Michael Shermer

Michael Shermer (born September 8, 1954 in Glendale, California) is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating and debunking pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. Image File history File links MichaelShermer1. ... Image File history File links MichaelShermer1. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: The Jewel City Location of Glendale within Los Angeles County and the State of California. ... The Skeptics Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting scientific skepticism and resisting the spread of pseudoscience, superstition, and irrational beliefs. ... The Skeptics Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting scientific skepticism and resisting the spread of pseudoscience, superstition, and irrational beliefs. ... Phrenology is regarded today as a classic example of pseudoscience. ... Look up Supernatural in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Shermer is also the producer and co-host of the 13-hour Fox Family television series "Exploring the Unknown" and since April 2004 is a monthly columnist for Scientific American magazine with his Skeptic column. Shermer was once a fundamentalist Christian, but according to his book The Science of Good and Evil, is now an agnostic and an advocate for humanist philosophy. Fox Family was a cable channel in the United States (launched August 15, 1998) that aired shows from Fox Kids programming block such as Storytime with Thomas and The Three Friends and Jerry. ... Scientific American is a popular-science magazine, published (first weekly and later monthly) since August 28, 1845, making it the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States. ... Skepticism (Commonwealth spelling: Scepticism) can mean: Philosophical skepticism - a philosophical position in which people choose to critically examine whether the knowledge and perceptions that they have are actually true, and whether or not one can ever be said to have absolutely true knowledge; or Scientific skepticism - a scientific, or practical... Fundamentalist Christianity, or Christian fundamentalism, is a movement that arose mainly within British and American Protestantism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by conservative evangelical Christians, who, in a reaction to modernism, actively affirmed a fundamental set of Christian beliefs: the inerrancy of the Bible, Sola Scriptura, the... The term agnosticism and the related agnostic were coined by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869. ... Humanism[1] is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appeal to universal human qualities—particularly rationalism. ...

Early life and education

Michael Shermer received his bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University in 1976 in Psychology/Biology, his master's degree from California State University, Fullerton in Experimental Psychology two years later, and his Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University in History of Science in 1991 (with a dissertation entitled "Heretic-Scientist: Alfred Russel Wallace and the Evolution of Man: A Study on the Nature of Historical Change").^[1] A bachelors degree (Artium Baccalaureus, A.B. or B.A.) is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three, four, or in some cases and countries, five or six years. ... Pepperdine University is a private institution of higher learning affiliated with the Church of Christ. ... Psychology is an academic or applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes such as perception, cognition, emotion, personality, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate (or graduate) course of one to three years in duration. ... California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), often referred to as Fullerton State or Cal State Fullerton, is a part of the California State University System. ... Experimental psychology is an approach to psychology that treats it as one of the natural sciences, and therefore assumes that it is susceptible to the experimental method. ... Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated Ph. ... {{Infobox_University |name = Claremont Graduate University |image = [[Image:]] |motto = |established = 1925 |type = Private |president = |city = Claremont |state = [[California |country = USA |grad = 2,033 |campus = Urban, 19 acres/ ha |mascot = |website= www. ... Science is a body of empirical and theoretical knowledge, produced by a global community of researchers, making use of specific techniques for the observation and explanation of real phenomena, this techne summed up under the banner of scientific method. ... Alfred Russel Wallace, OM, FRS (January 8, 1823 – November 7, 1913) was a British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist. ...

Shermer wrote, "I became a skeptic on Saturday, August 6, 1983, on the long climbing road to Loveland Pass, Colorado after months of training under the guidance of a 'nutritionist' with an unaccredited Ph.D."^[2] After years of practicing acupuncture, chiropractic and massage therapy, negative ions, rolfing, pyramid power, fundamentalist Christianity, and "a host of weird things" (with the exception of drugs) to improve his life and training, Shermer stopped rationalizing the failure of these practices.^[3] Loveland Pass, elevation 11,990 ft (3,655 m), is a high mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States. ... Accreditation is a process by which a facilitys services and operations are examined by a third-party accrediting agency to determine if applicable standards are met. ... Acupuncture chart from Hua Shou (fl. ... Chiropractic is a complementary and alternative health care profession with the purpose of diagnosing and treating mechanical disorders of the spine and musculoskeletal system with the intention of affecting the nervous system and improving health. ... In alternative medicine, body work or massage therapy refers to any treatment which involves some form of touching or physical manipulation. ... An ion is an atom or group of atoms that normally are electrically neutral and achieve their status as an ion by loss (or addition) of (an) electron(s). ... Rolfing, also known as Structural Integration, is a codified series of soft tissue manipulation, which purports to organize soft tissue relationships, with the objectives of realigning the body structurally and harmonizing its fundamental movement patterns. ... The term pyramid power was coined by Patrick Flanagan in 1973, to describe alleged supernatural properties of the ancient Egyptian pyramids and scale models thereof. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ...

