Point of Inquiry
Point of Inquiry critically examines topics in science, religion, philosophy, and politics with leading scientists, researchers, and writers.
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Steve Hill on Point of Inquiry
07/19/2024
Steve Hill on Point of Inquiry
When a business owner, ex-marine, and retired peace office is questioned and later arrested for what appear to be bigoted reasons, there should be recourse in our system of justice to right such a wrong. But Steve Hill is having a hell of a time finding help with his well-documented struggles. Should the fact that he is a black man and a member of the Satanic Temple enter into whether he is treated fairly or not – or even represented in court? Not if justice is blind and secular. Jim chats with Steve about his multi-year battle with law enforcement authorities and the courts to achieve satisfaction and find justice.
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Robert Sapolsky POI
06/04/2024
Robert Sapolsky POI
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Leo Igwe on Point of Inquiry
05/15/2024
Leo Igwe on Point of Inquiry
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There Are Definitely Atheists in Fox Holes
03/27/2024
There Are Definitely Atheists in Fox Holes
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Kate Cohen on Atheism and the Rewards of Honesty
01/31/2024
Kate Cohen on Atheism and the Rewards of Honesty
Almost 30 percent of the U.S. population is religiously unaffiliated, but only a fraction of those so-called "Nones" identify as atheist or agnostic. Fewer still feel comfortable revealing to the people in their lives that they don't believe in God. Kate Cohen was one of those people. Though she had determined that God was a human-made fiction from a young age, the challenges of navigating social pressures and familial expectations led her to "play along" with God and religion well into adulthood. But then she had children of her own, and something changed. She decided to stop pretending to believe. On this episode, Free Inquiry Editor Paul Fidalgo talks to Cohen about her new book, We of Little Faith: Why I Stopped Pretending to Believe (And Maybe You Should Too). It's the story of her evolution from closeted atheist to truth-teller that illustrates the rewards of honesty, as well as a call to action for fellow nonbelievers to embrace the truth, both for their own sake and the country’s. Kate Cohen is a columnist for the Washington Post, and a is excerpted in the of Free Inquiry magazine.
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Sarah An Myers on Secularism and the Millennial Mind
01/05/2024
Sarah An Myers on Secularism and the Millennial Mind
Members of Gen X and older grew up in an America in which being religious was the default and atheism was, as best, on the fringes. A lot has changed in the last couple of decades, and for many Millennials and members of Gen Z, being nonreligious is really no big deal. Folks in younger generations are accustomed to living among people of various religious and ethnic backgrounds, and as the percentage of Nones (the religiously unaffiliated) has risen, relatively few young Americans feel the need to explicitly identify as a nonbeliever. So what does that mean for atheism and building a secular humanist community? Sarah An Myers is a regular contributor to Free Inquiry magazine, as well as Psychology Today and other publications. She has been giving a lot of thought to these questions, and in this conversation with Free Inquiry editor Paul Fidalgo, she discusses what secular humanism might be able to offer those who don't jibe with traditional religion but are tolerant and curious about other forms of spirituality. Can a community of the rational embrace a little irrationality? You can read .
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Vaccine Hesitancy With Filmmaker Scott Kennedy
12/22/2023
Vaccine Hesitancy With Filmmaker Scott Kennedy
In 2019, Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Scott Kennedy was working on a film about the years-long anti-vaxxer movement. Filming with top public health officials–including Tony Fauci–as well as rare interviews with anti-vaccine activists who were persuading parents by the millions to refuse vaccines for their children. And then COVID hit, and further fueled immunization fears that would kill countless people. Scott chronicled the subsequent events from day one in his film, Shot in the Arm, released in late 2023. Jim's conversation with Scott about his film, his process, and his other work is testimony to the fact that there are still documentarians out there with integrity, and use their skills to bring out the truth.
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To The Temple of Tranquility, and Step on It
11/22/2023
To The Temple of Tranquility, and Step on It
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Supreme Injustice
10/23/2023
Supreme Injustice
The U.S. Supreme Court -- that over sixty years ago ruled against state-led prayer in public schools -- has swung back the other way with a vengeance. The ultra-conservative majority on the current court has reversed 60 years of progress and put the rights of non-believers in jeopardy. In this episode, Jim Underdown speaks to Nick Little, former Director of CFI's Legal department, and Eddie Tabash, Chair of the CFI Board of Directors. The two lawyers talk about the state of the court, recent decisions, and the problematic future for secular Americans.
