PODCAST · society
Point of Inquiry
by Center for Inquiry
Point of Inquiry is the Center for Inquiry's flagship podcast, where the brightest minds of our time sound off on all the things you're not supposed to talk about at the dinner table: science, religion, and politics.Guests have included Brian Greene, Susan Jacoby, Richard Dawkins, Ann Druyan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Eugenie Scott, Adam Savage, Bill Nye, and Francis Collins.Point of Inquiry is produced at the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, N.Y.
Episodes
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The Biggest Lie: The Prehistory of American Fascism | Joe Kelly
When American fascists began goose-stepping down Main Street in the 1930s, fascism was seen by the rest of the country as a terrifying and radical new European import. It was not. It didn't come from abroad. Nor was it new or radical. The seeds of American fascism were planted by elite southern...
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Sneeze: The History and Science of the Common Cold with Immunologist David Miles
The human race suffers from literally billions of colds every year. In this episode, Jim chats with Dr. David Miles about what a cold is, where it comes from, and how to avoid it. David Miles is an infectious-disease immunologist who has worked mostly on diseases of childhood in Africa and the...
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Round Trip to Christiantown
What happens when a professional atheist and skeptic addresses a classroom full of young earth creationists and fundamentalist Christians? For 20 years, CFI West executive Director Jim Underdown has been going to a Christian high school in Southern California to represent atheism and secular...
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Ann Druyan
Ann Druyan has had a stellar career bringing her creative talents to the world of science communication. From her time on the team that designed the messages on Voyager 1 & 2 (now outside our solar system), to her work on all three iterations of the Cosmos series, she has for millions of readers...
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Telepathy Tapes
The massively popular Telepathy Tapes podcast has generated nationwide interest in the idea that severely autistic kids may also possess the ability to read minds. The series, now two seasons in, also broadly attacks materialistic science and falls prey to an assortment of wacky beliefs that...
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From Under a Guru's Thumb | Chanchal Garg
When a woman finds herself under the heavy influence of an authority figure who is revered by her friends, her family, and even the very culture she was raised in, how does she escape when that figure begins to take advantage of her in unspeakable ways? Chanchal Garg is the author of Unearthed…
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SCOTUS Unbalanced
Historically, of the three branches of government, the judiciary has been the final voice of reason when it came to guaranteeing fundamental freedoms like civil rights, marriage between consenting adults, and the autonomy over one's body. Unlike legislators and presidents, the court has been less...
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Science v. Creationism with Eugenie Scott
In the past century, there have been a number of court cases where religious folks have attempted to inject their beliefs into the public schools. But two cases are more noteworthy than most, and bookend the long battle between science and creationism in the classroom. These two trials, The State...
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Science Beacon on a Hill with Griffith Observatory Director Dr. Ed krupp
The Griffith Observatory is the most visited public observatory in the world, and a science icon that overlooks the Los Angeles basin. Since 1935, the facility has hosted astronauts, WWII pilots and celebrities, and continues to promote science and wonder in a world full of misinformation. In…
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Will Potter
A century and a half ago, one out of every five Americans lived on a farm. Today, it's closer to one out of every fifty, even though the population has increased more than tenfold. The industrial-scale farm and livestock business that we depend on today feeds hundreds of millions every day, but…
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Taking Inspiration from Greek History With Evaggelos Vallianatos
The ancient Greeks had a profound influence not only on their own world, but also on what would become Western culture as a whole. In this episode of Point of Inquiry, Jim chats with Evaggelos Villianatos, a Greek scholar who sheds an interesting light on how his ancestors helped shape the…
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A Primer on Cold Reading
The art of cold reading has convinced millions of people that gimmicks like crystal balls, palm reading, tarot cards, and other alleged paranormal abilities are real. People walk away from astrologers, mediums, and psychics saying "there's no way he could have known that" or other exclamations of...
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Steve Hill on Point of Inquiry
When a business owner, ex-marine, and retired peace office is questioned and later arrested for what appear to be bigoted reasons, there should be recourse in our system of justice to right such a wrong. But Steve Hill is having a hell of a time finding help with his well-documented struggles....
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Kate Cohen on Atheism and the Rewards of Honesty
Almost 30 percent of the U.S. population is religiously unaffiliated, but only a fraction of those so-called "Nones" identify as atheist or agnostic. Fewer still feel comfortable revealing to the people in their lives that they don't believe in God. Kate Cohen was one of those people. Though she...
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Sarah An Myers on Secularism and the Millennial Mind
Members of Gen X and older grew up in an America in which being religious was the default and atheism was, as best, on the fringes. A lot has changed in the last couple of decades, and for many Millennials and members of Gen Z, being nonreligious is really no big deal. Folks in younger…
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Vaccine Hesitancy With Filmmaker Scott Kennedy
In 2019, Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Scott Kennedy was working on a film about the years-long anti-vaxxer movement. Filming with top public health officials–including Tony Fauci–as well as rare interviews with anti-vaccine activists who were persuading parents by the millions to...
