Serious Inquiries Only

848

Join Thomas for some critical thinking on questions of science, philosophy, skepticism and politics. These serious topics are discussed with some serious guests, but in an entertaining and engaging way! This is not your typical interview podcast; it’s a friendly dialogue, conducted thoughtfully and with plenty of humor. It's Serious Inquiries Only; but like, not boring or anything.

Recent Episodes
Episodes loading...
Recent Reviews
  • loving the podcast
    If you care about reality, listen to this podcast!
    Thomas has always delivered sharp thoughtful analysis but his latest batch of episode since the election has been on fire! If you recognize what’s happening in our government as the slow motion disaster it is, this is the podcast you need in your ears. If you think everything’s fine… Well, enjoy the view from under that rock.
  • IcenineCC
    Great show
    Thomas is awesome
  • Talkahuano
    Please stop talking about Trump
    I thought this podcast was for learning about jobs and cool sciency stuff. Why is it political now? Other podcasts from the same guy already do that. Why ruin this one??
  • Cat Mom 103
    Clarity
    Thank you for your clarity, I appreciate you.
  • BG45
    Ads Only
    How do you know it’s a Thomas Smith podcast? It has 4x the ads of any other podcast you listen to.
  • KaitlynByTheWindow
    A fun way to learn a little bit about a lot
    Thomas is one of my all-time favorite podcast hosts. Versatile, entertaining, and a great question asked. He knows right when to pop in with a humorous quip to help keep listeners engaged and make listening to educational discussion more entertaining. I’ve retained more information which has helped me have more conversations from this show than many other science and topical shows I’ve listened to over the last 5 years. Thank you Thomas for consistently amazing content and a wide variety of well informed communicators teaching me new things!
  • Agapic64
    Unserious
    Not very serious. Name calling, poor grammar and spelling. Talking points mixed with poor research. Appeals to authority. Unfollowing.
  • izzybr
    Great podcast if you’re already of limited intellectual capacity
    If you are more intelligent than a clever jellyfish, I’m not sure this podcast is for you. If you perhaps are an amoeba with fetal alcohol syndrome, this podcast will probably be right up your alley as Thomas routinely shows off his near mediocrity and at best middling education. He is very adept at shouting into a microphone about things he doesn’t know the first thing, so he’s got that going for him (?)
  • goodvsevil
    I politely disagree
    We MIGHT live in a "simulation" of sorts; if it is computer based, it isnt like any kind of computer that we can imagine right now. And the simulated world might be here so we can gather experiences and wisdom and make connections with each other. Just imagine you are a 1 week old fetus (on The Other Side) and you are plugged into this universe; and you are able to live a thousand lifetimes here before you are born there. Your IQ would be off the charts! You would have so much wisdom and know what is truly valuable in life even before you take your first steps.
  • Grand Priapism
    Thomas makes everything better. Lydia "assists"
    Thomas is the grease that makes the podcast go. He's the interested comedian or whatever they used to say on that other podcast. Lydia and Thomas are a pair. Thomas and Lydia don't put up with bullpucky. There is a podcast that is incredibly boring because Thomas is not there. All the podcasts. God Awful Movies should have Thomas and Lydia on. Just saying.
  • pilateskristen
    Israel-Palestine deep dive
    Thomas, thank you for the very compelling deep dive on the horrendous events in Israel and Gaza. You are providing much needed context and timeline of events to your listeners. I think your outrage and emotional responses are shared by most of us.
  • Sean Woodsmaker
    Another Ruined Podcast
    The incessant autoads not only make this podcast unlistenable, but they come so frequently that it’s impossible to tell whether or not I’d want to listen to it. Should I become a Patrion? I have no idea because it’s just autoad after autoad and I’m left clueless as to if the podcast itself is decent or not.
  • MisterMellow001
    Too scattered
    It’s not that Thomas says anything I disagree with, it’s that I only have so much time in a day for podcast listening, and following his meandering bounce-house sidebars tries my patience. I know, this isn’t an airport, you don’t have to announce your departure, but I have to move be on.
  • gumpmfer
    cannot believe i listened to almost thirty minutes of this
    …even while distracted. if you enjoy hearing a nasally tryhard complain about insignificant “scandals” from ten years+ ago that mattered to maybe three people even when they were fresh—this is the podcast for you!
  • Soccergirldoodlecass
    Meh
    At one point I loved these pods, really enjoyed the shows. Now…it’s just drama. So much boohooing.
  • CGrant1230
    Adnan
    I would love to know why you believe he is guilty. What are you looking at? I want to know. The shaft investigators.. what am I missing he looks to be innocent.
  • likitmtrs
    Fantastic show!
