The Michael Shermer Show

• Douglas Murray on Hamas, Iran, and the Collapse of the Two-State Solution

  Drawing from intensive on-the-ground reporting in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon, Douglas Murray places the latest violence in its proper historical context. He takes listeners on a harrowing journey through the aftermath of the October 7 massacre, piecing together the exclusive accounts from victims, survivors, and even the terrorists responsible for the atrocities. Douglas Murray is a bestselling author and journalist. His books include the Sunday Times number-one bestsellers The War on the West: How to Prevail in the Age of Unreason; The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity and Islam; and The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity. He has been Associate Editor and regular writer at The Spectator since 2012, and contributes to other publications, including the Wall Street Journal, The Times, the Sunday Times, the Sun, the Mail on Sunday and the New York Post. A regular guest on broadcast news channels, he has also spoken at numerous universities, parliaments, and the White House. His new book is On Democracies and Death Cults.

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• Can Politics and Truth Coexist?

  Do any of us really care about truth when it comes to politics? Should we? In a world of big lies, denialism, and conspiracy theories, democracies are experiencing two interlocked crises: a loss of confidence in democracy itself and the growing sense among many that politics is only about power—not truth. In his new book, Michael Patrick Lynch argues that truth not only can—but must—matter in politics. He shows why truth is an essential democratic value—a value we need to sustain our democratic way of life—and how it can be strengthened. Despite evidence that people are rarely motivated by truth when it comes to politics, Lynch argues that this isn’t inevitable. Contrary to the belief of many, political beliefs can be true or false. But if democracy is to continue to be a space of reason and not just an arena of power, we must build a better infrastructure of knowledge, including stronger schools and media, and renew our commitment to science and history. Michael Patrick Lynch is Provost Professor of the Humanities and Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut. Lynch is the author or editor of ten books, including Know-it-All Society, The Internet of Us, Truth as One and Many, and the New York TimesSunday Book Review Editor’s pick, True to Life. He has spoken at TED and SXSW. In 2019 he was awarded The George Orwell Award, which recognizes writers who have made outstanding contributions to the critical analysis of public discourse. His new book is On Truth in Politics: Why Democracy Demands It.

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  1:08:47

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• Michael Egnor X Christof Koch X Michael Shermer | A Debate on the Mind, Soul, and the Afterlife

  A debate on the mind, soul, consciousness, and the afterlife. Michael Egnor, MD, is Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. He received his medical degree from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University and trained in neurosurgery at the University of Miami. He has been on faculty at Stony Brook since 1991. He is the neurosurgery residency director and has served as the director of pediatric neurosurgery and as vice-chairman of neurosurgery at Stony Brook Medicine. He has a strong interest in Thomistic philosophy, philosophy of mind, neuroscience, evolution and intelligent design, and bioethics and has published and lectured extensively on these topics. His new book is The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon’s Case for the Existence of the Soul. Christof Koch is a neuroscientist at the Allen Institute and at the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation, the former president of the Allen Institute for Brain Science, and a former professor at the California Institute of Technology. Author of four previous titles—The Feeling of Life Itself: Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can’t Be Computed, Consciousness: Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist, and The Quest for Consciousness: A Neurobiological Approach—Koch writes regularly for a range of media, including Scientific American. His latest book is Then I Am Myself the World.

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  1:48:47

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• The Science Behind Menopause

  When award-winning science writer Amy Alkon was blindsided by her first hot flash, it kicked off a cascade of symptoms—drenching night sweats, insomnia, and a rage she couldn’t explain. But what shocked her more was how little real science her doctor had to offer. In this episode, Alkon shares what she uncovered in her deep dive into the research on menopause and perimenopause—the critical yet often neglected years leading up to menopause when millions of women are misdiagnosed, dismissed, or simply told to “wait it out.” Drawing from her new book Going Menopostal, she explains why so much medical advice is still based on outdated or inadequate evidence, and what women can do about it. Alkon breaks down complex science with clarity, humor, and a healthy dose of skepticism, giving listeners the tools they need to ask better questions, advocate for themselves, and get the care they deserve. Whether you’re in the thick of it or simply want to be prepared, or want to support your loved ones going through menopause, this episode will leave you informed, empowered, and maybe even laughing. Amy Alkon is an independent investigative science writer specializing in “applied science”—using scientific evidence to solve real-world problems. Alkon critically evaluates and synthesizes research across disciplines and then translates it into everyday language, empowering regular people to make scientifically informed decisions for the best of their health and well-being. For 25 years, Alkon wrote an award-winning, science-based nationally syndicated advice column, distributed by Creators. She is the author of five books—most recently, her “science-help” book Unf*ckology: How to Live with Guts and Confidence (St. Martin’s Press, 2018). She is the past President of the Applied Evolutionary Psychology Society, which brings evolutionary science to public policy, education, and medicine. Her new book is Going Menopostal: What You (And Your Doctor) Need to Know About the Real Science of Menopause and Perimenopause.

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  1:19:47

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• Andrew Doyle: Trapped Between Woke Dogma and Right-Wing Populism

  What began as a call for justice has, in many cases, become an engine of conformity. In this searching conversation, Andrew Doyle (author, satirist, and cultural critic) joins Michael Shermer to unpack the trajectory of the woke movement: from its roots in anti-bigotry and awareness to its current entanglement with censorship, identitarian dogma, and ideological rigidity. Drawing on his new book, The End of Woke Doyle traces the intellectual history of contemporary activism, explores the authoritarian impulses emerging on both the left and the right, and makes the case for a return to classical liberalism as a defense against escalating cultural tribalism. Together, Shermer and Doyle explore themes ranging from the legacy of Shakespeare and Milton, the tension between equality and meritocracy, and the broader sociopolitical dynamics shaping public discourse. This episode offers a sharp, historically grounded analysis of one of the defining cultural shifts of our time—and a call to revive liberal principles in the face of rising ideological orthodoxy. Andrew Doyle is a writer, satirist and political commentator. He was formerly a Visiting Research Fellow at Queen’s University Belfast, and a lecturer at Oxford University where he completed his doctorate in Renaissance Literature. He is the creator of satirical character Titania McGrath, under whose name he has written two books: Woke: A Guide to Social Justice and My First Little Book of Intersectional Activism, both published by Little, Brown. Titania McGrath has over half a million followers on X. His previous books include Free Speech and Why it Matters and The New Puritans: How the Religion of Social Justice Captured the Western World. His new book is The End of Woke: How the Culture War Went Too Far and What to Expect from the Counter-Revolution.

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