Reason.com 12d 8 tweets
In a case of life imitating art imitating life, the Chinese government has purged all references to South Park from the
Michael Shermer If you criticize us for our anti-free speech censoriousness we're going to teach you a lesson on how wrong you are: we're going to censor you. So there! "You gotta lower your ideals of freedom if you want to suck on the warm teat of China." 7d
Social-Justice Warriors Won’t Listen, but You Should
WSJ 8d 13 tweets
To counter extreme views, it’s necessary for you to understand them—and that they’re sincerely held.
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Michael Shermer "You’re supposed to shut up, listen and believe, because, according to their underlying theory, any story that isn’t consistent with their approved discourse has 'already been told' and 'upholds unjust power dynamics'.” 7d
Shepard Smith steps down from Fox News: 'It’s been an honor and a privilege'
Fox News 8d 1 tweets
Shepard Smith announced Friday that he will step down as Fox News Channel's chief news anchor and managing editor of the network's breaking news unit.
Michael Shermer Whoa. Shepard Smith departs Fox News. Classy final statement. Yes facts still matter, & so do evidence, reason, & science. We are not living in a post-truth era. There are no alternative facts. Just facts. Bon voyage wherever you go. 8d
Bogus accommodationism: The return of Adam and Eve as real people, as proposed by a wonky quasi-scientific theory
Jerry Coyne - Why Evolution Is True 9d 2 tweets
If you’re a liberal Christian scientist (no, not the Mary Baker Eddy kind, but the profession), and would like to persuade more fundamentalist Christians that evolution really happened, what …
Michael Shermer Another "same-worlds" model of science-and-religion (both are different & equal avenues to the truth) fails in attempt to argue Adam & Eve were real people AND they were part of evolution (so it's ok for Christians to accept evolution). 8d
Episode 27 – Michael Shermer: Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories — The Great Courses – Tales From The Rabbit Hole
Tftrh.com 9d 1 tweets
Michael Shermer I'm talking conspiracies & conspiracy theories with on his Tales From the Rabbit Hole podcast. Mick is one of the best investigators of the subject in the world today and this was one of the best conversations I've ever had on the subject. 9d
What Top Military Officers Really Think About Trump
The Atlantic 12d 38 tweets
It’s even worse than you think.
Michael Shermer "from nuclear proliferation to mined tankers in the Persian Gulf to terrorist attacks and cyberwarfare those in command positions monitor the president’s Twitter feed like field officers scanning the horizon for enemy troop movements" What would Patton do? 10d
“What Do I Think? I Have No Idea”:
Medium 11d 2 tweets
Jerry Sandusky and the Gladwell Effect
Michael Shermer If you've read Talking to Strangers & wonder why Malcolm is indecisive on Jerry Sandusky (he asks “What do I think?” & replies “I have no idea") here is a complete analysis of the case by Fred Crews & why there is reasonable doubt. 11d
The World’s Wokest Sports League Bows to China
Bari Weiss - Nytimes.com 12d 12 tweets
The N.B.A. apologizes on behalf of Daryl Morey, a general manager who voiced support for democracy.
Michael Shermer “Like the N.B.A. we welcome the Chinese censors into our homes and into our hearts,” said Trey Parker and Matt Stone in a statement. "Tune into our 300th episode this Wednesday at 10! Long live the Great Communist Party of China!" This will be interesting! 11d
Ellen DeGeneres Refuses to Be Shamed for Watching Football with George W. Bush
Robby Soave - Reason.com 11d 5 tweets
On Sunday, Ellen DeGeneres attended a Dallas Cowboys football game. It was noteworthy because of whom she was seated next
Michael Shermer "When I say, 'Be kind to one another,' I don't mean only the people that think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to everyone. Doesn't matter." Spot on Perhaps that should be motto... 11d
A Linguist’s Guide to Quid Pro Quo
Nytimes.com 12d 6 tweets
The Trump-Zelensky dialogue could be used in a textbook chapter on conversational analysis.
Michael Shermer Trump reminds me of the crook character (Steve Buscemi) in Fargo when he extends to a cop his wallet with driver's license and the corner of a $50 peeking out. "So maybe the best thing would be to take care of that, right here in Brainerd." 11d
Michael Shermer with Neil deGrasse Tyson — Letters from an Astrophysicist (SCIENCE SALON # 86)
Michael Shermer - Skeptic 12d 2 tweets
In Science Salon # 86, Michael Shermer speaks with Neil deGrasse Tyson about his latest book Letters from an Astrophysicist. In this discussion of his hand-picked collection of 101 letters, we go behind the scenes of his public fame by revealing his...
Michael Shermer Science Salon #86 Letters from an Astrophysicist We talk: killing Pluto killing God science & religion progress in science how vs. why questions race & racial progress his middle name Neil’s father and why he ends the book with a eulogy. 12d
Michael Shermer Looking for some entertaining & educational content for this weekend? You won't go wrong with talking Pluto, God, science & religion, science progress, race & racial progress, how v. why questions, his middle name and his father. 8d