Today's guest is Michael Shermer, founding publisher of Skeptic magazine and author of the new book Truth: What It Is, How to Find It, and Why It Still Matters.
Shermer explains how the release of the Epstein files has fueled conspiracy thinking, particularly through guilt by association and pattern seeking. He explains why ambiguous evidence invites overinterpretation, how skepticism differs from cynicism, and why the demand for total certainty often leads people away from truth rather than toward it.
The conversation also explores the broader collapse of trust in institutions after COVID-19, the role of influencers in amplifying conspiratorial narratives, and why scientific and historical denialism have found new audiences online.
