Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Scientific skepticism may not be a religion, but many of its proponents do preach now and then. Unfortunately, evangelizing with logically sound explanations and iron-clad evidence often isn’t enough to loosen people’s hold on questionable beliefs. So how are we to counter the conspiracy theories, medical quackery, and science denial that’s so prevalent in today’s popular culture?
Join us on Thursday, February 5, at 7:00 p.m. ET for a Skeptical Inquirer Presents livestream with social psychologist Barry Markovsky. Social psychological research on influence and persuasion suggests factors that make arguments more compelling. Markovsky will explain how he puts those into practice in his own life, using examples and stories from his forthcoming book, Everyday Extraordinary: A Scientist Ponders a Lifetime of Magical, Bizarre, and Paranormal Experiences, which empowers readers with important tools for thinking critically about all sorts of claims, extraordinary and otherwise.
Scientific skepticism may not be a religion, but many of its proponents do preach now and then. Unfortunately, evangelizing with logically sound explanations and iron-clad evidence often isn’t enough to loosen people’s hold on questionable beliefs. So how are we to counter the conspiracy theories, medical quackery, and science denial that’s so prevalent in today’s popular culture?
Join us on Thursday, February 5, at 7:00 p.m. ET for a Skeptical Inquirer Presents livestream with social psychologist Barry Markovsky. Social psychological research on influence and persuasion suggests factors that make arguments more compelling. Markovsky will explain how he puts those into practice in his own life, using examples and stories from his forthcoming book, Everyday Extraordinary: A Scientist Ponders a Lifetime of Magical, Bizarre, and Paranormal Experiences, which empowers readers with important tools for thinking critically about all sorts of claims, extraordinary and otherwise.
