For solving a surprisingly large and varied number of problems, crowds are smarter than individuals. – Michael Shermer
The case for exploiting animals for food, clothing and entertainment often relies on our superior intelligence, language and self-awareness: the rights of the superior being trump those of the inferior. – Michael Shermer
Skeptics question the validity of a particular claim by calling for evidence to prove or disprove it. – Michael Shermer
I say you don’t need religion, or political ideology, to understand human nature. Science reveals that human nature is greedy and selfish, altruistic and helpful. – Michael Shermer
Conspiracies are a perennial favorite for television producers because there is always a receptive audience. – Michael Shermer
Science operates in the natural, not the supernatural. In fact, I go so far as to state that there is no such thing as the supernatural or the paranormal. – Michael Shermer
Mysteries once thought to be supernatural or paranormal happenings – such as astronomical or meteorological events – are incorporated into science once their causes are understood. – Michael Shermer
Either the soul survives death or it does not, and there is no scientific evidence that it does. – Michael Shermer
Providentially, learned habits can be unlearned, especially in the context of moral groups. – Michael Shermer
We should be exploring consciousness at the neural level and higher, where the arrow of causal analysis points up toward such principles as emergence and self-organization. – Michael Shermer
Myths are stories that express meaning, morality or motivation. Whether they are true or not is irrelevant. – Michael Shermer
The actual atoms and molecules that make up my brain and body today are not the same ones that I was born with on September 8, 1954, a half-century ago this month. – Michael Shermer
The natural inclination in all humans is to posit a force, a spirit, outside of us. That tendency toward superstitious magical thinking is just built into our nature. – Michael Shermer
In the long run, it is better to understand the way the world really is rather than how we would like it to be. – Michael Shermer
The reason is that in a group, individual errors on either side of the true figure cancel each other out. – Michael Shermer
Mammals are sentient beings that want to live and are afraid to die. Evolution vouchsafed us all with an instinct to survive, reproduce and flourish. – Michael Shermer
Skepticism is not a position that you stake out ahead of time and stick to no matter what. – Michael Shermer
When alien abductees recount to me their stories, I do not deny that they had a real experience. – Michael Shermer
My libertarian beliefs have not always served me well. Like most people who hold strong ideological convictions, I find that, too often, my beliefs trump the scientific facts. – Michael Shermer
We do not just blindly concede control to authorities; instead we follow the cues provided by our moral communities on how best to behave. – Michael Shermer
