About this episode
Michael Shermer offers a rational counterpoint to paranormal claims, examining why extraordinary assertions require extraordinary evidence before acceptance by the scientific community. As publisher of Skeptic magazine and a prominent debunker of pseudoscientific claims, Shermer explains the psychological and cognitive factors that lead people to believe in phenomena that lack empirical support. His analysis covers the importance of controlled testing, peer review, and reproducible results in distinguishing genuine discoveries from wishful thinking or outright fraud. The conversation explores specific cases where paranormal claims have been thoroughly investigated and found wanting, as well as the methods skeptics use to evaluate extraordinary assertions objectively. Shermer discusses the appeal of mystery and the human tendency to find patterns and meaning even in random events, explaining how these natural inclinations can lead to false conclusions about supernatural phenomena. He emphasizes that skepticism serves an important function in protecting society from deception while remaining open to genuine breakthroughs that can survive rigorous scrutiny. His perspective challenges believers to strengthen their evidence while encouraging critical thinking about claims that seem too extraordinary to be true.