The Unspeakeasy With Meghan Daum A Post-Truth World Is Not Acceptable, with Michael Shermer
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Feb 2, 2026 
Michael Shermer, science writer and founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, offers a short tour of how we lose track of basic facts. He talks about why people see the same videos differently. He covers conspiracies, activism’s effect on institutions, the lab leak theory, and how to rebuild trust in expertise.
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Ambiguous Evidence Triggers Cognitive Filling-In
- Ambiguous or low-resolution evidence lets our brains fill gaps based on prior beliefs and priming.
- Clear, high-resolution evidence reduces interpretive disagreement and the need for credentialed arbiters.
Trust Shortcuts Are Essential — And Fragile
- Most people defer complex facts to trusted institutions because no one can verify everything.
- Losing trust in those institutions, as during COVID, makes people uncertain about basic empirical claims.
Triangulate Across Trustworthy Sources
- Read multiple reputable sources across the spectrum before forming a verdict.
- Identify each outlet's slant and use that contrast to spot missing angles or errors.