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Dr. Juhem Navarro-Rivera on the Challenge of Rallying the Nones
10/18/2023
Dr. Juhem Navarro-Rivera on the Challenge of Rallying the Nones
The Nones are on the rise! When asked about their religious affiliation, year after year, more and more Americans are choosing “none of the above.” The number of religiously unaffiliated Americans, which includes atheists and agnostics, has been rocketing up over the past couple of decades, and today these Nones make up about one-third of the American population. But they’re not matching their religious counterparts in terms of political organization or cultivating tightly bonded communities, so what’s going on? In this episode of Point of Inquiry, Free Inquiry editor Paul Fidalgo talks to political scientist Dr. Juhem Navarro-Rivera, Political Research director and Managing Partner at Socioanalitica Research and a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Humanist Studies. His article is featured in the , and he has some important observations about the rise of the nones and what’s preventing the nonreligious from becoming a social and political force to be reckoned with.
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Getting to Know US Congressman Jared Huffman
08/09/2023
Getting to Know US Congressman Jared Huffman
Of the 535 Members of Congress, only one is an out-of-the-closet atheist. His name is Jared Huffman, and he is a U.S. Representative from Northern California. He is also the co-chair (with Rep. Jamie Raskin) of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, a group all secular Americans should know about and support. In this episode, Jim Underdown chats with the congressman about a number of different issues, including the religiosity of his fellow representatives.
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The Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project
07/19/2023
The Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project
What happens when a group of skeptics from across the globe keeps score of over twenty years of psychic predictions? Any guesses? In this episode of Point of Inquiry, host Jim Underdown speaks to Rob Palmer and Richard Saunders of the about this ambitious effort to track the accuracy of those who claim to see the future. How did the prognosticators do? Listen to this week's episode to find out!
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MG Lord on the Weird and Wonderful History of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
05/10/2023
MG Lord on the Weird and Wonderful History of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California may be the world's premiere space exploration facility. From the earliest days of rocketry, JPL has been at the vanguard of designing and building rockets and spaceships. But the lab has a colorful history, and some of its founders broke the stereotypes of what a rocket scientist might be. Satanism? Friendships with L. Ron Hubbard? The Red Scare? Those only scratch the surface of this fascinating place. And who better to talk about all this than MGLord, author of AstroTurf: The Private Life of Rocket Science, and host and creator of a podcast called Blood, Sweat, and Rockets. Host Jim Underdown chats with MG as they delve into the weird and wonderful history of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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Jennifer Michael Hecht on the Power of Poetry and the Weirdness of Existence
04/14/2023
Jennifer Michael Hecht on the Power of Poetry and the Weirdness of Existence
“Many of us who are happy to live outside religion still suffer from a lack of things religion gives its members,” writes historian and poet Jennifer Michael Hecht. “It seems to me the remedy to this suffering is a shift in the way we think about ritual and the poetry of our lives.” Hecht is our guest on this episode of Point of Inquiry. She’s the author of books such as Doubt: A History, The Happiness Myth, and Stay: A History of Suicide and the Philosophies Against It. Her most recent book is The Wonder Paradox: Embracing the Weirdness of Existence and the Poetry of our Lives. In it, she shows us how encounters with poems can help us get through our toughest moments, enrich our celebrations, and cultivate a sense of awe and meaning—all without appeals to the supernatural. In a conversation with Free Inquiry editor Paul Fidalgo, Hecht discusses how poems offer all of us—secular and religious alike—a way to think and feel more deeply, and provide us with a foundation for ritual to mark the milestones of life. And keep an eye out for the June/July 2023 issue of , which will feature an excerpt from The Wonder Paradox: “On Choosing a Code to Live By.”
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New Discovery in the Chemistry of Life
11/28/2022
New Discovery in the Chemistry of Life
Graham Cooks and his team at Purdue University have discovered a chemical process that has exciting implications for people who believe that life could have emerged spontaneously and through natural means. The idea that the building blocks of life started in a primordial ocean now has a competitor: . In this episode of Point of Inquiry, Jim Underdown speaks to chemistry professor and researcher Graham Cooks about his work in mass spectrometry and his discovery that adds an important piece of the puzzle of how life came to be. Does this find have religious implications?
