Point of Inquiry

Telepathy Tapes

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The massively popular Telepathy Tapes podcast has generated nationwide interest in the idea that severely autistic kids may also possess the ability t...

From Under a Guru's Thumb | Chanchal Garg

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 w...

SCOTUS Unbalanced

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Historically, of the three branches of government, the judiciary has been the final voice of reason when it came to guaranteeing fundamental freedoms ...

Science v. Creationism with Eugenie Scott

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Science Beacon on a Hill With Griffith Observatory Director Dr. Ed krupp

18 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Griffith Observatory is the most visited public observatory in the world, and a science icon that overlooks the Los Angeles basin. Since 1935...

Will Potter

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ha...

Taking Inspiration from Greek History With Evaggelos Vallianatos

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

A Primer on Cold Reading

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The art of cold reading has convinced millions of people that gimmicks like crystal balls, palm reading, tarot cards, and other alleged paranormal ab...

David Miles on Point of Inquiry

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Hill on Point of Inquiry

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 rec...

Robert Sapolsky POI

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Leo Igwe on Point of Inquiry

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There Are Definitely Atheists in Fox Holes

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Cohen on Atheism and the Rewards of Honesty

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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. ...

Sarah An Myers on Secularism and the Millennial Mind

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Vaccine Hesitancy With Filmmaker Scott Kennedy

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2019, Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Scott Kennedy was working on a film about the years-long anti-vaxxer movement. Filming with to...

To The Temple of Tranquility, and Step on It

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Supreme Injustice

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 vengeanc...

Dr. Juhem Navarro-Rivera on the Challenge of Rallying the Nones

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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." Th...

Getting to Know US Congressman Jared Huffman

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 Ca...

The Great Australian Psychic Prediction Project

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 P...

MG Lord on the Weird and Wonderful History of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California may be the world's premiere space exploration facility. From the earliest days of rocketr...

Jennifer Michael Hecht on the Power of Poetry and the Weirdness of Existence

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

"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 ...

New Discovery in the Chemistry of Life

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Graham Cooks and his team at Purdue University have discovered a chemical process that has exciting implications for people who believe that life coul...

Broken Promises and False Prophets: Rina Raphael on the Business of Wellness

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Alice Greczyn on Deconversion and Her Escape From Extremist Christianity

15 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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, d...

Skepticism - Behind the Scenes

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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-t...

Steven Pinker Discusses Rationality and Humanist Values

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 sp...

Timothy Caulfield on the Infodemic and Spread of Misinformation

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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 li...

Kelly Weill on Flat-Earthers and Why People Will Believe Anything

28 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Living on Life's Edge | Carl Zimmer on The Search for What It Means to Be Alive

22 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 boo...

The Case That Jesus Never Existed

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

David McAfee - Hi, I'm an Atheist!

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 At...

Science Denial - Why It Happens and What to Do About It

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Banachek - From the Inside of Being a Mentalist

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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....

How to Live a Good Life With Massimo Pigliucci and Skye Cleary

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

The Rise of the Nones with Ryan Burge

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A question on the minds of many theists and non-theists alike is why are so many Americans leaving religion and becoming religiously unaffiliated? Wh...

Greg Paul on the Lost Children and the Implications of Natural Evil

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Inside the Group Investigating Extraordinary Paranormal and Supernatural Claims

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Center for Inquiry Investigations Group tests extraordinary claims from anyone who believes they have paranormal or supernatural abilities like te...

Annabelle Gurwitch on Living Through Ups and Downs

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Interview with David Javerbaum, Daily Show Writer and host of Godcast Podcast

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 di...

Behind The Mind of a Conspiracy Theorist

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 worl...

An Atheist and a Christian Walk Into a Bar

19 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

The Trouble with Christmas for Atheists with Tom Flynn

24 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 celeb...

Revisiting The Life Of Frank Sinatra – Living A Life Of Homelessness

25 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

The Puritan Roger Williams, Church State Separation, and The Impact on Today

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ce...

J.R. Becker on the Annabelle and Aiden Book Series and Teaching Children Critical Thinking

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Author J.R. Becker joins Leighann Lord in this episode of Point of Inquiry to speak about his book series, Annabelle & Aiden. The series is a pro-scie...

Chris Matheson on Writing Bill and Ted and his Books on God and Buddha

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Screenwriter and author Chris Matheson joins Jim in this episode which touches on the recently released Bill & Ted Face the Music, then dives deeply i...

Rev. Barry W. Lynn on The Supreme Court, Retirement, and His Upcoming Book

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The recent passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has left many shaken. A few weeks prior to her passing, Leighann Lord had the opportunity to speak ...

Dr. Raymond Hall on Physicsfun and Teaching Critical Thinking

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

One professor is using social media to remind us that physics is the real magic of the universe. Through showing off his massive collection of science...

The Brazen Atheist Erin Louis on Countering Conspiracists With Critical Thinking

20 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Would you rather have your children looking at QAnon conspiracy Youtubers or porn online? That's a question author Erin Louis has had to confront wit...

