Daniel C. Dennett is many things.

Author of sixteen books, including his latest in May, Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking. Eramus Prize-winning philosopher. One of the so-called Horsemen of the New Atheist movement alongside such widely-read writers as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and the late Christopher Hitchens. And now, perhaps even more prestigiously, a two-time returning guest on Point of Inquiry.

Indre Viskontas sat down with the titan of thought himself to delve into everything from human (and not-so-human) cognition to the very idea of free will. Here are some highlights.

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Dennett on whether it’s actually possible to build an artificial intelligence:

“Absolutely. Sure. Possible. Unlikely, very unlikely. Just because the perplexities are staggering. It’s very hard to keep track of just how complicated this would be to do but in principle, you could do it. ”

On his definition of free will:

“Free will is moral competence of the following sort: a person, an agent, has free will who is well informed and has well-ordered desires and preferences, who is good at detecting when he or she is being manipulated by other agents, and is good at protecting itself from manipulation by others. And also, in order to have free will in the requisite sense, you got to have - as the card players say - you’ve got to have skin in the game. You’ve gotta be punishable.”

And lastly, a rule of thumb that any skeptic should take into consideration:

“Sturgeon’s Law is that 90% of everything is crap. And that’s true whether you’re talking about physics or chemistry or evolutionary psychology or sociology…90% of everything is crap, so don’t waste our time and yours hooting at the crap. Go for the good stuff. If you want to criticize something, and there are many things that deserve criticism, do not abuse your privilege of the floor wasting our time and yours by pointing out the dismal features of the worst stuff at the bottom of the barrel. It just shows that you’re not serious. If you’re serious, go after the very best stuff.”

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As lyrical as Dennett can be, it’s easy to see why our POI listeners loved this week’s episode. Of course, seeing as they’re POI listeners, it’s also easy (and great) to see why they’re more than willing to debate some of his finer points. That’s why this comment of the week goes to JT, who decided to offer a response to Dennett’s earlier mentioned definition of free will. As the full comment is a bit lengthy, here’s an excerpt:

“Finally, framing free will in terms of moral competency seems a bit narrowing. Certainly there are many important choices we make in life that have no moral implications.”

The entire post, located on this episode’s comments section, is certainly worth checking out.

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That’s all for this week.

As always, feel free to buy some of our brilliant guest’s sixteen wonderful books through POI’s website, and look for Dan Dennett elsewhere just about everywhere.

If you want to stay up-to-date on the latest POI news and episodes, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. You can also follow the great Indre Viskontas on her Twitter.

Thanks for tuning in and we’ll see you next time.

Photo credit: Peter Yang/August

With the uncovering of real-life government secrets being kept from the greater public last week, it’s perhaps all too eerie
that POI just played host to a cognitive psychologist who’s spent years
studying people who believe - among other things - in the all-knowing
conspiratorial powers of the U.S. government.

Though long having researched memory and cognition, University of Western Australia professor Stephan Lewandowsky is nowadays probably best known for his catchily named study profiling climate change skeptics in 2012, NASA faked the moon landing-therefore (climate) science is a hoax: An anatomy of the motivated rejection of science.

Chris got to sit down with Lewandowsky right in the heart of the Capitol to pick his brain about what science says makes a conspiracy theorist tick. Here are some highlights.

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Lewandowsky on what exactly constitutes a conspiracy theory:

“So, one of the characteristics of conspiratorial thinking is that it is self-sealing. That’s what we call it. And that means that any evidence to the contrary, any evidence against the conspiracy is interpreted to be an actual fact evidenced FOR the conspiracy. So basically what happens is that the circle of conspirators is broadened whenever there is evidence to the contrary.”

On why we believe them:

“But don’t forgot it offers comfort. I said this before - that having an enemy, being able to label something as an enemy, paradoxically can give you a sense of comfort and control…it explains absolutely everything.”

