492: Michael Shermer | Why We Believe Weird Things

Michael Shermer (@michaelshermer) is the founder of Skeptic magazine and several books on the nature of belief. He’s the Director of The Skeptics Society, a non-profit dedicated to the promotion of science, reason, and critical thinking. He joins us to discuss why people believe weird things. [This is a rebroadcast that originally aired in 2016.]

• How do beliefs form and persist even when we know they’re wrong?
• Why do skeptics (and restaurant owners) scowl at the mention of Uri Geller?
• Why are smart people even more susceptible to faulty beliefs?
• How do our genes influence our political and religious beliefs?
• What’s the difference between a skeptic and a cynic?
• And much more...

Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/492

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