Steven Hassan on Breaking Down The Cult of Trump

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The names Jim Jones, L.Ron Hubbard, David Koresh, and Sun Myung Moon might come to mind when someone uses the term cult leader. Many have suggested th...

Anthony Pinn on Religion, Oppression, and Humanists

09 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Point of Inquiry, co-host Leighann Lord talks with professor, writer, and humanist Dr. Anthony Pinn. Lord and Pinn discuss the powe...

Scientology in Hollywood | A Guided Tour

26 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Looming over the sidewalk of Hollywood, California are tens of millions of dollars of buildings owned by the Church of Scientology. This beleaguered r...

Monuments to Misinformation | The Ark Experience & Creation Museum

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A short drive south of Cincinnati, OH, lie two well-funded, well-executed museums dedicated to the telling of biblical "history." The Creation Museum ...

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe and Science-Based Medicine's Steven Novella

21 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Point of Inquiry, cohost Leighann Lord talks with famous skeptic and Assistant Professor of Neurology, Steven Novella, MD. Novella ...

Ian Harris on Comedy, Skeptical Audiences, and Atheism

07 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Point of Inquiry, cohost Leighann Lord talks with fellow comic Ian Harris. Besides being a comedian, Harris is a voice actor, write...

Mandisa Thomas on Black Nonbelievers and the Atheist Community

23 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's episode, Leighann Lord speaks with Mandisa Thomas, president of Black Nonbelievers. Black Nonbelievers connect with other Black folks a...

Kurt Andersen, Fantastyland, and How Irrational Thought Worsened the Pandemic

09 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kurt Andersen is the author of the novels Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History (2017), True Believers (2012), Heyday (2007), and ...

Recognizing Misinformation and Staying Safe from Coronavirusa

11 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Coronavirus continues to infect more and more people around the world. As the number of infected grows so does the misinformation surrounding the viru...

Professor Elizabeth Loftus on False Memories

20 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Can our memories be trusted if they are easily manipulated by suggestions? Where is the line between repressed memories that bubble up to the surface ...

Where Are We In The Battle For Church State Separation

06 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Where does the separation of church and state stand with a conservative majority in the Supreme Court? The short answer: not great. In this week's epi...

Is a Good God Logically Possible? | James Sterba

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

James Sterba is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, USA. His book, Is a Good God Logically Possible? deals with the Argument from...

Playwright and Actor Ian Ruskin on Thomas Paine

09 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ian Ruskin is a producer, writer, actor and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He has starred in theatre, television, and film in...

Dawkins on his new Book Outgrowing God

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Richard Dawkins is the recipient of a number of awards for his writing on science, including the Royal Society of Literature Award and the LA Times Li...

Professor Chris French - Anomalistic Psychology and Conspiracy Theories in Politics

29 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Chris French is a British psychologist and prominent skeptic focusing on the psychology of paranormal beliefs and experiences. He is currently Profess...

Richard Wiseman on the Skeptics Movement and Tricking People

14 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Richard Wiseman is Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in England. Richard began his career as a pr...

ECSO President, Claire Klingenberg on the State of Skepticism

31 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO) is an umbrella of skeptical organizations throughout the EU that investigate claims of pseudosc...

How Defy Ventures Reduces Recidivism with Rehabilitation

17 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the second part of this two-part series on the prison system reform, Jim Underdown speaks with Andrew Glazier, president of Defy Ventures, on the h...

Former Security Guard and Atheist Activist Steve Hill on the Prison System

03 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How humane are prisons in the U.S.? And what is their purpose – to punish or to rehabilitate? This is part one of a two-part series that dives into ...

Angela Saini on the Return of Race Science

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Even though there's growing awareness that race is a social construct — it defies biological definition — it's really hard to let go of a concept ...

Dr. Sarah Taber on the Myth of the Destruction of Family Farms

05 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Point of Inquiry co-host Kavin Senapathy has covered food and agriculture for years, and if she's learned one thing, it's that people's views on farmi...

Jerry Minor - From Jehovah's Witness to Comedian

22 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Point of Inquiry welcomes actor, comedian, and former Jehovah's Witness, Jerry Minor. Minor has been a cast member and writer on Saturday N...

Clearing Up the Concept of Risk Assessment

08 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How well do you think you can assess risk? The evidence is clear that humans are innately poor at assessing risk in our personal lives, in part due to...

Julia Sweeney on Atheism, Saturday Night Live, and Me Too

25 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Point of Inquiry welcomes comedian, monologist, and atheist, Julia Sweeney. Many may know Sweeney from her time on Saturday Night Live, her...

Why Do People Love Umami but Fear MSG?

11 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Why do people love the taste of Umami but avoid monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is the purest form of Umami on Earth? In this episode of Point of I...