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Supreme Injustice
The U.S. Supreme Court -- that over sixty years ago ruled against state-led prayer in public schools -- has swung back the other way with a vengeance. The ultra-conservative majority on the current court has reversed 60 years of progress and put the rights of non-believers in jeopardy. In this...
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Dr. Juhem Navarro-Rivera on the Challenge of Rallying the Nones
The Nones are on the rise! When asked about their religious affiliation, year after year, more and more Americans are choosing "none of the above." The number of religiously unaffiliated Americans, which includes atheists and agnostics, has been rocketing up over the past couple of decades, and...
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Getting to Know US Congressman Jared Huffman
Of the 535 Members of Congress, only one is an out-of-the-closet atheist. His name is Jared Huffman, and he is a U.S. Representative from Northern California. He is also the co-chair (with Rep. Jamie Raskin) of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, a group all secular Americans should know about...
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The Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project
What happens when a group of skeptics from across the globe keeps score of over twenty years of psychic predictions? Any guesses? In this episode of Point of Inquiry, host Jim Underdown speaks to Rob Palmer and Richard Saunders of the Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project about this…
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MG Lord on the Weird and Wonderful History of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California may be the world's premiere space exploration facility. From the earliest days of rocketry, JPL has been at the vanguard of designing and building rockets and spaceships. But the lab has a colorful history, and some of its founders broke...
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Jennifer Michael Hecht on the Power of Poetry and the Weirdness of Existence
"Many of us who are happy to live outside religion still suffer from a lack of things religion gives its members," writes historian and poet Jennifer Michael Hecht. "It seems to me the remedy to this suffering is a shift in the way we think about ritual and the poetry of our lives." Hecht is our...
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New Discovery in the Chemistry of Life
Graham Cooks and his team at Purdue University have discovered a chemical process that has exciting implications for people who believe that life could have emerged spontaneously and through natural means. The idea that the building blocks of life started in a primordial ocean now has a…
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Alice Greczyn on Deconversion and Her Escape From Extremist Christianity
Realizing the faith you've had your entire life is wrong can be devastating for some people. The process of deconversion can lead to panic attacks, depression, and more. What does it take for someone to get through that complicated process? Our guest is Alice Greczyn, author of the memoir…
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Skepticism - Behind the Scenes
What do we do when television shows dealing with extraordinary events focus on the ridiculous to bolster views? In today's episode, we take a behind-the-scenes look at two people with experience in the industry and what they've done to create a more focused skeptical point of view on the air. Our...
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Steven Pinker Discusses Rationality and Humanist Values
This special episode of Point of Inquiry is brought to you by our friends at CFI Canada from their new podcast, Podcast for Inquiry. They recently spoke with author Steven Pinker and we wanted to make this special conversation available to everyone. Even as a young teenager, Dr. Steven Pinker...
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Timothy Caulfield on the Infodemic and Spread of Misinformation
This week's episode is a bit different. Please enjoy a talk from Timothy Caulfield that originally aired on Skeptical Inquirer Presents. SIP is a live online series of talks from some of the brightest minds in the reality based community and is just one of the many great shows that the Center for...
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Kelly Weill on Flat-Earthers and Why People Will Believe Anything
In this week's episode, we are diving into the flat-earth conspiracy theory and why people could believe such a thing with guest Kelly Weill and her new book, Off the Edge. In 2019 Jim Underdown and the CFI Investigations Group produced a video where they designed a series of experiments to show...
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Living on Life's Edge | Carl Zimmer on The Search for What It Means to Be Alive
What does it mean to be alive? Does life have a clear definition? On this week's episode, Carl Zimmer joins host Jim Underdown to discuss his new book, Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive to help answer those questions. Can we clearly define what it means to be alive? Scientists...
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The Case That Jesus Never Existed
Christians believe that Jesus was the son of God who walked the Earth as a human being. Some Atheists believe none of the God bits but that there was a man named Jesus who did exist. There is also an ever growing community who believe Jesus did not exist at all. Not as the son of God nor as a…
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David McAfee - Hi, I'm an Atheist!
On today's episode we introduce the show's new guest host, Julia Sweeney and her interview with author David G. McAfee on his new book, Hi, I'm an Atheist!: What That Means and How to Talk About It with Others. McAfee and Sweeney speak about the new book, how it helped Sweeney get back in touch...
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Science Denial - Why It Happens and What to Do About It
Throughout the modern world trust in science has continued to erode at dangerous speeds. From anti-vaxxers to climate change deniers, there is an ever growing movement of people that deny science at the peril of us all. The shift towards a public with increasing lack of scientific literacy and...