Shermer began his undergraduate studies at Pepperdine University, initially majoring in Christian theology, later switching to psychology.^[4] However, his graduate studies in experimental psychology at California State University, Fullerton led to many after class discussions with professors Bayard Brattstrom and Meg White, which is when his "Christian icthus got away, and with it my religion."^[5] Theology (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογια, logia, words, sayings, or discourse) is reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... The ichthys or fish symbol represents Christianity Ichthys (Greek: ; also transliterated and latinized as ichthys, icthus, ichthus or ikhthus; ichthus, spelled: Iota Chi Theta Upsilon Sigma), is the Ancient and Classical Greek word for fish. ...

Published works and ideas

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Michael Shermer

Shermer is the author of several books that attempt to explain the ubiquity of irrational or poorly substantiated beliefs. In 1997 he wrote Why People Believe Weird Things, which explores a variety of "weird" ideas and groups (including cults), in the tradition of the skeptical writings of Martin Gardner. Image File history File links Wikiquote-logo-en. ... Wikiquote is a sister project of Wikipedia, using the same MediaWiki software. ... Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time is a book by Michael Shermer published in 1997 by Henry Holt and Company ISBN 0805070893. ... Martin Gardner (b. ...

In How We Believe: The Search for God in an Age of Science, Shermer explored the psychology behind the belief in God. In the introduction Shermer wrote "Never in history have so many, and such a high percentage of the population, believed in God. Not only is God not dead as Nietzsche proclaimed, but he has never been more alive."

In 2002 Shermer and Alex Grobman wrote Denying History: Who Says the Holocaust Never Happened and Why Do They Say It? to explore, discuss and refute Holocaust denial. The book recounts meeting various denialists and concludes that free speech is the best way to deal with pseudohistory. Richard Harwoods Did Six Million Really Die? Holocaust denial is the claim that the mainstream historical version of the Holocaust is either highly exaggerated or completely falsified. ... Pseudohistory is a pejorative term applied to texts which purport to be historical in nature but which depart from standard historiographical conventions in a way which undermines their conclusions. ...

In May 2004 Shermer debated young Earth creationist Kent Hovind at UC Irvine, and spoke to defend evolution before a predominantly creationist audience. However, in his online reflection of the debate while explaining he won the debate with intellectual and scientific evidence he felt it was "not an intellectual exercise," but rather it was "an emotional drama."^[6] While receiving positive responses from creationist observers Shermer concluded "Unless there is a subject that is truly debatable (evolution v. creation is not), with a format that is fair, in a forum that is balanced, it only serves to belittle both the magisterium of science and the magisterium of religion."^[6] ... Kent E. Hovind (born January 15, 1953) is an American evangelist and prominent Young Earth creationist who is serving a ten-year term in U.S. federal prison for 58 tax offenses, obstructing federal agents and related charges. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ... Creationism is generally the belief that the universe was created by a deity, or alternatively by one or more powerful and intelligent beings. ...

In his 2006 book Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design, Shermer marshals point-by-point arguments supporting evolution, sharply criticizing Intelligent Design. The book also argues that science cannot invalidate religion, and that Christians and conservatives can and should accept evolution. This article is about evolution in biology. ... For other uses, see Intelligent design (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Christianity. ... This article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ...

In June 2006, Shermer, who formerly expressed skepticism regarding the mainstream scientific view on global warming, wrote that, in view of the accumulation of evidence, this position is no longer tenable.^[7] Global mean surface temperatures 1850 to 2006 Mean surface temperature anomalies during the period 1995 to 2004 with respect to the average temperatures from 1940 to 1980 Global warming is the observed increase in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and oceans in recent decades and the projected...

In January of 2007, Shermer's Skeptic Magazine published an article about how the park workers at Grand Canyon National Park could not discuss the age of the canyon with visitors. This story was based on a report by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and was false, as Skeptic Magazine reported later. Skeptic Magazine in its retraction noted "Unfortunately, in our eagerness to find additional examples of the inappropriate intrusion of religion in American public life (as if we actually needed more), we accepted this claim by PEER without calling the National Park Service (NPS) or the Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) to check it."^[8] Grand Canyon National Park is one of the United States oldest national parks and is located in Arizona. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Trivia

• Shermer made a guest appearance in a 2004 episode of Penn & Teller's: Bullshit!, in which he argued that the Bible was "mythic storytelling" and that literal interpretation of events described therein would be "to miss the point of the Bible."[1] His stance was supported by the show's hosts, whose atheist position is well known. The episode in question, The Bible: Fact or Fiction?, sought to debunk the notion that the Bible is an empirically reliable historical record. Opposing Shermer was Dr. Paul Maier, professor of ancient history at Western Michigan University.
• In 1995 Shermer appeared on Oprah challenging Rosemary Altea's psychic claims, and appeared on Donahue in 1994 to respond to David Cole's Holocaust denial claims.

