Michael Shermer: Why People Believe Conspiracy Theories @ChicagoHumanitiesFestival

Uploaded January 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago

The public has always been fascinated by conspiracy theories, but lately more people have started believing in them: from speculations about John F. Kennedy’s assassination to notions that 9/11 was an inside job. At CHF, Michael Shermer (founding publisher of Skeptic magazine) talks with Meghan Daum (The Problem With Everything, The Unspeakable Podcast) about the personality traits and societal factors at play in conspiratorial thinking and how we can counteract these narratives.

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Michael Shermer: Why People Believe Conspiracy Theories

$Will Bunch on the Higher Education Divide Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Will Bunch calls higher education the great political and cultural fault line of American life. Join Bunch and Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Anthony S. Chen, as they explore the central question of Bunch’s latest book After the Ivory Tower Falls: How has the fracturing of American people into two groups (one educated and the other not) contributed to political, cultural, and economic unrest; and what can we do to bridge the divide? This program is generously sponsored by The Dolores Kohl Education Foundation as part of Morris & Dolores Kohl Kaplan Northwestern Day, and is presented in partnership with Alice Kaplan Institute for the Humanities. Donate now to support programs like this: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/donate/ Explore upcoming events: https://www.chicagohumanities.org/ Connect on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ChiHumanities Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chicagohumanities/ Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chihumanities/$

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