The Saad Truth with Dr. Saad Dr. Michael Shermer-"Truth: What It Is, How to Find It & Why It Still Matters" (The Saad Truth with Dr. Saad_958)
Jan 28, 2026
Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic and science writer known for exploring belief and reason, discusses truth as a fallible, evidence-driven process. He explores signal detection for beliefs, how science and law seek truth, types of truths from empirical to religious, and why people resist evidence. Short, sharp conversations on consensus, replication, free will, and cultural battles over identity.
01:30:00
Truth As Fallibilist Bayesian Process
- Michael Shermer frames truth-seeking as fallibilist Bayesian reasoning where priors meet evidence through communal critique.
- He argues peer review, debate, and red-teaming are the pragmatic tools that bring us closer to provisional scientific truths.
Religious Stories As Nonempirical Truths
- Shermer differentiates empirical scientific truth from literary or mythic truths embedded in religious texts.
- He suggests religious stories can convey meaningful human truths without requiring empirical historicity.
Patriarchs' Polygyny In The Old Testament
- Gad Saad recounts Laura Betzig's analysis showing Old Testament powerful men had more wives and offspring.
- Shermer and Saad use these patterns to illustrate evolutionary drivers in religious narratives.
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Intro
00:00 • 1min
Big Premise of Truth
01:08 • 2min
Applying Signal Detection to Belief
02:39 • 3min
Science, Journalism, Law as Truth Systems
05:32 • 2min
Types of Truths: Empirical to Religious
07:03 • 50sec
Respecting Religious Stories as Literature
07:53 • 4min
Evolutionary Patterns in Biblical Characters
11:58 • 2min
Meta-Epistemology and Explanations
14:20 • 7min
Francis Bacon and the Rise of Empiricism
21:12 • 7min
Signal Detection, Stopping Rules, and Evidence
28:20 • 6min
Convergence of Evidence and Scientific Consensus
34:28 • 7min
Replication Crisis and Self-Correction
41:52 • 8min
Parapsychology and Failed Replications
50:00 • 5min
Why People Resist Evidence
55:13 • 3min
Free Will, Determinism, and Practical Living
57:46 • 5min
Trans Issues, Identity, and Ideology
01:02:55 • 9min
Suicidal Empathy and Dysregulated Compassion
01:12:02 • 2min
Advice for Aspiring Authors
01:13:53 • 6min
Writing Discipline and Voice
01:20:20 • 6min
Contingency, Luck, and Sliding Doors
01:26:41 • 3min
Outro
01:29:59 • 1sec
#112
• Mentioned in 149 episodes
The Beginning of Infinity
Explanations That Transform the World
David Deutsch
In this groundbreaking book, David Deutsch argues that explanations have a fundamental place in the universe and that improving them is the basic regulating principle of all successful human endeavor.
The book takes readers on a journey through various fields of science, history of civilization, art, moral values, and the theory of political institutions.
Deutsch explains how we form new explanations and drop bad ones, and discusses the conditions under which progress, which he argues is potentially boundless, can and cannot happen.
He emphasizes the importance of good explanations, which he defines as those that are 'hard to vary' and have 'reach', and argues that these explanations are central to the Enlightenment way of thinking and to all scientific and philosophical progress.
#6
• Mentioned in 500 episodes
The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings, written by J.R. R.
Tolkien, is an epic high fantasy novel set in Middle-earth.
The story follows Frodo Baggins, a hobbit who inherits the One Ring from his uncle Bilbo.
The Ring, forged by Sauron, holds the power to control all other Rings of Power and must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom to prevent Sauron's return.
Frodo is joined by a fellowship of other characters, including Gandalf the Grey, Samwise Gamgee, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir, as they embark on a dangerous quest across Middle-earth.
The novel explores themes of good vs.
evil, the corrupting influence of power, and the struggle between fate and free will.
#6930
• Mentioned in 7 episodes
Why People Believe Weird Things
Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time
Stephen Jay Gould
Michael Shermer
In this book, Michael Shermer critically examines various forms of pseudoscience, superstition, and paranormal beliefs.