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Broken Promises and False Prophets: Rina Raphael on the Business of Wellness
10/27/2022
Broken Promises and False Prophets: Rina Raphael on the Business of Wellness
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Alice Greczyn on Deconversion and Her Escape From Extremist Christianity
09/15/2022
Alice Greczyn on Deconversion and Her Escape From Extremist Christianity
Realizing the faith you've had your entire life is wrong can be devastating for some people. The process of deconversion can lead to panic attacks, depression, and more. What does it take for someone to get through that complicated process? Our guest is Alice Greczyn, author of the memoir . She's an actress, author, and founder of , which provides resources like mental health professionals, aid organizations, and peer support groups to help heal the damage from indoctrination. Her own story includes a painful but rewarding transition out of evangelical Christianity. In a conversation with Jim Underdown, Greczyn dives into her early life living in a strict religious household and how she began to see the faults of Christianity. She also details her journey of walking away from her faith completely and how she hopes to help others do the same.Greczyn recently released her memoir , read by her! You can also read her cover story published in Free Inquiry, .
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Skepticism - Behind the Scenes
08/19/2022
Skepticism - Behind the Scenes
What do we do when television shows dealing with extraordinary events focus on the ridiculous to bolster views? In today's episode, we take a behind-the-scenes look at two people with experience in the industry and what they've done to create a more focused skeptical point of view on the air. Our first guest, whose name has changed to protect their identity, currently works on magazine/news shows, where he works on booking more balanced guests, skeptic-wise, to speak about UFOs/UAPs. Jim Underdown and the guest dive into what it takes to make these kinds of shows, the conceptualization of ideas, their execution, and what's being done to inject more science into the entire process. The second guest is Steve Muscarella, who has worked on shows such as Unsolved Mysteries, Sightings, It's a Miracle, and Scariest Places on Earth. Underdown and Muscarella speak about his time working on Scariest Places on Earth, how he worked to make things "real" for the participants, and how magic, misdirection, and mentalism played a vital role in bringing it all together.
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Steven Pinker Discusses Rationality and Humanist Values
07/07/2022
Steven Pinker Discusses Rationality and Humanist Values
This special episode of Point of Inquiry is brought to you by our friends at from their new podcast, . They recently spoke with author Steven Pinker and we wanted to make this special conversation available to everyone. Even as a young teenager, Dr. Steven Pinker () prized rationality as a virtue, and considered himself an anarchist. He changed that belief, however, when evidence indicated that anarchy was not a path to human flourishing. In this special episode, a co-production with the , previous Podcast for Inquiry guest Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson returns as a co-host. Together, Lloyd and Leslie explore with Dr. Pinker whether universities are betraying their mission, how the human brain spectacularly fails while also working wonders, the loose connections between science and technology with social and moral progress, and what humanity needs to do to continue to thrive for the next 50 to 100 years.
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Timothy Caulfield on the Infodemic and Spread of Misinformation
03/24/2022
Timothy Caulfield on the Infodemic and Spread of Misinformation
This week's episode is a bit different. Please enjoy a talk from Timothy Caulfield that originally aired on Skeptical Inquirer Presents. SIP is a live online series of talks from some of the brightest minds in the reality based community and is just one of the many great shows that the Center for Inquiry produces. This recent episode of the series featured Timothy Caulfield where he was presented with the Robert P. Balles Annual Prize in Critical Thinking. Afterwards, Caulfield gave an informative talk on the state of the infodemic of misinformation, what we've learned, and ways to deal with the problem. It was something we thought fans of Point of Inquiry would enjoy! The spread of misinformation seems to intensify with each passing week. From social media to cable news to popular podcasts, science-free bunk is everywhere. The ongoing “infodemic” is doing tangible harm to public health, public discourse, and public trust. So...what can we do about it? Timothy Caulfield is the bestselling author of Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong about Everything? and host of the acclaimed Netflix documentary series A User’s Guide to Cheating Death.
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Kelly Weill on Flat-Earthers and Why People Will Believe Anything
02/28/2022
Kelly Weill on Flat-Earthers and Why People Will Believe Anything
In this week's episode, we are diving into the flat-earth conspiracy theory and why people could believe such a thing with guest Kelly Weill and her new book, . In 2019 Jim Underdown and the where they designed a series of experiments to show that the earth is indeed not flat. CFIIG's conducted their experiment in front of over a dozen flat-earthers. Even in the face of conflicting evidence to their own beliefs, the flat-earthers held firm in their claims. Underdown and Weill speak about her new book, the history of the flat-earth conspiracy dating back to the 1830s, and the desire to belong to a community, which Weill saw as a reason some flat-earthers join the movement. Also, the role media and emerging technologies play in helping conspiracists spread their messages. You can also read Weill's Kelly Weill is a journalist at the Daily Beast, where she covers extremism, disinformation, and the internet. As a leading media voice on the role of online conspiracy theories in current affairs, she has discussed Flat Earth and other digital fringes on ABC's Nightline, CNN, Al Jazeera, and other national and international news outlets. You can find Kelly on Twitter
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Living on Life's Edge | Carl Zimmer on The Search for What It Means to Be Alive
12/22/2021
Living on Life's Edge | Carl Zimmer on The Search for What It Means to Be Alive
What does it mean to be alive? Does life have a clear definition? On this week's episode, Carl Zimmer joins host Jim Underdown to discuss his new book, Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive to help answer those questions. Can we clearly define what it means to be alive? Scientists have been struggling with this question for centuries. For every rule or idea that's brought to the table, it seems a new species of plant or animal comes along that turns the whole thing on its head. For example, tardigrades, everyone's favorite microorganisms, are able to put themselves into a kind of suspended animation that stops their metabolization. Are they alive or dead at that point? Zimmer speaks about tardigrades and their special cryptobiosis, the intelligence of slime molds, and where viruses fit in the question of life. Carl Zimmer is an award-winning New York Times columnist and the author of fourteen books about science. His newest book is (, , or .) You can find Zimmer on twitter @.
