Episodes: 645
Frequency: Several times a week
Rating: 4.4/5.0
Estimated listeners: 10,000 - 100,000
Gender skew: Male
Listener location: USA
YouTube: 135.0k subscribers
Page updated: Oct 28, 2026 · How we check this data
Publicly listed emails
sciencesalon@skeptic.com
office@skeptic.com
donations@skeptic.com
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Michael Shermer - Science writer, historian of science, author, founder of the Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of Skeptic magazine.
Avshalom Elitzur - Consciousness, Quantum Mechanics, Subjective Experience, Artificial Intelligence, And Whether Consciousness Requires Changes To The Laws Of Physics.
Jared Diamond - The Role Of Individuals In Shaping History, Leadership, Historical Causation, And Whether Major Events Depend On Particular People.
Gerald Posner - The Intelligence And Security Failures Preceding The September 11 Attacks, Government Secrecy, And Evidence Surrounding Conspiracy Theories.
Christian B. Miller - Moral Character, Honesty, Cheating, Reputation, And The Challenges Of Preserving Honesty In Modern Society.
Stuart Firestein - Uncertainty, Free Will, Randomness, Scientific Progress, Replication, Probability, Prediction, And Communicating Scientific Uncertainty.
Why Consciousness Needs a Body
October 17, 2026
Why does being alive feel like something? Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio argues that the answer begins with the body's need to stay alive. Hunger, thirst, pain, and pleasure tell us how we're doing and push us to act. These basic feelings, he says, are the foundation of consciousness. Damasio returns to the show to discuss his new book, Natural Intelligence and the Logic of Consciousness, why feelings and emotions are different, what your dog knows about you, and why he thinks Francis Crick l...
Racism and White Guilt: Has America Changed More Than We Admit? | Shelby Steele & Eli Steele
October 10, 2026
Can fighting racism end up reinforcing it? Shelby Steele grew up under segregation and became a Black militant in the 1960s. Today, he argues that White guilt has created a different racial problem: treating Black Americans as permanent victims who cannot succeed without White help. Shelby and his son, filmmaker Eli Steele, join Michael Shermer to discuss White Guilt, their new documentary about Shelby's life and America's changing racial politics. Shelby recalls a university colleague wh...
Would You Want to Know If You Were Wrong?
September 28, 2026
What do you make of an experience you can't explain? A strange light in the sky, a book flying off a desk, a coincidence that feels too improbable to be chance? Social psychologist Barry Markovsky joins Michael Shermer to discuss his new book Everyday Extraordinary and the experiences that have kept him studying paranormal beliefs for decades—including his own childhood UFO sighting and a supposedly haunted vape shop. Markovsky explains how friends, communities, and our sense of who we are sh...
Serious Inquiries Only · Medium booking difficulty · 10,000 - 100,000 listeners
The Human Experience Podcast · High booking difficulty · 1,000 - 10,000 listeners
In Our Time · Very high booking difficulty · 100,000 - 1M listeners
Chasing Consciousness · High booking difficulty · 1,000 - 10,000 listeners
The James Finochio Show · Low booking difficulty · 100 - 1,000 listeners
The Michael Shermer Show is hosted by Michael Shermer. Its publicly listed emails are sciencesalon@skeptic.com, office@skeptic.com, and donations@skeptic.com. For guest bookings, the host or producer is usually the best person to reach. Podseeker helps you find direct host and producer contacts and pitch from your own inbox.
The publicly listed emails for The Michael Shermer Show: sciencesalon@skeptic.com, office@skeptic.com, and donations@skeptic.com.
Podseeker estimates The Michael Shermer Show reaches 10,000 to 100,000 listeners per episode. Only the publisher has exact numbers.
The Michael Shermer Show typically books well-known public figures. Typical guest background: Distinguished professors, leading scientists, philosophers, historians, scholars, investigative journalists, and authors with substantial published work or recognized expertise in their fields. Common among recent guests: Author of notable or timely books; Major academic appointments; Prestigious fellowships or professional honors. Recent guests include Avshalom Elitzur, Jared Diamond, and Gerald Posner.
Very high. It mostly books well-known names.
Recent episodes cover Science, Skepticism, Philosophy, History, and Consciousness. Pitch an idea tied to one of these topics and mention a recent episode.
From public sources and our own research: podcast websites, social profiles, podcast feeds, and our data team. Podcast feeds and episodes are checked daily, and details like contacts, recent guests, and booking difficulty are refreshed regularly.
If something here is out of date, ask us to correct it through Podseeker's contact form at podseeker.co/contact. Our research team reviews every request and updates the listing.
Publicly listed emails
sciencesalon@skeptic.com
office@skeptic.com
donations@skeptic.com
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