Point Of Inquiry

Cathleen Falsani is the religion reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times, where she has covered spirituality and popular culture from Vatican City, Ireland, the White House, the Playboy Mansion and the dugout at Wrigley Field. In her first book, The God Factor, she recounts her discussions about God and morality with more than 30 prominent figures who hold various religious and nonreligious worldviews. Her "subjects" include such diverse personalities as Sen. Barack Obama, Melissa Etheridge, Hugh Hefner and Jeffrey Sachs, the noted economist. Falsani is a graduate of Wheaton College, and holds a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University as well as a master's degree in theological studies from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. In this discussion with DJ Grothe, she comments on the religious or skeptical perspectives of the famous public figures profiled in her book, exploring a possible correlation between science and religious skepticism, and argues for the need for a more tolerant, open

Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow for CSICOP, is considered the world's leading paranormal investigator. A former professional stage magician and private investigator, he has used his varied background to investigate myths and mysteries, frauds, forgeries, and hoaxes. He has been called the modern Sherlock Holmes, the original ghost buster, and the real-life Scully (after the character in The X-Files ). A veteran of hundreds of TV and radio appearances, he is the author of over 20 books, including Secrets of the Supernatural, Entities, Psychic Sleuths, Real Life X Files, and The UFO Invasion. In this discussion with DJ Grothe, Nickell assesses some well-known psychic detectives such as Allison DuBois, on whom the NBC drama Medium is based, Carla Baron, and others. He also explains some of their methods and possible motivations. Also in this episode, Tom Flynn asks Did You Know?, detailing facts and figures about 6-6-06, the "Number of the Beast," and Tim LaHaye's Left Behind book series.

Joe Hoffmann is Campbell Professor of Religion and Human Values at Wells College, New York and chair of the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion (CSER) at the Center for Inquiry. He is formerly Professor of Civilization Studies at American University of Beirut and Senior Research Scholar of St. Cross College, Oxford. Dr. Hoffmann is a specialist in the social and cultural history of early Christianity, and the author of Jesus Outside the Gospels, coeditor of Biblical versus Secular Ethics, Jesus in Myth and History, Modern Spiritualities, The Origins of Christianity, The Secret Gospels, What the Bible Really Says, and editor and translator of the Oxford University Press editions of Celsus' On the True Doctrine: A Discourse Against the Christians and Porphyry's Against the Christians: The Literary Remains. In this discussion with DJ Grothe, Professor Hoffmann probes the truth and fiction behind The Da Vinci Code, explores Christianity's true origins, and examines the public's overwhelming fasc

Matt Nisbet is assistant professor in the school of communication at the Ohio State University. He focuses on the intersections between science, media, and politics, tracking how political strategists, scientists, and the news media selectively define science in ways that shape policy decisions, public opinion, and political culture. His writing has appeared in a number of scholarly journals such as the Columbia Journalism Review, Public Opinion Quarterly, and Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, in addition to magazines such as The American Prospect. He also writes a regular web column for Skeptical Inquirer on science and the media. In this interview with DJ Grothe, Matt discusses ways he says the scientific community should reframe discussions about controversial science and its implications for the public. Also in this episode CFI summer intern Colin Koproske, from the University of Southern California, shares his views about the importance of scientific literacy.

Paul Kurtz, considered the father of the secular humanist movement and a founder of the worldwide skeptic movement, is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo. As chair of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), the Council for Secular Humanism, and Prometheus Books, and as editor-in-chief of Free Inquiry Magazine, he has advanced a critical, skeptical inquiry into many of the most cherished beliefs of society for the last forty years. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has been featured very widely in the media, on topics as diverse as reincarnation, UFO abduction, secular versus religious ethics, communication with the dead, and the historicity of Jesus. In this interview with DJ Grothe, Paul discusses planetary ethics and the implications of science and technology for the future of humanity. Also in this episode Thomas Donnelly discusses this summer's Student Leadership Confere

Edward Tabash is a constitutional and civil rights lawyer in Beverly Hills, California. Graduating magna cum laude from UCLA in 1973, he graduated from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles three years later and was admitted to the California Bar that same year. He has chaired the National Legal Committee of Americans United for Separation of Church and State since 1995. He has been the most publicly-active man in the abortion rights movement in California since 1981. He has argued and won before the California Supreme Court and sits as a part-time judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court system. Since 1990, he has been a member of the First Amendment Committee of the ACLU of Southern California. In election year 2000, he finished second out of four in a primary for the California State Assembly. He was the only open atheist to be a major contender for a state legislative seat in the United States during that election cycle. He has successfully represented the scientific outlook and secular humanism in pub

Eugenie Scott, a physical anthropologist, has been the director of the National Center for Science Education for nearly 20 years. A former president of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, and a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, she is one of the nation's leading defenders of the theory of evolution, and a vocal critic of creationism and Intelligent Design theory. She is the author of the widely used and comprehensive textbook Evolution Vs. Creationism. In this interview with DJ Grothe, Dr. Scott discusses evolution, its implications for religious belief, and the history of the Creation Science/Intelligent Design movement. Also in this episode, Sarah Jordan asks why the teaching of evolution matters.

