AccentExplorer #12: Michael Shermer on Conspiracy Theories, Real Conspiracies, and How to Distinguish Them

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founding Publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the podcast The Michael Shermer Show, a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, and the author of numerous New York Times bestsellers. Watch this episode with visual aid at www.YouTube.com/theaccentpodcast, and enjoy many more unpublished episodes.  

Dr. Shermer's books: Conspiracy: https://amzn.to/43cPsll

Why People Believe Weird Things: https://amzn.to/45bkRX4

The Believing Brain: https://amzn.to/3MquA4c

Support The Accent on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theaccentpodcast 

TIMESTAMPS 

01:35 The First Recorded Conspiracy Theory

04:05 Defining Conspiracy Theory and Who Falls for Them

12:40 The Umbrella Man – JFK Conspiracy

15:15 The 9/11 Conspiracy

17:20 Types of Conspiracy Theories (OJ Simpson)

22:25 Where there is smoke, there is fire

26:55 The Deep State

30:35 Changing Mind on Conspiracy Theories and UFOs pictures

35:15 The Skeptic Society

37:25 ChatGPT

39:25 Backward Masking

42:50 How to think like a Scientist

47:40 Social Media’s Role in Conspiracy Theories

49:50 Being Michael Shermer