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Banachek - From the Inside of Being a Mentalist
It's a rare person indeed who can trick and amaze people on one hand while reassuring them that what they are experiencing is not real. Meet Banacek. He's not only an illusionist, magician, mentalist extraordinaire, he's a skeptic's skeptic who for decades has been instrumental in exposing fraud...
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How to Live a Good Life With Massimo Pigliucci and Skye Cleary
Have you ever been curious about what other people believe in or how they navigate the ethical challenges of life? Ancient philosophy was partly used as a way to better understand the best way to live life. In this episode of Point of Inquiry, Jim Underdown talks to two of the editors of How to...
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The Rise of the Nones with Ryan Burge
A question on the minds of many theists and non-theists alike is why are so many Americans leaving religion and becoming religiously unaffiliated? What are the underlying factors causing this shift? In today's episode we dive into what the data shows about this movement with Ryan Burge, author of...
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Greg Paul on the Lost Children and the Implications of Natural Evil
In the June/July issue of Free Inquiry, today's guest Greg Paul makes the case that a loving God cannot possibly exist next to all the suffering and death, children have had to endure throughout human history. In his piece, he claims this fact has the, "...potential to accelerate the already…
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Inside the Group Investigating Extraordinary Paranormal and Supernatural Claims
The Center for Inquiry Investigations Group tests extraordinary claims from anyone who believes they have paranormal or supernatural abilities like telekinesis, mind reading, and many otherworldly talents. The group offers a $250,000 prize for anyone able to prove a paranormal ability under...
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Annabelle Gurwitch on Living Through Ups and Downs
Annabelle Gurwitch is an award-winning actress, comedian, and writer. She's also a secular humanist and a skeptic, though that hasn't always been the case -- at least not the skeptic part. On this episode Annabelle speaks with host, Jim Underdown about her beliefs, her new book, life as a...
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Interview with David Javerbaum, Daily Show Writer and host of Godcast Podcast
David Javerbaum is the guest on this week's episode of Point of Inquiry. David discusses his early writing career and his current gig as God. David discusses starting out with The Onion and what it was like working with David Letterman, Jon Stewart, and Stephen Colbert. As former head writer and...
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Behind The Mind of a Conspiracy Theorist
Have you wondered what it's like to get caught up in a conspiracy theory? QAnon, the 9/11 truth movement, lizard people who want to take over the world. What does it take for rational humans to believe such outstandingly irrational beliefs? In this week's episode, Leighann Lord speaks to…
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An Atheist and a Christian Walk Into a Bar
An Atheist and a Christian Walk Into a Bar | Overcoming Differences America is as polarized as it's been in decades as our citizenry draws lines in the sand over a variety of issues. Friends and family who hold different political or religious persuasions may find it hard to impossible to hold...
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The Trouble with Christmas for Atheists with Tom Flynn
Christmas in 2020 will be unlike any other in recent history due to COVID 19. Nevertheless, Christians around the world will be finding ways to celebrate the birth of Christ. On this episode of Point of Inquiry, Jim speaks to Tom Flynn, editor of Free Inquiry magazine and author of The Trouble…
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Revisiting The Life Of Frank Sinatra – Living A Life Of Homelessness
In 1997 Jim produced and directed a short documentary called "A Day in the Life of Frank Sinatra" that was an exploration of what it was like to be a homeless man with a famous name. Twenty three years later, Frank Sinatra is recently off the streets, lives in a government-funded camper in Los...
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The Puritan Roger Williams, Church State Separation, and The Impact on Today
What does the Puritan founder of both the state of Rhode Island and the Baptist Church have to say about modern evangelicals? Roger Williams had certain ideas that didn't fit into 17th century England or its American colonies. Freedom of conscience, separation of church and crown, fair treatment…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Point of Inquiry is the Center for Inquiry's flagship podcast, where the brightest minds of our time sound off on all the things you're not supposed to talk about at the dinner table: science, religion, and politics.Guests have included Brian Greene, Susan Jacoby, Richard Dawkins, Ann Druyan, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Eugenie Scott, Adam Savage, Bill Nye, and Francis Collins.Point of Inquiry is produced at the Center for Inquiry in Amherst, N.Y.
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Center for Inquiry
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Point of Inquiry have?
Point of Inquiry currently has 663 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Point of Inquiry about?
Point of Inquiry is the Center for Inquiry's flagship podcast, where the brightest minds of our time sound off on all the things you're not supposed to talk about at the dinner table: science, religion, and politics.Guests have included Brian Greene, Susan Jacoby, Richard Dawkins, Ann Druyan, Neil...
How often does Point of Inquiry release new episodes?
Point of Inquiry releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 663 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to Point of Inquiry?
You can listen to Point of Inquiry on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Point of Inquiry?
Point of Inquiry is created and hosted by Center for Inquiry.
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