    Loved this pod with Lindsey (miss her!) and am excited with the hew direction that is rotating experts and has various science-y topics. Thomas is a very likable, friendly and intelligent host. You find yourself interested in anything he wants to talk about. I highly recommend.
  • TodayIsTheDay2025
    Thomas is like Mrs Frizzle on the Magic School Bus!
    When I listen to a Thomas podcast episode I always walk away having learned something and he asks the best follow up questions. Goes deeper doesn’t just move on to another question. It builds and takes you on a journey! Love the new format. You can tell a lot of work goes into an episode from the host and expert. Quality content!
  • blckmtlfrvr
    Zero Credibility
    Listen to Dr Lindsey Osterman’s “scathing” exit from this “puzzling” podcast community, February 11, 2023. Then, listen to Thomas’s account of his experience on the SIO blog. I don’t intend to defend anyone here. That said, the claim that, a friend’s brief touch to the hip necessarily amounts to misconduct, only reduces the credibility of other allegations. Content warning? Laughable. Thomas is inconsolably crying because his “friend” touched his waist. For perspective, in the same post, Thomas also claims that he is in an emergency financial situation while sitting on $5K in the bank and maintaining most of his podcast income. Done.
  • Bluecanary84
    Thomas is the best
    Love this dude. Only discovered his previous legal podcast recently, but since the lawyer turned out to be a sleezeball, I’m trying to support all Thomas’s shows. Dear Old Dads has me cracking up lately! Only just started listening to this show and on episode 6 and I love it. Love the way they try to be compassionate and not just militantly atheistic like many other shows.
  • Haydon Pitchford
    Glad you’re here.
    As stated.
  • ataylormade53
    Happy to follow you here
    Tomas, you’re entertaining and funny. I’ve been missing out on this podcast happy you mentioned it and I found it. I’m a big fan of yours.
  • ZackDrums
    Love Thomas
    Thomas is such a breath of fresh air. Hope he is doing well.
  • 00cybermonk00
    Ideological scientific perspective
    Definitely American centric thinking, they make some good points but lose me with the absolute thinking and verbatim even when speaking of science.
  • Eddy Vermont
    Great Data Summation! Share Widely!
    SIO 343 was awesome… finally solid data that confirms what many of us intuitively guessed, but lacked numbers to cite. And, even though Lindsay felt yucky saying it… let’s hope purple states do go blue in the mid-terms.
  • Elbo Jones
    The menu is not the meal
    Occasionally insightful, almost uniformly condescending. Anything not quantized to a rigid scientific materialist paradigm is waved away as foolishness, as though ignoring nuance and ambiguity is the clear mark of a superior intellect. Often mistakes a model with ‘reality’, and forgoes the prudence of doubt as it relates to honest inquiry. Good for an intellectual ego-massage if you’re fine with wholly dismissing the part of human experience that might be called ‘artful’. It’s as though the host is certain they’re less inclined to hallucination than everyone else. Not without value, but could possibly benefit from a more expansive perspective.
  • RobSub
    Smart Podcast
    This is really an intelligent podcast that resembles a college course with each episode being a separate course under the behavioral science department.
  • Exelixii
    Really useful for putting things in context
    This podcast seems to have really found its groove as one that deconstructs journal articles and pseudoscience using the knowledge of someone with a research background. Exactly the kind of in depth context that those things need to be properly understood.
  • Mbhead
    Serious. Propaganda. Only.
    Have you ever had an opinion that was your own? These cis gender intersectional self-identifying trees glue their faces to the British Beak and the News Lesbian in order to be congratulated by an agenda that will never notice them. Sad.
  • DeeCapp
    Excitingly provocative and full of science friendly.
    In a kind of backwards 6 degrees of Podcast, I listened to the Mueller She Wrote in the early “former guy” days and heard Andrew Torres interviewed. I then started listening to the Opening Arguments podcast. Then I realized I liked what the comedian on OA had to say, so I added SIO and have been trying to binge through those episodes because I love everything I hear and learn with each episode. Which is a good thing because I’m a 72 year old anthropology major at UC Santa Cruz, finally getting a college education. 🌟
  • TomTrustee
    Always fascinating and accessible
    One of my favorite podcasts! Even when I don’t think the topic will be engaging, I listen because experience tells me I will get far more out of it than I expect. Episodes 284 and 285 were the best explanation of the science of sex and gender that I have ever heard.
  • DaveyRamone09
    Great show!
    I recently found OA and Daily Beans which lead me here. Thomas this is a great show. This is probably my new favorite podcast. Thank you for what you do! I’m looking forward to going through all the backlog!
  • Ezra Chuck
    Painfully woke blithering
    Total garbage; a Twinkie offers more valuable sustenance.
