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 Watch this episode with visual aid at www.YouTube.com/theaccentpodcast, and enjoy many more unpublished episodes.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