The Podcast For Inquiry

Many people - especially those in skeptical organizations like CFIC - talk about the importance of critical thinking. But what is it? How can we use it effectively? How do people navigate complex subject areas without developing deep expertise? Melanie Trecek-King, creator of Thinking is Power , discusses how people internalize beliefs, how they can be a part of one's identity, why some issues bec...

In his first appearance on Podcast for Inquiry, Dr. Josh Bowen compared what we know about history from archaeology and contemporaneous literature with the stories from the Old Testament.  In today's episode, Dr. Bowen reveals what the Bible has to say about slavery and genocide, and goes a bit outside his comfort zone to talk about whether the Old Testament should be considered a guide to a moral...

Kate Cohen talks about her journey from privately knowing she was a non-believer to writing We of Little Faith: Why I Stopped Pretending to Believe (And Maybe You Should Too). She discusses how being an atheist and a commitment to honesty informed how she raised her children, and how being forthright about her lack of belief in social interactions has simplified her life. We also talk about some o...

Greg Oliver, founder and president of the  Canadian Secular Alliance , believes that governments should not favour one faith over another, nor believers over non-believers. That three Canadian provinces continue to this day to fully fund a Separate school system for a single faith - Catholicism - is an egregious violation of secular principles that should guide our public policy. Greg explains why...

Everyone is vulnerable to fallacies that can lead to misunderstanding scientific topics. In her book (written with Barbara Hofer), Science Denial: Why It Happens and What To Do About It, Gale investigates many of these, including: Cognitive biases Emotions Motivated reasoning  Identities  Gale also explains what all of us can do to increase our scientific literacy. Science is better understood as...

Anti-natalism is the philosophical idea that choosing to have children is an unethical act. Mark explains what anti-natalism is, as well as what it isn't, and describes how he came to subscribe to anti-natalist thought.  Learn more about anti-natalism from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy ( https://iep.utm.edu/anti-natalism/ ) and Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy ( https://plato.stanford...

Dr. Kelly Weinersmith ( @FuSchmu ) is the co-author (with her husband Zach) of Soonish and A City on Mars. Kelly maintains that while having humans living off Earth would be awesome, we're simply not ready for it yet. She answers many of Leslie's questions: Why can't we go to Mars if we have the will? Why can't we all just get along? Why should we expand? Why is building a habitable space station...

Carolyn Biltoft received her PhD in World History from Princeton University in 2010. Her work fuses the tools of world history, intellectual history, cultural studies and critical theory. Carolyn has thought deeply about the nature of truth, and realized that each person necessarily has an incomplete understanding, because we only experience a small aspect of reality first hand. Therefore, we need...

Robin Reames is the incoming Culbertson Chair of English at Indiana University. She researches and writes about the history of ideas, particularly lost ideas from the ancient Greek rhetorical tradition that can enrich our lives today. Leslie and Robin talk about her book, The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself: The Power of Rhetoric in Polarized Times, starting with the question: What is rhetori...

Dr. Ralph Lewis is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, a practicing psychiatrist, and  blogs for Psychology Today . Leslie and Dr. Lewis explore the themes in his book, "Finding Purpose in a Godless World: Why We Care Even if the Universe Doesn't", including addressing some key questions: Does the universe have a purpose? Why are we humans so prone to believe that the universe is...

Andrew Seidel ( @AndrewLSeidel ) is the author of The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism is un-American, and works for Americans United for Separation of Church and State . He and Leslie discuss the birth of the United States and its founding documents. Andrew reveals that America was not intended to be in any way a Christian nation, yet a significant minority has come to believe that is not...

The Ten Commitments come from the American Humanist Association's Center for Education. They "represent our shared humanistic values and principles that promote a democratic world in which every individual's worth and dignity is respected, nurtured, and supported, and where human freedom and ethical responsibility are natural aspirations for everyone." Leslie speaks with Kristin Wintermute, Direct...

Kat McLeod is passionate about dispelling misinformation, especially regarding herbal remedies. Taking herbal supplements nearly killed her, so she volunteers at the University of Alberta as a mentor for pharmacy and medical students, arming them with the knowledge that can hopefully prevent the kind of suffering she has endured. Kat and Leslie talk about some of the problems in Canada and elsewhe...