And lastly, on what to do about them:

“So rather than engaging with conspiracy theorists, which is completely impossible - there’s absolutely no point in having a discussion with someone who thinks that 9/11 was a inside job, you know? You get into the weeds and you’ll never come out. Rather than doing that, I think it is very important to talk to the vast majority of people who do not engage in conspiratorial thinking and to address messages to those people.”

—

Heated is about the best word you can use to describe the comments on this episode, with plenty making sure to voice their own opinions of Lewandowsky’s body of work. Still, this episode’s top comment has to go to commentator MOM, who nailed the cold hard truth standing right in front of us the whole time:

“I think this study is a government conspiracy to take our attention away from all the other conspiracies!  ”

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That’s all for this week but don’t forget to check out the full super-sized episode linked here. You can also find more by Stephan Lewandosky on his blog network at Shaping Tomorrow’s World, a critical look at the intersection between science and government policy in Australia and the world. And here’s a link to his provocative study.

As always, check up on our Facebook and Twitter to stay current on POI news, updates and upcoming episodes.

And especially stay tuned for this week’s upcoming show hosted by Indre in which she’ll interview the horseman himself, Daniel Dennett.

Seeya next time!

Photo credit: www.cogsciWA.com

Last weekend, the POI team headed down to Washington, D. C. to take part in the CFI’s second annual Women in Secularism conference, a three-day meeting of the minds highlighting the intersection between feminism and secularism, and what one can bring to the other.

There, they talked to the accomplished and celebrated Katha Pollitt, feminist poet, author and The Nation columnist. Here are some highlights from the always lyrically spoken Pollitt.

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On the larger meaning of religion :

“I think of religion as - it’s not just shaped by society, it’s a kind of expression of society…it’s the way society constitutes itself. And the real subject of religion is the society, it’s everyone saying ‘We’re here!’”

On why women tend to stay religious compared to men:

“I think there is a piece of it that religion is connected to the socialization of children and it’s connected with family life…but I think also, and I’m only speaking of Christianity here, but Christianity has long been derided by macho men as an effeminate religion.”

And lastly, on some missing footnotes from the Bible:

“Although, if God really wanted to be against abortion, you think he would have put in a word about it.”

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Our comment of the week goes to Twitter handle @Mark_Caldeira, who in response to another of Pollitt’s quotes posted on the POI Twitter feed, “Misogyny runs deeper than religion.” replied:

“It should. It’s been with us longer.”

Indeed Mark. Indeed.

—

As always you can check out the full interview with Katha Pollitt on Point of Inquiry, through which you can purchase some of our guest’s latest works. And stay on the lookout from an upcoming book by Pollitt.

Follow POI on our Facebook and Twitter to stay in touch with the latest episodes and send us feedback. Till next time!

Photo credit: NYTimes 

With yet another study released this week confirming the vast acceptance of human-caused climate change by the scientific community, it’s important to remember that acknowledgement is only the beginning. More important is the means by which to convince governments and their citizens to take the steps necessary to combat climate change. With that in mind…

On this week’s episode, Chris Mooney interviewed energy expert Michael Levi, author of a new book that is looking to strike the middle ground in the ongoing climate wars, The Power Surge: Energy, Opportunity and the Battle for America’s Future.

Levi is currently the David M. Rubenstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment and Director of the Program on Energy Security and Climate Change for the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan think tank focused on generating discussions and solutions for international issues across the globe. Here are some highlights from the interview.

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Levi on what it means to be an energy moderate:

“...I talk about a most-of-the-above strategy. You want a broad portfolio. You want options. You want to be able to produce more oil when oil is expensive. You want natural gas to be able to push aside coal, strengthen the economy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. You want zero-carbon technologies, whether that’s renewable energies or nuclear power or carbon capture and sequestration, to give you ways to decarbonize the power sector. And you want tools that you can use to transform our cars and trucks so that we use less oil. Now that’s not everything, and while we broaden our set of options, we also need to make sure we get rid of the really bad ones.”

