D.J. Grothe sits down with ESPN.com's fantasy sports analyst AJ Mass to discuss how fantasy sports relate to science and skepticism. Success in fantasy sports is about predicting the future, and Mass explains how he learned how to gather useful information and avoid the same kinds of misunderstandings of science and human nature that cause people to find patterns where none exist.

Famed magician Jamy Ian Swiss sits down with D.J. Grothe to talk about psychics. As an advisor to the James Randi Educational Foundation, Swiss helped put self-proclaimed psychics to the test on ABC's "Primetime Nightline". He discusses the phenomenon of celebrity psychics and why their claims should be challenged. But are all psychics knowing charlatans? Swiss says no, but even the self-deluded have the capacity to do harm to an unknowing public.

In this discussion with D.J. Grothe, James Randi explores the meaning and worth of "skepticism," and explains why skepticism is not the same as cynicism. He talks about the focus of the JREF's mission, and to what extent social issues such as GLBT rights, civil rights, economic equality, church-state separation, feminism and environmentalism are within skepticism's purview. He debates whether God's existence should be a skeptic topic, and reveals why he is an "atheist of the second kind." And he details recent activities at the JREF to challenge charlatans and educate the public about harmful paranormal claims, and how listeners can get directly involved with this important and unique work.

Professor Richard Wiseman discusses his work researching the psychology of the paranormal. He explains the value in continuing to research paranormal experiences despite the fact that they probably are not true. He also delves into his history as a magician and how that influenced his decision to become a psychologist. He explores the psychological and physiological responses to fear and how they can bolster a belief in the paranormal.

In this wide-ranging conversation with D.J. Grothe at The Amazing Meeting 8 in Las Vegas, Richard Dawkins talks about applying skepticism to religious claims. He explores the concept of "untestable" claims and how to address them in a scientific way. He also discusses whether atheism is a necessary result of skepticism. He says anyone should be willing to accept the reality of a claim if it is proven through scientific testing. He also discusses exobiology, including the likelihood that life exists elsewhere in the universe and whether or not it has been shaped by evolution through natural selection. Plus, he touches on storytelling and whether fantastical stories can make children more credulous.

Rev. Michael Dowd talks about he is an evangelist for the "sacred view of evolution," and how he promotes the "marriage of science and religion." He argues that the best understanding of the nature of reality comes not from ancient revealed religions, but from science, and how he derives religious feelings from this scientific worldview. He explains how his views are different than mainline religions who try to accommodate science to their religions, and calls for religion to "evolve" to accommodate science. He argues how his worldview is grounded in evidence, and defends "religious naturalism." He talks about why he hasn't abandoned the language of religion even if he has given up many of the religious beliefs he formerly adhered to. He explains how accepting an evolutionary worldview -- a "Big History" point of view -- may support a high quality of life, great relationships and a peaceful death. He talks about the various audiences he and his wife, science writer Connie Barlow, speak to, and how they can be categorized into three major populations: atheist/skeptics and other nonreligious groups, Catholic and Protestant religious audiences, and New Age/New Thought groups, and he explains why his message is well received among all three distinct audiences. He explores whether his message is more of a threat to traditional religion than are the New Atheists. And he explains why he might be more accurately described as an evangelist for "Big History" than for just the theory of evolution.

James Randi talks about how learning magic tricks may lead to adopting a more skeptical point of view about supernatural and paranormal claims. He discusses magician and Houdini ghostwriter Walter B. Gibson and how he may be an exception to this rule, in that he wrote a number of pro-paranormal books throughout his prolific career. He talks about the Tarbell Course in Magic as an entree into skepticism, and to what extent magician and author Harlan Tarbell was himself a skeptic. He relates his friendship with the famous magician Doug Henning, and how Henning's lack of skepticism about the paranormal may have led to his death. He discusses his long friendship with the great mentalist Dunninger, and how he may have had a double standard when it came to Dunninger's mindreading claims as opposed to the paranormal claims of Uri Geller. He shares the story about how the influential magic store owner Al Flosso scolded Dunninger about his paranormal claims. And he draws distinctions between magicians who make fake paranormal claims and magicians who make fake psychological claims. 

Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, talks about the conflation of the right to believe whatever one wants regarding life's origins and the decision about what should be taught in the science classroom. She explains scientific consensus, and how intelligent design creationism has failed to persuade the scientific community. She talks about where and how scientific consensus on evolution should be challenged, instead of in the middle school and high school science classrooms. She details some of the history of creation science and intelligent design in the United States. She talks about her decades as a leader in the skeptics movement and explores how her work in skepticism is continuous with her work at NCSE. She talks about the proper aims of the skeptics movement, and to what extent the work of skepticism should include skepticism of religion, and whether acceptance of  evolution or a commitment to skepticism should require atheism. She explores whether theism is a legitimate scientific or skeptical topic. She addresses critics who have charged her with the strategic accommodation of religion in order to advance her goals regarding evolution education. She talks about how her atheism and secular humanism is informed by science, and how and why she keeps it separate from her "day job" advancing evolution education and her leadership role in the worldwide skeptics movement. And she endorses what she calls "born again skepticism," which is a return to the roots of the skeptics movement that lie in challenging extraordinary claims as opposed to challenging or advancing metaphysical or economic ideologies.

Dr. Gorski defines complimentary, alternative and integrative medicine and contrasts it with science-based medicine. He talks about whether its acceptance is growing. He debates to what extent massage therapy and aromatherapy are examples of CAM. He reveals whether he likes to refer to CAM as (S)CAM, and how helpful such an acronym is. He explores to what extent traditional medicine and herbal medicine are science-based, resulting in aspirin, digitalis, and various chemotherapy drugs, and why they should not properly be considered CAM. He describes the health freedom movement, and what social criticism fuels it. He talks about the ways that adopting CAM approaches harm patients, including leading to patents to forgo other, more effective treatments; paternalistic deception of the patient through knowing use of placebo. He explores the moral values that motivate skeptical activism. And he talks about why more medical doctors are not skeptic activists.

Joe Nickell explains why he investigates the paranormal, as opposed to merely pronouncing his skepticism of it. He talks about his training as a detective and why it was formative, along with his background in magic. He explains why field experience is so important to scientific paranormal investigation. He distinguishes between skepticism and debunking, and what results from each approach. He argues that the existence of the paranormal is not the only question to answer while conducting paranormal investigations. He explains why he continues investigating subjects he has already looked numerous times, such as ghosts, lake monsters and miracle claims, and why he spends time on the paranormal as opposed to other important topics. He talks about whether the supernatural claim that God exists should be a focus of the paranormal investigator. And he comments on the new trend of skeptical paranormal investigation groups starting up in cities throughout North America.