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Is Michael Shermer the greatest sceptic EVER?

how are we measuring greatness here? by how well-spoken? by how large an audience reached? by breadth of knowledge? by volume of work produced?
 
How about number of propositions doubted, and degree of doubt in each case?
 
I doubt it.

That being said, James Randi certainly isn't the tallest skeptic ever.
 
Ahem...
If I may be serious for a moment (I promise it'll only be for a moment.)

In my opinion, Michael Shermer is one of the great ambassadors of skepticism. He's well spoken, never demeaning to the other side, and he is a monument to clear thought. Anyone who's heard him in his appearances on Coast To Coast AM can testify to that.

He's also a brilliant author and, from what I've heard, a super-nice guy too.
 
I think I'd like some evidence towards that point.
(Said a person who is not quite sure who Michael Shermer is.)
 
Michael Shermer introduced me to skepticism with his brilliant "Why People Believe Weird Things" . I think he may just be the best skeptic ever!
 
Penn and Teller combine to become Mega Skepti-Zord, and would easily defeat Shermer in battle.

But yeah, he's a great skeptic.
 
Skeptic has such a one-sided affect; the word is balanced objectivism and subjectivism, and personally, I think Carl Sagan exemplified this more beautifully in Cosmos than any other academic. I consider myself lucky that by a stroke of fate I encountered it at an early age, as it gave me a compass to measure subjective and objective outlooks. It was originally my grandfather's book, a mint condition copy that I first spied it on the shelf, and he thought I'd ruin it, but I protested and he eventually let me bury my nose in it. Short of some eastern philosophy, it was one of the most healthy and life-affirming series of memes you could ever let a kid absorb, wrapped up in pure reason.

There was a tangible, transcedental quality in his writing that was more satisfying than any fiction I had read. I never lost interest in re-reading it over and over, and still don't.
 
He's definitely one of the best. I always jump to his column in Scientific American first. His books are well researched and provide excellent, well-balance thoughts. I plan on reading everything he writes.

I asked him at tam4 what he was working on...it is a book related to Charles Darwin.

I certainly enjoy others such as Randi, Sagan, etc. Sagan's "Demon Haunted World" and "Billions and Billions" are great to read as well.

glenn:boxedin:
 
The guy personally recommended I buy " True origins of the bible by Tim Callahan " and hopefully, in three weeks time-I'll be reading it.
 
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