Point of Inquiry

Joseph Kelly, a College of Charleston professor and historian, explores the American roots of fascism. He traces its origins from slavery and Southern racial ideology through Jim Crow, Reconstruction’s violent collapse, bogus racial science, yellow journalism, and Anglo-Saxon nationalism. The conversation also examines imperialism, Hitler’s borrowed replacement narrative, and truth-telling as a defense of democracy.

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 vaccinations that protect against them. He now lives in London and tutors on the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's online MSc course. His latest book is Sneeze: The History and Science of the Common Cold.

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 humanism in that school's comparative religion class. Here is one of those discussions.

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 and viewers shed light on how our planet and universe operate. Ann chats with Jim about her life's work, her late husband Carl Sagan, and about the future of science in our world.

Janice Boynton, artist and former facilitated communication practitioner turned advocate for evidence-based communication. Stuart Weiss, behavioral scientist and skeptic who evaluates paranormal and communication claims. They dissect facilitated communication history, how subtle facilitator cueing can produce messages, why families resist testing, and how media and incentives fuel misleading claims about telepathy in autistic people.

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: The Lies We Carry & The Truths They Bury, her story of transcending societal restraints to become successful and independent. She is a speaker, author, executive coach, and conscious leadership facilitator who transforms lives by helping clients break through limiting beliefs and create authentic connections.

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 subject to the whims of popular sentiment and more able to focus on the Constitution and justice. That changed with this current Supreme Court. This court's majority has already ignored SCOTUS precedent, openly participated in partisan politics, and has given overt preference to religious over secular Americans. CFI chair Eddie Tabash joins Jim to give an update on where America stands with this court, and what the prospects for justice are in the future.

Eugenie Scott, former Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education, shares her extensive experience battling the intertwining of creationism and science education. She discusses landmark court cases like the Scopes Trial and Kitzmiller v. Dover, which spotlight the ongoing struggles in public schools. Scott emphasizes the need for effective communication in these debates, promoting empathy over confrontation. She also reflects on her transition from academia to activism, advocating for the integrity of scientific education amidst pervasive misinformation.

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.

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.