Michael Shermer

The Great Courses

Despite our best efforts, we are all vulnerable to believing things without using logic or having proper evidence—and it doesn’t matter how educated or well read we are. Our brains seem to be hardwired to have our beliefs come first and explanations for our beliefs second. But there’s a method for avoiding this pitfall of human nature, and it’s called skepticism. In Skepticism 101: How to Think like a Scientist, Professor Michael Shermer of Claremont Graduate University and Chapman University reveals how to apply the rational, empirical methods of skepticism to detect specious claims and faulty logic in any scenario you encounter. Over the course of 18 thought-provoking lectures that will surprise, challenge, and entertain, you will inspect everything from the methodology employed by Holocaust deniers to the biology of near-death experiences.

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