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The Case That Jesus Never Existed
12/02/2021
The Case That Jesus Never Existed
Christians believe that Jesus was the son of God who walked the Earth as a human being. Some Atheists believe none of the God bits but that there was a man named Jesus who did exist. There is also an ever growing community who believe Jesus did not exist at all. Not as the son of God nor as a man. On today's episode we speak to someone with evidence to support the claim of Jesus never existing. Duke Mertz joins host Jim Underdown to speak about his work on the subject of Jesus namely his Free Inquiry article, . They speak about what led Duke to undergo his research into this controversial topic as they dive into the substance of Mertz's claims. Core to these claims is the story of Christ fundamentally serves as a passion drama for the time. Mertz also provides details on the inaccuracies found throughout the holy text. Mertz has also provided Point of Inquiry listeners with a PDF of his book, The Quest for the Mythical Jesus, as a companion piece to this podcast. Eugene “Duke” Mertz is a columnist for Free Inquiry and author. Duke Mertz took an early retirement from a career in finance to work with nonprofit organizations and to write. He is currently vice president of the Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation Board of Trustees in Chandler, Arizona.
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David McAfee - Hi, I'm an Atheist!
11/08/2021
David McAfee - Hi, I'm an Atheist!
On today's episode we introduce the show's new guest host, Julia Sweeney and her interview with author David G. McAfee on his new book, McAfee and Sweeney speak about the new book, how it helped Sweeney get back in touch with her atheism roots, his journey being raised in a religious household and becoming a non-believer, his challenges as an atheist in a Religious Studies program, what he sees in the bible from a literary perspective rather than from the perspective of a devout christian, and the role religion has in society. David G. McAfee is a journalist, religious studies scholar, and author of Disproving Christianity and other Secular Writings, as well as a contributor to American Atheist magazine. McAfee attended University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduated with a dual-degree in English and Religious Studies with an emphasis on Christianity and Mediterranean religions. He lives in California. Julia Sweeney is known for her work on Saturday Night Live and as a pioneer for atheism. Her inspiring one-person stage show, Letting Go of God, chronicles her personal journey from Catholicism to atheism. In addition to being an actress Sweeney is a new addition to the Center for Inquiry board.
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Science Denial - Why It Happens and What to Do About It
09/28/2021
Science Denial - Why It Happens and What to Do About It
Throughout the modern world trust in science has continued to erode at dangerous speeds. From anti-vaxxers to climate change deniers, there is an ever growing movement of people that deny science at the peril of us all. The shift towards a public with increasing lack of scientific literacy and critical-thinking skills combined with the proliferation of online misinformation and disinformation and social media algorithms that reinforce ingrained worldviews has caused a situation that is out of control. On this episode of Point of Inquiry we speak with Gale Sinatra and Barbara Hofer on their new book, . Sinatra and Hofer speak about their decades of research and work on science, scientific literacy, and how humans think and acquire knowledge, how "doing your own research" is explicitly not simply conducting a Google search. They also go into some of the psychological explanations for why people deny science and what everyone can do to help stem the tide. Gale M. Sinatra is the Stephen H. Crocker Professor of Education and Psychology at the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California, where she directs the Motivated Change Research Lab. She received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She has been recognized by the American Educational Research Association for career achievements in research with the Sylvia Scribner Award. She resides in Altadena, California. Barbara K. Hofer is a Professor of Psychology Emerita at Middlebury College and is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. She received her Ph.D. in psychology and education from the University of Michigan and an Ed.M. in human development from Harvard University. She is the recipient of national awards for both research and teaching, from the American Educational Research Association and the American Psychological Association. She lives in Middlebury, Vermont.