On what we should be worried about when it comes to fracking:

“The biggest environmental issue in some ways around fracking though is how it transforms communities and towns. It’s tough to sit in a town around natural gas development without seeing a time of day where massive numbers of trucks are coming though, when there is an influx of people really shaking things up. Good for some people, some people getting jobs, tough for other folks. And it’s all pervasive. And you need to manage that impact.”

And lastly, on what to avoid about being too moderate on energy:

“And as I see it, the biggest risk here is actually political. Is that we get complacent. That we tell ourselves that climate change is too hard, we can’t pass legislation. Natural gas will save us. Let’s focus on something else with our lives. It turns out if you do that, if you don’t put the policies in place, you are not going to get close to a zero-carbon energy system.”

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And now for our comment of the week, this one coming right from our Facebook page, courtesy of Pam Maples. Pam takes issue with some of Levi’s conclusions:

“He dismisses the grouting of fracking wells as if they are easy to make last for ever; because that is how long the cement grout has to last. The oil drilling industry itself admits that 6 to 7 percent of oil wells grout fails the day the well is completed and the failure rate goes up steadily with age. He also doesn’t know about or doesn’t understand that old oil wells and other wells drilled in the 1800’s and early 1900’s are also culprits for allowing methane to migrate up into groundwater. About the pipeline, he completely did not address the obscene environmental destruction and contamination of rivers and lakes that results from mining the tar sands. Not only does this wanton destruction of the arboreal forest result in the addition of carbon into the atmosphere when the trees are cut down it also removes great vast sections of trees that used carbon from the atmosphere.”

Far be it for our fans to leave any stone unturned.

If you’d like to put in your own two cents, you can always do so both on our Facebook and the POI site itself. And don’t forget that with every weekly wrap up, there’s a chance your feedback might get featured so feel free to chip in your own thoughts on the latest episode.

As always you can check out Levi’s full interview, as well as buy his new book, through Point of Inquiry.

Keep in touch with us here at POI through our Facebook and Twitter and with our co-host Chris Mooney though his Mother Jones column and Twitter.

Thanks for tuning in.

Photo credit: CFR.org

On last week’s very special Point of Inquiry, co-hosts Chris Mooney and Indre Viskontas teamed up to interview Pulitzer prize-winning author and UCLA professor of geography Jared Diamond. Dr. Diamond is perhaps best known for his 1997 popular science book, ‘Guns, Germs and Steel’, an expansive look at the influence of environment and technology in shaping the rise of civilizations.

Now with the release of his new work, ‘The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?’, Diamond sat down with the POI team to delve into some of the finer points and controversies of his book, a look back at the variety of past hunter-gatherer societies and the implications they hold for our world today.

From crib-bilingualism to the role of religion in nearly every society, here are some highlights.

- On being asked by Chris why some researchers look to downplay the prevalence of violence in hunter-gatherer societies of the past, as well as their present-day counterparts:

“Their concern is that if it comes out that traditional people are violent, then that will be used as an excuse by some governments to dispossess the traditional people, take them off the land because they’re violent. Well, the real reason for not mistreating traditional people is an ethical reason. That you shouldn’t mistreat any people. The reason is not that they’re supposedly peaceful.”

- Why some traditional practices like on-demand breastfeeding don’t need to be co-opted by our modern world:

“My wife is a clinical psychologist. It’s inappropriate for my wife to breastfeed on demand in front of her patients, while she was breastfeeding. So one has to make compromises and adopt those things that fit into our society.”

- And last but certainly not least, the stupidest question to ask a religious believer:

“Let’s be clear here, if we’re being listened to by a religious person, who believes in a religion. To say to a religious person, ‘Why does religion exist?’ is the stupidest question imaginable. Because the person will answer, ‘Religion exists because it’s true!’ Why do we believe in God? Because there really is God, so of course we’re gonna believe in God.’”

Of course, there’s plenty more juicy tidbits to catch during the full episode, available both as a mp3 and on YouTube.

