Point of Inquiry

Center for Inquiry
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Jul 18, 2025 • 1h 5min

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 this episode, Jim chats with Griffith Observatory Director Dr. Ed Krupp, who has been at the helm of this venerated institution for almost 50 years. They chat about Ed's journey, the evolution of the observatory, and the future of sharing science with the public.
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Jun 23, 2025 • 53min

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 at what cost? In this episode of Point of Inquiry, Jim speaks with investigative journalist and author Will Potter, whose book Little Red Barns: Hiding the Truth from Farm to Fable uncovers some disturbing truths about the conditions under which our food is produced. Worse yet, the book describes the systematic campaign by food producers to cover up its abuses, a spin a false narrative about how our groceries get to our tables. Will Potter is an award-winning investigative journalist whose work has focused on social justice and environmental movements, and attacks on civil rights post-9/11.  His other book is Green Is the New Red: An Insider's Account of a Social Movement Under Siege.
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Mar 7, 2025 • 49min

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 science, arts, language and governments of the modern world.
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Feb 5, 2025 • 38min

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 amazement. But are these skills really paranormal, or can they be explained by a series of techniques just about anyone can master with practice?   Longtime investigator Jim Underdown teams up with psychologist and author Richard Wiseman to deconstruct what is really happening in a typical psychic reading and sheds some light on why the experience sometimes seems so real.
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Nov 27, 2024 • 55min

David Miles on Point of Inquiry

For most of human history, infectious diseases have wreaked havoc on humans. But beginning in the late 18th century, more and more of us beat back illness by getting immunized with vaccines. Today, vaccines are -- or should be – a part of every thinking person’s health regimen. But exactly what are vaccines and how do they work? How are they tested? Joining Jim in this episode of Point of Inquiry is immunologist David Miles. David teaches at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and is the author of How Vaccines Work: A layman's guide to the history and science of vaccines and vaccination. Learn about both the history and present state of immunology from this fascinating discussion.
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Jul 19, 2024 • 1h 5min

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. Should the fact that he is a black man and a member of the Satanic Temple enter into whether he is treated fairly or not – or even represented in court? Not if justice is blind and secular. Jim chats with Steve about his multi-year battle with law enforcement authorities and the courts to achieve satisfaction and find justice.
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Jun 4, 2024 • 55min

Robert Sapolsky POI

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May 15, 2024 • 1h 2min

Leo Igwe on Point of Inquiry

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Mar 27, 2024 • 54min

There Are Definitely Atheists in Fox Holes

Bob Richard, a Vietnam War veteran, writer, and author of 'Open Wound' and 'Apple Pie Atheist,' dives deep into the challenging relationship between war and belief systems. He shares gripping stories from his time in Vietnam, debunking the myth that atheists don’t exist in combat. Richard discusses the emotional struggles faced by soldiers, the randomness of survival, and the complexity of morality beyond religion. His poignant reflections advocate for humanism while highlighting the need to embrace rational thought amid chaos.
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Jan 31, 2024 • 1h

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 had determined that God was a human-made fiction from a young age, the challenges of navigating social pressures and familial expectations led her to "play along" with God and religion well into adulthood. But then she had children of her own, and something changed. She decided to stop pretending to believe. On this episode, Free Inquiry Editor Paul Fidalgo talks to Cohen about her new book, We of Little Faith: Why I Stopped Pretending to Believe (And Maybe You Should Too). It's the story of her evolution from closeted atheist to truth-teller that illustrates the rewards of honesty, as well as a call to action for fellow nonbelievers to embrace the truth, both for their own sake and the country’s. Kate Cohen is a columnist for the Washington Post, and a chapter from her new book is excerpted in the February/March 2024 issue of Free Inquiry magazine.   

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