Bill Nye is one of America's leading popularizers of the scientific outlook. As a scientist, engineer, comedian, author, and inventor, he hosted Bill Nye The Science Guy, which earned 28 Emmys during its six year run. He is the author of a number of children's books about science and regularly lectures at Cornell University as part of the Frank H.T. Rhodes Visiting Professorship. He is also a Fellow of CSICOP, the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. His acclaimed new show The Eyes of Nye currently airs on PBS stations across the United States. In this discussion with DJ Grothe, Bill Nye talks about the importance of science literacy, and how science best equips us to face the pressing challenges that threaten our future. Also in this episode, Point of Inquiry contributer Lauren Becker asks Have You Been Saved? (this Earth Day).

Sam Harris is the author of the New York Times bestseller The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason. Mr. Harris is a graduate in philosophy from Stanford University and has studied both Eastern and Western religious traditions, along with a variety of contemplative disciplines, for twenty years. His work has been discussed in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune, The Economist, The Guardian, The Independent, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, New Scientist, SEED Magazine, Stanford Magazine, and many other journals. He is a columnist for Free Inquiry magazine and makes regular appearances on television and radio to discuss the danger that religion now poses to modern societies. The End of Faith won the 2005 PEN Award for Nonfiction. In this discussion with DJ Grothe, Harris talks about the destructive consequences of religious beliefs and also about contemplative practice and possible benefits it may bring even the nonbeliever. Als

Sam Harris is the author of the New York Times bestseller The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason. Mr. Harris is a graduate in philosophy from Stanford University and has studied both Eastern and Western religious traditions, along with a variety of contemplative disciplines, for twenty years. His work has been discussed in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune, The Economist, The Guardian, The Independent, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, New Scientist, SEED Magazine, Stanford Magazine, and many other journals. He is a columnist for Free Inquiry magazine and makes regular appearances on television and radio to discuss the danger that religion now poses to modern societies. The End of Faith won the 2005 PEN Award for Nonfiction. In this discussion with DJ Grothe, Harris explores what he calls the dangers of religion, and argues that because of their destructive consequences, religious beliefs should not be given special sanction

Herbert Hauptman is winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for pioneering a mathematical model for determining the molecular structures of crystallized materials. This work has proved to be of the greatest importance because it relates molecular structure to biological activity, and allows for a better understanding of life processes and making possible the development of many new disease-fighting drugs. Dr. Hauptman is president of the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, research professor in the Department of Biophysical Sciences, and adjunct professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University at Buffalo. Besides the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Dr. Hauptman has received many other honors, including election to the National Academy of Sciences. He is the author of more than 170 publications. In this discussion with DJ Grothe, Dr. Hauptman discussed the "joy of science," relates the events that led to his winning the Nobel Prize, and elaborates on why science is beautiful. Also in thi

Jamy Ian Swiss is universally considered one of the world's top sleight of hand performers, famous to magicians for his subtlety, skill and depth of understanding of magic's history. He has made numerous television appearances in the United States, Europe, and Japan, including on The Today Show, CBS's 48 Hours, Comedy Central, CNN, PBS Nova and the PBS documentary, The Art of Magic. He's performed internationally for corporate clients, lectured to magicians in over a dozen countries, and is a co-producer of New York City's longest-running Off-Broadway magic show, Monday Night Magic. He is also a co-founder of the National Capital Area Skeptics and a long-time contributor to the skeptical movement and its magazines. Swiss is an author of The Art of Magic, which is the companion book to the PBS documentary of the same name, and he contributes a monthly book review column to Genii, the Conjurors' Magazine. He is also the author of Shattering Illusions, a collection of essays on the art and science of magic. In

Susan Jacoby is the author of Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism, now in its tenth hardcover printing and recently published in paperback. Freethinkers was hailed in the New York Times as an "ardent and insightful work that seeks to rescue a proud tradition from the indifference of posterity." Named a notable nonfiction book of 2004 by The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times, Freethinkers was cited in England as one of the outstanding international books of 2004 by the Times Literary Supplement and The Guardian. In this interview with DJ Grothe, she discusses America's freethought heritage, and talks about Robert Green Ingersoll, and the role of freethinkers in various social justice movements. Also in this episode, Tom Flynn asks Did You Know?, detailing facts about Robert Green Ingersoll and new data about nonbelievers from University of Akron, and Lauren Becker shares some thoughts on Darwin and Olver Sacks and what these scientists teach us about ourselves.

Paul Kurtz, considered the father of the secular humanist movement and a founder of the worldwide skeptic movement, is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo. As chair of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), the Council for Secular Humanism, and Prometheus Books, and as editor-in-chief of Free Inquiry Magazine, he has advanced a critical, skeptical inquiry into many of the most cherished beliefs of society for the last forty years. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has been featured very widely in the media, on topics as diverse as reincarnation, UFO abduction, secular versus religious ethics, communication with the dead, and the historicity of Jesus. In this interview with DJ Grothe, Paul explores the history of skepticism, defines various types of skepticism, and highlights what he calls "skepticism of the third kind".