For more Jared Diamond, check out the 2005 PBS documentary on Diamond’s bestselling ‘Guns, Germs and Steel.’ You can also check out and buy his new book through the POI website.

If you want to keep up-to date on the latest POI has to offer, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Not to mention Indre’s and Chris’s own Twitter feed. And keep an eye out on our co-host Chris Mooney’s weekly column at Mother Jones.

Lastly, if you want to get in on the action, be sure to leave feedback on any and all of our platforms, because starting next week, POI’s weekly wrap-up will highlight the best, most insightful comments on the latest episode.

Thanks for tuning in.

Photo: Jareddiamond.org

In his own words, Ed is a New York City based actor, karaoke singer, and day job holder. In his spare time, he’s also a writer of words, primarily dealing with the intersection of science and social justice in day-to-day life. He primarily blogs at the Heresy Club, a network of young skeptical, atheist or otherwise freethinking blokes from both sides of the Atlantic.

Do you want to be a part of one of the most popular science podcasts on iTunes? Do you want to help book and promote guests like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Susan Jacoby, Paul Krugman, Lisa Randall, and Oliver Sacks?

We’re looking for a creative, tech-savvy intern to assist with Point of Inquiry‘s online marketing and social media. We need someone who is comfortable writing, has expert knowledge of social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, G+), and is enthusiastic about interacting with people online.

You will work directly with hosts Chris Mooney & Indre Viskontas, and producer Adam Isaak. You will also have access to the Center for Inquiry’s expert staff for help and guidance, including communications director Paul Fidalgo.

Ideal candidates are students studying marketing, communications, or related fields. This is an unpaid internship and you will work remotely. Time commitment is flexible.

To apply, send some information about yourself or a resume to Adam Isaak at aisaak[at]centerforinquiry.net.

The deadline for submissions is March 15, 2013.

Chris Mooney and Indre Viskontas will host the show together, and will be joined by the acclaimed Harvard psychologist and bestselling author Steven Pinker, whose most recent book is The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.

Point of Inquiry is also co-sponsoring the meeting’s “American Science Idol” event, along with the National Science Foundation Office of Legislative and Public Affairs, Discover Magazine, and Popular Science. The winner—among other things—gets a live appearance on the show, following Steven Pinker. For more information about American Science Idol, click here.

To learn more about the meeting, visit the AAAS website, and for more about the live show, email feedback@pointofinquiry.org.

Every year, Point of Inquiry invites scores of great authors on the air as guests. So as 2012 draws to a close, we thought we’d compile a list for you of some of the best recent books by authors featured on the show this year. 

Below, you’ll find a link to the book, a brief write-up, and a link to our interview with the author. If you somehow missed out on these titles (or these interviews), now’s the time to catch up!

—Chris Mooney & Indre Viskontas

1. Oliver Sacks - Hallucinations

This latest offering from Dr. Sacks harkens back to the books that made him famous: Awakenings, An Anthropologist on Mars and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, by infusing curious tales of brains gone awry with sensitive insights into what it means to be human. The author is not content to list symptoms of a disordered mind or treat hallucinatory experiences as characters in a freak show, and though the science of hallucinations remains relatively unknown, Dr. Sacks takes us through the looking glass and shows us how commonplace and illuminating our fantasy worlds can be. This book is a great gift for anyone interested in magic, illusion and sensory creativity.

You can listen to Dr. Sacks on Point of Inquiry here.

2. Dan Ariely - The (Honest) Truth about Dishonesty: How we Lie to Everyone, Especially Ourselves

Dan Ariely has built a compelling body of scientific work charting the depths of deception. This book is a must-read for anyone who cares to call himself a critical thinker or who wants to understand why we behave the way we do when left to our own devices. The author is not only a prolific, thorough and imaginative scientist, but also a gifted writer and a superb story-teller. You will have plenty of fodder for dinner party conversations, taking you through the dark winter months. 

You can listen to Dan Ariely on Point of Inquiry here.