  • roythesnake
    Thought provoking
    I miss Jamie, but life happens to the best of us. Thomas consistently puts out good content and works hard to make sure he's not misrepresenting his opposition.
  • kelseywhale
    Great podcast
    Great, intelligent, fulfilling, entertaining
  • zkidapps
    Amazing show
    Thomas is an intelligent, empathetic human who excels at the brand of quasi-journalism the show focuses on. Jaimie has not been on as long, but has brought even more amazing perspectives and ideas.
  • 802dotonex
    Thomas cares more about identity than policy
    Thomas is pretty insufferable as he whines about how Warren would be president if it weren’t for sexism. He claims he’s progressive and yet can’t figure out why a regressive tax is bad. His commentary is pretty un-insightful and I feel bad his co host has to listen to this.
  • HoodieTree
    Lap up this toxic tincture of white guilt...
    If you’re a white liberal you might like this. I was drawn to it because of the review of Sam Harris’s live show. But alas, this podcast is not for me. It’s geared toward wealthy whites who feel a lot of white guilt. If you’re a white liberal you’ll probably love it. Lap up the poison, darlings.
  • Lucy Pasteur
    Anti-vaxxers is made up to divide
    Whether you are getting paid to push deadly vaccines or whether you are disturbed to the point where you actually believe the lies - you are culpable for all the deadly illness vaccines are designed to cause because you’re an influencer. You gotta be a complete nincompoop to believe vaccines are “good” for anyone. You want vaccines - no one is stopping you but stop forcing your will on others!
  • JAldenwalt
    One of the. Best.
    There are a lot of podcasts out there, but few with a voice that I can listen to for this many years. I don't always agree with Thomas, but always feel that his views are well researched and thoughtfully presented. I started listening while living in the Middle East to drown out the blaring calls to prayer. Now I listen for the interviews and insight. Thomas has steadily improved as an interviewer but kept the casual and accessible style we loved when he was getting drunk and playing with his cat instead of reading his bible.
  • Msusanc
    From one Idiot to another...
    Thanks, Thomas for your SIO “confession”. I feel your thoughts and understand exactly how you got there. I am a retired attorney (read high functioning, like Thomas) who spent many bouts of similar thinking. Somehow you will get through it, but - call me an Idiot, lol - I believe in mental health breaks. Do what you have to do to survive, but this is one idiot who will values what you do and who will stay with you. High Five!!!
  • ElijahJace
    Pretty much the best podcaster ever
    Thanks for putting all this great stuff on the interwebs! Really enjoy your work please keep doing what you are doing and thank you :)
  • nickanderhoey
    Most excellent!
    I’ve loved your podcast for years. I find you to be thoughtful, intelligent, and cogent in your speech and ideas! Thanks for sharing! I totally value you, Thomas.
  • Gooter516
    Long-time fan of Thomas Smith.
    I’m a big fan of Thomas Smith. After the Jordan B. Peterson pronoun BS, I developed a great respect for Thomas. SIO is in the top 3 of best secular podcasts.
  • MorganDeeC
    Episode on circumcision
    Thanks so much for your latest episode. Props for doing the research and changing your mind on infant circumcision. This is a topic that is not talked about enough! <3 fellow circumcised father of an intact son
  • atropos twitch
    The woorst
    What does the world need more than another podcast from Tommy? A nuclear winter. I mean how terrible does a host have to be before they go from 55 to 0 podcasts. Get a hobby and a real job please. Try to add actual value to the world.
  • Link9454
    Thought provoking from a layman’s point of view.
    Thomas Smith makes no argument that he is anything but a layman on most issues. From that building block, he has done something kind of akin to Atheist Experience (with broader topics) or Waking Up with Sam Harris (before it started to become just an apology platform) for those of us not completely steeped in philosophy. If he can make moral arguments that an engineer like myself can understand (even if I don’t necessarily agree with him and/or his guests) then he has done his job well. On a side note, I’ve noticed a lot more negative reviews since the Mythcon debacle. I try to avoid this kind of drama as I have enough of my own. That said, if you, the random user reading these reviews, scrolls by and reads this. Until about 1.5 years ago (as of when I post this), I think there was a grand total of two reviews under three stars. Vengeance can be an ugly thing.
  • LisaFish2
    Not a skeptic
    The host is barely more knowledgeable then the average twitter user. His views are apparent from the minute he opens his mouth and every argument he makes is a narrow mined and one sided.
  • Phill82245
    “Rules for thee not for me” woke podcast
    Apparently Thomas Smith thinks that he is almighty and rules that him and his ilk make up apply to everyone but them. This guy is a joke.
  • trudeman
    Shallow
    Self amused host more interested in his vapid, insipid remarks than uncovering any information.....
Similar Podcasts
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork on this page are property of the podcast owner, and not endorsed by UP.audio.