Dr. Mike Shermer-Skeptic Show

[Decker]

After this weeks episode of The Paracast with skeptic Karl Mamer I went rooting thru my files and pulled this show out. I suppose you could say that I "busted Shermer's cherry" on the UFO beat back in December 1994. I encountered him after reading a news story in a local paper where Mike Shermer responded to an article written with a guy here in So. Calf., Video Dave Aaron, a known local UFO proponent. I did a little research, found Shermer's publication, he publishes a magazine, The Skeptic, and called him up. I invited him to be interviewed on my show UFOs Tonite!.

On this episode Dwight Schultz, who when in town, co-hosted with me and we expected a "light" show. A lot of good natured jabbing and what have you. I will never forget when Shermer showed up, he asked Dwight and I to "kind of take it easy on me, I really don't know that much about the subject!" That told me tons about Mike. Skeptic by decree! Okay, so we didn't really take it all that easy on him.

Now, over the years I dealt with many, many skeptics. Robert Sheaffer even gave me the "left handed compliment" of calling me a real bulldog when he wrote something about me when I left UFO research. Jim Oberg, Phil Klass, Curtis Peebles, Sheaffer, I butted heads with all those guys. As a sidenote, after this show Shermer told me he wanted to have me debate his buddy Robert Sheaffer at one of his Skeptic meetings and I told him Sure! For whatever reason it never came to pass. I later heard that I intimidated a number of these guys and I can tell you from personal experience they did avoid me. For example I tried to get Curtis Peebles on to discuss his skeptical book, he wrote me back that "he had no interest" in coming on my show. Skeptic by decree.

So anyway, here is Mike Shermer's first real appearence on UFOs. These days you see Shermer everywhere the subject is discussed, but I "had" him first!

Right after the Shermer opening file, play the KlassClip before the show. This clip was originally in the first file, but now it ... ain't, but you got to hear it. The files 01 and 02. Enjoy and now on to the show.

Decker

Opening
https://www.theparacast.com/darkmatters/ShermerOpening.mp3

Klass Clip
https://www.theparacast.com/darkmatters/KlassClip.mp3

Part 01
https://www.theparacast.com/darkmatters/Shermer01.mp3

Part 02
https://www.theparacast.com/darkmatters/Shermer02.mp3

 

[Gareth]

That Phil Klass clip is gold Don! Do you have the full episode of that?

Regarding the Shermer show.... Im about 25mins in and its great so far. The only thing I would say (and its possible you do this later) is that I would have broadened the scope of you your definition of a UFO. I think you should have included that it appears to not be aero-dynamic and/or use non-conventional propulsion.

I would have liked to hear Shermer say whether he admits that people do see strange circular craft in the sky or not. The Mamer dude from the P/Cast ep this week essentially thinks no one ever sees anything anomalous... that its always a perceptual error or something. But Shermer seems to accept that people see weird shit, but he thinks its probably just not alien in origin.

The only problem is that the definition wasnt specific enough so its not obvious whether he accepts the idea of people seeing non-aero-dynamic craft in the sky or not.

Hope that makes sense. It will probably be addressed later in the show.

 

[dyingsun]

Really enjoyed this one, Shermer came off as quite a likeable guy actually and even the callers had interesting things to add.