3. Stuart Firestein - Ignorance: How It Drives Science

Have a friend or relative who thinks scientists are boring, fuddy-duddies set out to reduce the complexity of our universe to a set of equations? Then this is the perfect book for you. With humor, wit and a fast-paced conversational style, Stuart Firestein tracks the real scientific method - one that drives scientists to devote lives and careers in the pursuit of knowledge.  It’s not fueled by information, data or answers, but rather by questions and the vast space of what remains to be known.

You can listen to Stuart Firestein on Point of Inquiry here.

4. M.G. Lord - The Accidental Feminist: How Elizabeth Taylor Raised our Consciousness and We Were Too Distracted by Her Beauty to Notice

Feminism comes in many forms these days and is often misunderstood and misused. Can young women today find an unlikely role model in Elizabeth Taylor, an actress dogged by the Catholic Church because of her sex appeal and promotion of secular ideas, including gay and lesbian rights?  Cultural critic and acclaimed author M.G. Lord explores the contributions of Elizabeth Taylor to feminism—and her struggles against the Church—in her latest book. For the movie buff who delights in reconsidering classic films and the icons that inhabit them.

You can listen to M.G. Lord on Point of Inquiry here.

5. Richard Wiseman - The As-if Principle: The Radically New Approach to Changing Your Life

Not yet out in the US (preorders available, coming in January) but already a best-seller in the UK, this book is the latest offering from Britain’s most accessible and followed psychologist. Victorian philosopher William James had a theory about emotion and behavior: It isn’t that our feelings guide our actions (feel happy and you will laugh). On the contrary, it is our actions that guide our emotions (laugh and you will feel happy). With this book, Wiseman uses his trademark humor to hammer the final nail into the coffin of the self-help movement: don’t just think (or read) about changing your life. Do it. 

You can listen to Richard Wiseman on Point of Inquiry here.

6. Jonathan Haidt - The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion

Jonathan Haidt’s breakthrough book on the origins of our political differences—and our religious proclivities—traced the fiercest divides of today back to differing moral emotions that, in turn, are rooted in our deep evolutionary past. After reading it, you’ll never look at politics in the same way again. And… you’ll never again make the mistake of assuming that it’s rational!

You can listen to Jonathan Haidt on Point of Inquiry here.

7. Lawrence Krauss - A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing

Writers like Richard Dawkins have long since established that there’s no need to invoke God to explain the origins of human beings, or the origins of life. Now, physicist Lawrence Krauss takes the next step—you don’t need God to explain the universe either! It might just be the sort of thing that happens from time to time. If you haven’t yet, you definitely want to read the book that kicked God out of physics—for good.

You can listen to Lawrence Krauss on Point of Inquiry here.

8. Joe Romm - Language Intelligence: Lessons on Persuasion from Jesus, Shakespeare, Lincoln, and Lady Gaga

In a stunning display of intellectual versatility, the physicist and climate hawk Romm gives us a treatise on rhetoric—the neglected art that is critical to political and persuasive success. If you’ve every convinced someone (or, more likely, failed to) this book explains why. 

You can listen to Joe Romm on Point of Inquiry here.

9. Lisa Randall - Knocking on Heaven’s Door: How Physics and Scientific Thinking Illuminate the Universe and the Modern World

Randall’s lucid account of the triumphs of modern physics would be required reading anyway. But now that the Higgs Boson appears to have been discovered at the Large Hadron Collider, getting this book is even more imperative. Randall covers the Higgs saga in great detail, and provides a deep understanding (mostly lacking from media coverage) of what this discovery really means about matter and the universe.

You can listen to Lisa Randall on Point of Inquiry here.

10. Neil deGrasse Tyson - Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier

Americans may not be very enamored of their government in general. But as Neil Tyson explains in his latest book, our government’s space agency—NASA—is something very different and very special. It’s the gem of our federal bureaucracy, channeling all of our hopes and inspiration… which is why, Tyson says, this agency must pave the way for our transformative future in space. 

You can listen to Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Point of Inquiry here.