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Banachek - From the Inside of Being a Mentalist
08/12/2021
Banachek - From the Inside of Being a Mentalist
It’s a rare person indeed who can trick and amaze people on one hand while reassuring them that what they are experiencing is not real. Meet . He’s not only an illusionist, magician, mentalist extraordinaire, he’s a skeptic’s skeptic who for decades has been instrumental in exposing fraud and deception. In this episode of Point of Inquiry, Jim talks to Banacek about his life as a performer, investigator, and man on a mission. Banchek talks about what led him into magic and mentalism, his relationship with James Randi, his new show at the Stratosphere, and more. For more information about Banacek, or to get tickets to his mentalism show at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, visit This Week’s Music / /
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How to Live a Good Life With Massimo Pigliucci and Skye Cleary
07/15/2021
How to Live a Good Life With Massimo Pigliucci and Skye Cleary
Have you ever been curious about what other people believe in or how they navigate the ethical challenges of life? Ancient philosophy was partly used as a way to better understand the best way to live life. In this episode of Point of Inquiry, Jim Underdown talks to two of the editors of . The book is a collection of essays by fifteen philosophers describing what it means to live according to a philosophy of life. These philosophies range from Eastern traditions like Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, Western beliefs like Stoicism, and contemporary philosophies such as existentialism and effective altruism. Massimo Pigliucci and Skye Cleary, who also wrote chapters for the book, discuss the book, what led to its creation, their specialties of Stoicism and Existentialism (respectively.), and how they incorporate their philosophical beliefs in their day to day lives. The book and this interview provide a beginner’s guide on choosing a philosophy and ways to live those beliefs out in the real world. Massimo Pigliucci is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York and was formerly a biology professor at Stony Brook University. His research interests include the philosophy of biology, the relationship between science and philosophy, the nature of pseudoscience, and the practical philosophy of Stoicism. Skye C. Cleary PhD MBA is a philosopher and author of Existentialism and Romantic Love (Palgrave Macmillan 2015). She teaches at Columbia University, Barnard College, the City University of New York, and previously at ThinkOlio, the New York Public Library, and in a prison.
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The Rise of the Nones with Ryan Burge
07/01/2021
The Rise of the Nones with Ryan Burge
A question on the minds of many theists and non-theists alike is why are so many Americans leaving religion and becoming religiously unaffiliated? What are the underlying factors causing this shift? In today's episode we dive into what the data shows about this movement with Ryan Burge, author of the new book (Fortress Press, 2021). Ryan speaks about how the field of social science is changing with the improvements made to surveying, the underlying causes moving people to become less religiously affiliated, unpacking why America has been so historically religious compared to other countries, how religious economy theory fits into this the rise of the nones, and the role the internet has played in shifting people away from religion. Ryan Burge is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and Graduate Coordinator at Eastern Illinois University and a pastor in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.
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Greg Paul on the Lost Children and the Implications of Natural Evil
06/10/2021
Greg Paul on the Lost Children and the Implications of Natural Evil
today's guest Greg Paul makes the case that a loving God cannot possibly exist next to all the suffering and death, children have had to endure throughout human history. In his piece, he claims this fact has the, "...potential to accelerate the already rapid decline of the illusion that is theism." On today's episode we speak with Greg Paul on what lead him to start looking into this idea, some of the various factors causing the decline of religion throughout the world, what happened after he published his findings in the Philosophy & Theology journal, and the link he sees between the religious right's stance against abortion and their hypocrisy. Greg Paul is a researcher, author, and paleoartist. His articles and artwork have appeared in Time, U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Science, Nature, National Geographic, Discover, Scientific American, Natural History and Smithsonian.
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Inside the Group Investigating Extraordinary Paranormal and Supernatural Claims
05/27/2021
Inside the Group Investigating Extraordinary Paranormal and Supernatural Claims
tests extraordinary claims from anyone who believes they have paranormal or supernatural abilities like telekinesis, mind reading, and many otherworldly talents. The group offers a for anyone able to prove a paranormal ability under mutually agreed upon test conditions. The group then reports on each of these investigations including the details of the claims, the parameters of the tests, and findings or lack thereof. KtLBKzbVQ9VBRiSA1NlE The Center for Inquiry Investigations Group combines the principles of skepticism and practical science to debunk and disprove the existence of psychic powers, hauntings, and various paranormal claims. In this episode, co-host and Chair of the Investigations Group Jim Underdown speaks with members of the group to explore why they joined the group, details of past investigations, and the importance of the work.Inside the Group Putting Paranormal and Supernatural Claims to the Test
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