Daniel Dennett, the author of such groundbreaking and influential books as Consciousness Explained and Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life (which was a finalist for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize), is famous for being a philosophical gadfly, challenging unexamined orthodoxies in our society. He has made considerable contributions to the study of consciousness, the understanding of the development of the child's mind, artificial intelligence and evolutionary theory. He is University Professor, professor of philosophy, and co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University. In this interview with DJ Grothe, he discusses his new book, Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon. Also in this episode, Tom Flynn asks Did You Know?, detailing facts about world religions and their scientific study, Point of Inquiry contributor Benjamin Radford explores beauty and self-esteem, and in the second of a two-part series, DJ Grothe talks with CSICOP's Joe

Dr. Wallace Sampson serves as editor of The Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council Against Health Fraud. He has served as Chief of Medical Oncology at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, and is clinical Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Sampson is an expert on unscientific medical systems and alternative medicine claims, and teaches the critical analysis of Complementary and Alternative Medicine at Stanford University. He is co-editor of the book Science Meets Alternative Medicine. In this discussion with DJ Grothe, Dr. Sampson explores current trends in alternative medicine and offers the scientific alternative. Also in this episode, Tom Flynn asks Did You Know?, listing facts about the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Point of Inquiry contributor Benjamin Radford explores the use and abuse of labyrinths, and in the first of a two-part series, DJ Grothe talks with C

Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow for CSICOP, is considered the world's leading paranormal investigator. A former professional stage magician and private investigator, he has used his varied background to investigate myths and mysteries, frauds, forgeries, and hoaxes. He has been called "the modern Sherlock Holmes," "the original ghost buster," and "the real-life Scully" (after the character in The X-Files ). A veteran of hundreds of TV and radio appearances, he is the author of over 20 books, including Secrets of the Supernatural, Entities, Psychic Sleuths, Real Life X Files, and The UFO Invasion. In this interview with DJ Grothe, he discusses aliens and alien abduction accounts and explores their significance for society today. Also in this episode, Tom Flynn asks Did You Know?, detailing facts and figures about UFOs, alien abductions and the new "Roses of Mohammed," Point of Inquiry contributor Sarah Jordan examines the meaning of science education, and DJ Grothe talks with Benjamin Radford about psyc

Richard Dawkins is professor of the public understanding of science at Oxford University. The recipient of a number of awards for his writing on science, including the Royal Society of Literature Award and the LA Times Literary Prize, he has also been awarded the Royal Society Michael Faraday Award for the furtherance of the public understanding of science. In a recent poll in the United Kingdom, he was named Britain's leading public intellectual. He is the author of a number of critically acclaimed books, such as The Selfish Gene, The Blind Watchmaker, Unweaving the Rainbow, The Devil's Chaplain, and The Ancestor's Tale. In this interview with DJ Grothe, he discusses his newest work, a two-part documentary series for British television entitled The Root of All Evil?, in which he challenges what he calls "the process of non-thinking called faith." Also in this episode, noted ex-muslim and best-selling Islamic scholar Ibn Warraq explores the recent worldwide riots over the Danish cartoons depicting Mohamm

Marci Hamilton is a distinguished constitutional law professor at Cordozo School of Law and is the author of the critically acclaimed book God vs. The Gavel: Religion and the Rule of Law. She has appeared widely in the media, on shows such as The O'Reilly Factor and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. In this interview, she explores the harms that are done to society by religion and how these harms are enabled by the courts and law enforcement because of an inaccurate understanding and application of the First Amendment. She challenges the widespread notion that all religious conduct deserves constitutional protection. Also in this episode, Tom Flynn presents Did You Know? detailing information about tax-payer funding of religious organizations, President Bush's fear of human-animal hybrids, and priestly child-abuse. Also, Benjamin Radford shares his segment Media Mythmakers, and in the second of a two part series entitled Investigating Ghosts and Hauntings, Joe Nickell, CSICOP's senior research fellow and reno

Chris Mooney, a Washington correspondent for Seed magazine, a senior correspondent for the American Prospect, and a columnist for Skeptical Inquirer magazine, focuses on issues at the intersection of science and politics in his reporting. He has contributed to a number of other publications over the last few years including Wired, New Scientist, Slate, Mother Jones, The Washington Post, The LA Times, and The Boston Globe, in addition to appearing widely in the media, on shows such as The Daily Show with John Stewart, NPR's Science Friday, and Fresh Air with Terry Gross. His blog, called "The Intersection," was recipient of Scientific American's 2005 Science and Technology web award, which noted that "science is lucky to have such a staunch ally in acclaimed journalist Chris Mooney." In this interview, he discusses his first book, The Republican War on Science, hailed as "a landmark in contemporary political reporting" by Salon.com and a "well-researched, closely argued and amply referenced indictment of the