I’ve long been a fan of the Skepticality podcast, and I cheered when they became the official podcast of Skeptic magazine. They just keep getting better; episode 49 is a must listen.

Dr. Shermer talks to author and Stanford emeritus Professor Philip Zimbardo on the release of his new book, The Lucifer Effect which ponders the question, what causes some people to commit acts of evil while others become unexpected heroes.

Anyone with an interest in humanism, the nature of evil, and how good people are convinced to do bad things should definitely grab this episode. Dr. Zimbardo (conductor of the infamous Stanford prison experiment) provides scientific theories that affirm and reinforce intuitions I have about human nature; I’ve put The Lucifer Effect on my booklist!