In this episode, we join up with historian of science Dr. Michael Shermer to investigate the cross-fertilization between science and free speech.
Michael Shermer is a prolific writer on science, philosophy and morality and has appeared in numerous documentaries, talk shows, and TED talks.
Among the topics discussed are:
- When did scientific freedom make its decisive breakthrough?
- What comes first: Science or free inquiry?
- How did both Islam and Christianity affect science?
- What is the relationship between science and free speech as such?
- Can science be used to suppress free speech?
- How did Benjamin Franklin infuse the Declaration of Independence with Newtonian science?
Dr. Michael Shermer is a Historian of science, Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, founder of Skeptic Society and the Skeptic Magazine and author of Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality & Utopia, Why People Believe Weird Things, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, and The Moral Arc.
You can subscribe and listen to Clear and Present Danger on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, YouTube, TuneIn and Stitcher, or download episodes directly from SoundCloud.
Stay up to date with Clear and Present Danger on the show’s Facebook and Twitter pages, or visit the podcast’s website at freespeechhistory.com.
Email us feedback at freespeechhistory@gmail.com.
