Cosmic Queries – Why do we believe conspiracy theories? with Michael Shermer
1 November 2022 - 53 minsWhy do rational people believe irrational things? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice break down media literacy, the psychology behind conspiracy theories, and how to combat our cognitive biases with author and science historian, Michael Shermer.
NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.
Thanks to our Patrons Zachary Vex, Alexandru Dolipschi, Chris Knopp, Gianni Gaetano, and D'Angelo Garcia for supporting us this week.
Photo Credit: Charlie Duke, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Series Episodes
The Science of Revenge with James Kimmel Jr.
Are we addicted… to revenge? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly break down the neuroscience behind revenge-seeking, what motivates violence, and how science can help stop it with James Kimmel Jr., lawyer, psychiatry lecturer at Yale School of Medicine, and author of “The Science of Revenge.”
1 hour 3 mins
27 June Finished
The Philosophy of Physics with Elise Crull
What happens when physics meets the big questions of philosophy? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice sit down with Elise Crull, philosopher of physics at CUNY and author of The Einstein Paradox, to explore physics, philosophy, and how thought experiments shape real science.
49 mins
24 June Finished
Fixing the Internet with Harleen Kaur (Bonus Minisode)
Can we fix the news? On this minisode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Gary O’Reilly sit down with Harleen Kaur, former space engineer and founder of Ground News, to explore our current media landscape, navigating bias, and fixing the internet.
36 mins
20 June Finished
Consider a Spherical Cow with Lara Anderson
What is string theory, really? Why does it need extra dimensions? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice welcome theoretical physicist and mathematician Lara Anderson to guide us through string theory, higher dimensions, and finding a unifying theory of everything.
1 hour 3 mins
17 June Finished
Cosmic Queries – Dimensional Leaking
Is the whole universe actually a jinn particle? Neil deGrasse Tyson and cohosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly hang out with astrophysicist Charles Liu to answer questions about the nature of gravity, dark matter, and why we don’t actually know how the solar corona gets hot.
44 mins
13 June Finished
Cosmic Queries – Renaming Time
Can you measure time without something moving? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice tackle your cosmic questions, from the Silurian Hypothesis to singularities to the edge of the known universe.
37 mins
10 June Finished