Diving into the Lawsuit Against Walmart and Fraudulent Homeopathic Medicines

27 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Center for Inquiry has filed a lawsuit against Walmart for deceiving its customers with marketing, labeling, and product placement that present h...

Meet Science for the People

13 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Science for the People began as a group in 1969 that grew out of the anti-war movement and lasted until 1989. SftP has been rebirthed for a new gener...

Matt Walsh On The Road To Hollywood, His Secular Wedding, and More

30 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's episode of Point of Inquiry, Jim Underdown speaks with longtime friend, actor, writer, and comedian Matt Walsh. This episode may be dif...

Dr. Jenny Yip on OCD, Anxiety, and Mental Health

16 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's episode of Point of Inquiry, Dr. Jenny Yip discusses OCD and anxiety and the widespread impact these can have on our lives as well as h...

Carol Tavris And Avrum Bluming On The Myth That Estrogen Causes Breast Cancer

02 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode of Point of Inquiry Jim Underdown speaks with Carol Tavris, social psychologist and author of Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me) ...

Massimo Pigliucci and Susan Blackmore on Scientism and Subjectivity

18 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week's episode of Point of Inquiry is our final episode recorded from CSICon 2018. We're closing this series of interviews with Professor Massimo...

The Secret Sting Operation to Expose Celeb Psychics with Susan Gerbic

04 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this week's episode of Point of Inquiry, we are thrilled to have friend of the Center for Inquiry, Susan Gerbic to talk about the recent New York...

Mark Boslough on the Dangers of Climate Change and Destructive Asteroids

21 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Boslough is a Caltech-trained physicist and CSI Fellow who spent 34 years at Sandia National Laboratories doing research on hypervelocity impacts...

Carl Zimmer and Paul Offit on Genetics, Race, and Vaccinations at CSICon 2018

07 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We find ourselves in the information age among many who, although have the access to proper and accurate scientific information, choose not to believe...

The New Stars of Skeptical Investigation

21 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The world of skeptical investigation is full of interesting personalities full of stories about their run-ins with ghost chasers, debunking charlatan...

Twitter's Resident Gynecologist And The Crusher Of The Gender Binary

07 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jen Gunter is an OB/GYN, pain medicine physician, and Twitter's resident gynecologist. She blogs and also writes The Cycle, a column on the inters...

The Battle for Young Minds - Bertha Vazquez on Teaching Evolution in Schools

24 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As science standards across the country improve to include middle school standards on evolution, more and more teachers are teaching evolution for th...

Adam Conover and Tim Caulified on The Algorithm, Gwyneth Paltrow, Netflix and more

10 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Conover is the creator and host of Adam Ruins Everything, an informational comedy show that debunks common misconceptions and encourages critica...

The Odyssey of the Plutophiles: Alan Stern and David Grinspoon on the Voyage of New Horizons

17 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In July of 2015, a spacecraft called New Horizons gave humankind its first close-up view of a small, misunderstood world called Pluto. It took almost ...

Trying to Throw Science at Them: Yvette d'Entremont and Kavin Senapathy on Food, Fads, and Fear

30 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We are living in a land of confusion, as the band Genesis warned us back in 1986, but even they could not have predicted just how much more confusing ...

Margaret Sullivan: Reckoning and Redemption for the Reality-Based Press

06 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In the post-truth world, the mainstream media is beset on all sides. Peddlers of propaganda, misinformation, and conspiracy theories seek to strip the...

Lee Billings on the Search for Life in a Silent Universe

27 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It's a big cosmos out there. It wasn't too long ago that we couldn't be sure that any planets existed anywhere outside of our own solar system. But in...

Be Not Constrained: James Croft on Humanists' Responsibility to Fight Oppression

24 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The modern conception of secular humanism arose in large part as a response to the horrors of Nazism and the Holocaust, and the evils of racism and bi...

Space Reporter Loren Grush: Hope and Hubris in Space Exploration

18 Jul 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. space program is both beloved and neglected. It brings us breathtaking pictures from distant worlds and drives the human species to push itse...

Elizabeth Kolbert on Coming to Grips with a Warming Planet

12 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We want to believe that climate change can be stopped, that humanity can summon the political will to take decisive and meaningful action to avert dis...

Carl Pope on Trump, Paris, and the Climate: We're Going to Be Okay

02 Jun 2017

Contributed by Lukas

On June 1, President Donald Trump declared that he was withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate accord, an international agreement meant ...

Show Update - Get Ready for Point of Inquiry: The Next Generation

03 May 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Don't touch that podcast! Yes, Lindsay Beyerstein and Josh Zepps have moved on to new endeavors, but a new chapter for Point of Inquiry is about to...

Is Anybody Listening? Jill Tarter on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

24 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Jill Tarter holds the Bernard M. Oliver Chair for SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, CA where sh...

Sarah Posner: How Trump Got His Hands on the Religious Right

11 Apr 2017

Contributed by Lukas

How did a man living an ostensibly godless, hedonistic life become the champion of the very groups who one would expect to denounce his behavior? Be...