The Glenn Show Michael Shermer – A Skeptic's Guide to 2026
14 snips
Jan 23, 2026 
Michael Shermer, founding publisher of Skeptic Magazine and author on belief and truth, joins to probe conspiracy thinking and the collapse of institutional trust. He catalogs major conspiracies, explains cognitive biases that fuel them, and defends Bayesian, evidence‑based reasoning. They also debate immigration enforcement, media credibility, QAnon’s appeal, and whether leaders uniquely threaten democratic norms.
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Institutional Trust Is A Practical Shortcut
- We outsource belief to experts and institutions because we cannot verify everything ourselves.
- Institutional failures during COVID and past errors eroded trust and made people skeptical of official claims.
Be Bayesian: Communicate Uncertainty Clearly
- Institutions should communicate probabilistically and acknowledge uncertainty to rebuild trust.
- Say what you think now, state confidence levels, and update publicly as evidence changes.
QAnon Descent After Pandemic Isolation
- Shermer tells of a successful PR entrepreneur who became consumed by QAnon after COVID shutdowns disrupted her life.
- Her descent shows how social isolation and economic loss can propel people into harmful conspiratorial activism.