The book is divided into five segments and fifteen chapters, covering topics such as UFO sightings, alien abductions, creationism, Holocaust denial, and cult behaviors.
Shermer uses the scientific method to refute these beliefs and explains how cognitive biases and cultural influences lead people to believe in unproven claims.
The foreword by Stephen Jay Gould underscores the importance of skepticism in combating organized irrationalism.
#5535
• Mentioned in 8 episodes
Novum organum
Francis Bacon
Novum Organum, written in Latin and published in 1620, is a key work by Francis Bacon that critiques traditional deductive reasoning and Aristotelian logic.
It proposes a new method of scientific inquiry based on inductive reasoning, emphasizing the importance of empirical observation and experimentation.
The book is part of Bacon's larger, unfinished work, Instauratio Magna (The Great Instauration), and it introduces the concept of 'idols' that mislead human reasoning.
Bacon's method involves meticulous observation, the removal of biases, and the systematic gathering of data to form conclusions, laying the groundwork for the modern scientific method.
#1585
• Mentioned in 24 episodes
Consilience
The Unity of Knowledge
Edward O. Wilson
In 'Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge', E.O.
Wilson advocates for the integration of knowledge from different fields to create a unified theory of understanding.
He draws on the concept of consilience, introduced by William Whewell, which means the 'jumping together' of knowledge by linking facts and theories across disciplines.
Wilson explores the chemistry of the mind, the genetic bases of culture, and the biological principles underlying works of art.
He argues that a unified approach can lead to a deeper understanding of the human condition and the natural world, and he critiques the fragmentation of knowledge into separate disciplines.
The book is a call for a new Enlightenment, emphasizing the importance of science and reason in understanding all aspects of human existence.
#47
• Mentioned in 236 episodes
The Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith
Published in 1776, 'The Wealth of Nations' is Adam Smith's magnum opus that laid the groundwork for modern economics.
The book critiques mercantilist economic theories and introduces the concept of the 'invisible hand,' which describes how individual self-interest leads to societal benefit.
It emphasizes the division of labor, the accumulation of capital, and the importance of free markets.
Smith argues that a nation's wealth is not measured by its gold and silver reserves but by the stream of goods and services it produces.
The book also outlines the core functions of government, such as maintaining defense, enforcing civil law, and promoting education, while advocating for limited government intervention in market activities.
#1118
• Mentioned in 32 episodes
Suicidal Empathy
\"Gad Saad\"
Gad Saad discusses the concept of 'suicidal empathy' in his podcasts and public appearances, but it is not the title of a published book.
#5429
• Mentioned in 8 episodes
The moral arc
Michael Shermer
#15518
• Mentioned in 3 episodes
The believing brain
Michael Shermer
#290
• Mentioned in 81 episodes
The Parasitic Mind
How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense
\"Gad Saad\"
In 'The Parasitic Mind,' Dr. Gad Saad exposes the harmful effects of 'idea pathogens'—irrational and logically flawed ideas that are spreading through universities and enforced by the tyranny of political correctness.
These ideas, Saad argues, are endangering fundamental freedoms such as freedom of thought and speech.
The book is a call to action, encouraging readers to use critical thinking and courage to defend reason and intellectual freedom.
Saad discusses various topics including university 'safe spaces,' gender ideology, postmodernism, and the decline of intellectual diversity in academia, all while advocating for the importance of questioning and challenging prevailing dogma.
#7700
• Mentioned in 6 episodes
Truth
Neil Strauss
Michael's latest book Truth: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-What-Find-Still-Matters/dp/142145372X
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My forthcoming book Suicidal Empathy: Dying to Be Kind is now available for pre-order: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/suicidal-empathy-gad-saad?variant=44726319317026
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This clip was posted on January 28, 2026 on my YouTube channel as THE SAAD TRUTH_1983: https://youtu.be/bX2vYbd-q0A
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Dr. Gad Saad is a professor, evolutionary behavioral scientist, and author who pioneered the use of evolutionary psychology in marketing and consumer behavior. In addition to his scientific work, Dr. Saad is a leading public intellectual who often writes and speaks about idea pathogens that are destroying logic, science, reason, and common sense.
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