Michael Shermer, Cycling enthusiast

• Shermer is a cycling enthusiast and was once a marathon bicycle racer; he helped found the Race Across America and competed several times. He has produced several documentaries on cycling.
• Shermer has a wife, Kim Shermer, and a daughter, Devin Shermer.
• Shermer speaks Spanish and French fluently.

Mr. Shermer is a popular guest on the skeptical podcast Skepticality. Penn (left) & Teller Penn & Teller are an illusionist and comedy duo from the United States. ... Bullshit! (also known as Penn & Teller: Bullshit!) is an American, Emmy-nominated documentary television series, running since 2003 on the premium cable channel Showtime. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... For information about the band, see Atheist (band). ... In philosophy generally, empiricism is a theory of knowledge emphasizing the role of experience in the formation of ideas, while discounting the notion of innate ideas. ... Paul L. Maier is the Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University. ... Western Michigan University (abbr. ... Rosemary Altea is a self proclaimed psychic and author. ... Phil Donahue Phillip John Donahue (b. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (480x651, 85 KB) Michael Shermer, cycling enthusiast. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (480x651, 85 KB) Michael Shermer, cycling enthusiast. ... Police officer on a bicycle Cycling is a recreation, a sport and a means of transport across land. ... The Race Across America, or RAAM, is an ultra marathon bicycle race across the USA that started in 1982 as the Great American Bike Race. ... An orange square with waves indicates that an RSS feed is present on a web page. ... Skepticality is a popular podcast which explores rational thought, skeptical ideas, and famous myths from around the world, throughout history. ...

List of published works

• Sport Cycling: A Guide to Training, Racing, and Endurance 1985 ISBN 0-8092-5244-9
• Cycling: Endurance and Speed (Sportsperformance) 1987 ISBN 0-8092-4775-5
• Teach Your Child Science 1989 ISBN 0-929923-08-1
• Teach Your Child Math and Mathemagics 1999 ISBN 0-7373-0134-1
• The Borderlands of Science: Where Sense Meets Nonsense 2001 ISBN 0-19-514326-4
• How We Believe: The Search for God in an Age of Science 2001 ISBN 0-613-35413-3
• The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience (ed.) 2002 ISBN 1-576-07653-9
• Denying History: Who Says the Holocaust Never Happened and Why Do They Say It? 2002 ISBN 0-520-23469-3
• In Darwin's Shadow: The Life and Science of Alfred Russel Wallace: A Biographical Study on the Psychology of History 2002 ISBN 0-19-514830-4
• Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time. (2nd Revision edition) 2002 ISBN 0-8050-7089-3
• The Science of Good and Evil: Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule 2004 ISBN 0-8050-7520-8
• Science Friction : Where the Known Meets the Unknown 2005 ISBN 0-8050-7708-1
• Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design 2006 ISBN 978-0-8050-8121-3

The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience is a collection of articles that discuss the Skeptics Societys scientific findings of investigations into popular pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. ...

List of Skeptic columns published in Scientific American

Media appearances

• Penn & Teller's Bullshit! on "The Bible: Fact or Fiction?" (2004)
• Exploring the Unknown (1999) TV Series
• The Power of Belief (TV) (ABC News) (1998)
• 20/20 (ABC News) (with John Edward) (December 5, 2003)

Penn (left) & Teller Penn & Teller are an illusionist and comedy duo from the United States. ... Bullshit! (also known as Penn & Teller: Bullshit!) is an American, Emmy-nominated documentary television series, running since 2003 on the premium cable channel Showtime. ... This is a list of all Bullshit! episodes. ... The Power of Belief was a ABC News Special aired on October 6, 1998 hosted by John Stossel. ... This article is about the television show. ... John Edward McGee Jr. ...

References

The Skeptics Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting scientific skepticism and resisting the spread of pseudoscience, superstition, and irrational beliefs. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Skeptics Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting scientific skepticism and resisting the spread of pseudoscience, superstition, and irrational beliefs. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Scientific American is a popular-science magazine, published (first weekly and later monthly) since August 28, 1845, making it the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Skeptics Society is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting scientific skepticism and resisting the spread of pseudoscience, superstition, and irrational beliefs. ...

External links

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• Skeptic.com – Official website of The Skeptics Society and Skeptic Magazine
• Skepticality – Official podcast of The Skeptics Society and Skeptic Magazine
• "Nano Nonsense and Cryonics True believers seek redemption from the sin of death"
• Multimedia files featuring Michael Shermer
• A Who's Who of Media Skeptics
• Video of Michael Shermer at the 2006 TED Conference. (17 mins)
• Skeptiko Audio Interview: Darwin, Evolution and Creativity, February 14, 2007