Leslie gave the keynote address at the Centre for Inquiry Canada's Annual General Meeting in March. That address is today's special episode of Podcast for Inquiry. Leslie talks about the principles underlying the podcast, the rules and guidelines they led to, and some of the difficult decisions those working on the podcast had to make. Leslie also delves into freedom of expression, applying how di...

Perry Bulwer ( Facebook ) speaks about his part-memoir, part-exposé book, Misguided : My Jesus Freak Life in a Doomsday Cult. Perry describes what first attracted him to the cult, and why he stayed in it for nearly 20 years. Perry recounts the lasting damage from his time in the Children of God, to himself and especially to those born into it.  Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie Rosenblood an...

In this bonus episode of Podcast for Inquiry, Leslie speaks with Bob Barnes and Jeff Brooks of Bluewater Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics about the third annual  BAHACON , to be held in Sarnia, Ontario on August 9-11, 2024. Leslie hopes to see you there! Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie Rosenblood and brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada . Support Podcast for Inquiry on Patreon:...

Kevin Mitchell ( @WiringtheBrain ) is Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin and writes the blog Wiring the Brain . His book, Free Agents, argues that evolution gave us Free Will. Kevin begins by describing free will, how life has it but rocks do not, and the gradient of choice from paramecia to humans. He talks about the thought experiment of "Rewinding the Tap...

Dr. Julien Musolino is a cognitive scientist and author of The Soul Fallacy. He explains why the intuitively, commonly-held notion of free will - known as "libertarian" or "contra-causal" - is scientifically incoherent. This has some implications for how we view ourselves and how we treat others, but on many levels it also doesn't matter. Julien restores the concept of free will by providing a dif...

Maryam Namazie ( @MaryamNamazie ) is the spokesperson for One Law for All and the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain . In December 2023, the CEMB released The Paris Appeal , calling for Laics of all countries to unite. Maryam explains the purpose and content of The Paris Appeal, and along the way gets into the difference between laïcité and secularism, and reveals the religious court system in Engla...

Canada allows organizations that do nothing but "advance religion" to be classified as charities. This policy decision costs Canadians at least $5.6 billion every year, according to  CFIC's Cost of Religion reports . Sandra Dunham explains what this amount includes, how it was calculated, and the many benefits that religious institutions enjoy in addition to this figure.  Podcast for Inquiry is ho...

Canadians with group benefits covered by Manulife will soon be able to fill certain prescriptions only at Loblaw-owned pharmacies, such as Shoppers Drug Mart. In today's Diatribe, Leslie fulminates against this blatantly anti-competitive, coercive arrangement that harms everyone it affects except the profits of two of Canada's largest companies. Leslie explains why this deal ought to be a violatio...

"Omer" (a pseudonym) was born and raised in Pakistan, but his life was threatened when he expressed doubts about the inerrancy of Islam. He survived a manhunt by the Pakistani government, and now lives as a refugee in Nepal. Omer is the first Pakistani atheist to reach 100,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel . He has been accepted by Canada as a permanent resident, but exit permit issues mean O...

Russell Blackford ( @Metamagician ) is a philosopher, literary critic, and widely published author. Russell talks about how the philosophical principle of Liberalism runs through his two most recent books, The Tyranny of Opinion and How We Became Post-Liberal. Our conversation starts with a definition of how Liberalism emerged over the past few centuries, and delves into two of its core concepts:...

Gordon Precious was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1924. As a teenager he became a born-again Christian but as he travelled the world he began to question why he believed his faith was the only true one. As his 100th birthday approaches, Gordon shares his insights on vaccines, technology, humanism, and death.  Podcast for Inquiry is brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada . Hosted by Leslie...

What is Private Equity, and how does it work? Gretchen Morgenson ( @gmorgenson ) is a Pulitzer-winning journalist whose latest book is These are the Plunderers. Gretchen exposes the bad and often illegal activities of Private Equity firms, and tries to explain why they have been allowed to get away with it for so long. She explains how Private Equity firms operate behind the scenes to ensure the l...