Mammals are sentient beings that want to live and are afraid to die. Evolution vouchsafed us all with an instinct to survive, reproduce and flourish. Michael Shermer afraidbeingdie Change image and share on social
Conspiracies are a perennial favorite for television producers because there is always a receptive audience. Michael Shermer audienceconspiracyfavorite Change image and share on social
Skeptics question the validity of a particular claim by calling for evidence to prove or disprove it. Michael Shermer callclaimdisprove Change image and share on social
But the power of science lies in open publication, which, with the rise of the Internet, is no longer constrained by the price of paper. Michael Shermer constraininternetlie Change image and share on social
In comparison, Google is brilliant because it uses an algorithm that ranks Web pages by the number of links to them, with those links themselves valued by the number of links to their page of origin. Michael Shermer algorithmbrilliantcomparison Change image and share on social
Flawed as they may be, science and the secular Enlightenment values expressed in Western democracies are our best hope for survival. Michael Shermer democracyenlightenmentexpress Change image and share on social
Tenure in any department is serious business, because it means, essentially, employment for life. Michael Shermer businessdepartmentemployment Change image and share on social
Providentially, learned habits can be unlearned, especially in the context of moral groups. Michael Shermer contextgrouphabit Change image and share on social
Having a Nobel Prize or being a famous scientist will get you a week to a week and a half, metaphorically speaking, of a hearing for your new idea, but after that, it's going to tank if you don't have the evidence and support for it. Michael Shermer evidencefamoushalf share on social
Dualists hold that body and soul are separate entities and that the soul will continue beyond the existence of the physical body. Michael Shermer bodycontinuedualist Change image and share on social
