
Very Bad Wizards is a podcast featuring a philosopher (Tamler Sommers) and a psychologist (David Pizarro), who share a love for ethics, pop culture, and cognitive science, and who have a marked inability to distinguish sacred from profane. Each podcast includes discussions of moral philosophy, recent work on moral psychology and neuroscience, and the overlap between the two.
| Publishes | Twice monthly | Episodes | 332 | Founded | 13 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Society & CulturePhilosophy | |||

David and Tamler return to the Southern Gothic well and talk about Flannery O'Connor's short story masterpiece "Good Country People." A nihilistic atheist philosophy PhD named Joy or Helga (depending on who you ask) lives with her mother and some ten... more
Are you a college student or about to be one? Do you have friends or family in college? This is the most important episode of your life. David and Tamler do something a little different this episode and tier rank a wide range of academic fields from ... more
David and Tamler return to Mircea Eliade's The Sacred and Profane and discuss the chapter "Sacred Time and Myths." How does viewing time as circular give us a periodic window into the sacred? What does it mean to reactualize the creation of the unive... more
David and Tamler consecrate their podcast with a discussion of "The Sacred and the Profane" by Mircea Eliade. We focus on the first chapter on sacred spaces, where the divine breaks through (or irrupts) our homogenous and chaotic reality, creating a ... more
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Just a couple of cool guys talking about lots of cool things. I like listening to their conversation even when I have no idea what they are talking about. Tamler was one of my professors in college and he was cool. Never met David but he is cool too. Both of them very cool; really cool podcast.
I just finished the entire catalog of Very Bad Wizards, and it is by far my favorite podcast on the market. Their chemistry, humor, wisdom, and insight have left a great impact on the way I view the world.
The meta-conversation in this pod about the role of science, logic, and truth is really unique. The guys are irreverent (some might say degenerate) even as they wrestle with the big questions in serious ways. The format is a lot of fun, and I’ve grown so much as a thinker alongside Tamler and David.
Randomly listened to one of the episodes titled “Shame.” I didn’t like how it suddenly shifted to political topics and criticized other countries. Not the best :)
i really absolutely love that this podcast, more than any other form of media i’ve ever consumed, pushes me to engage with topics that i wouldn’t otherwise have. it’s the only podcast i consistently come back to and i’d absolutely recommend engaging fully with an episode (reading/watching whatever they’re discussing before listening). regardless of the topic, it’ll challenge your perspectives and give you something to think about.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #22 | |
Apple Podcasts | #33 | |
Apple Podcasts | #112 | |
Apple Podcasts | #21 | |
Apple Podcasts | #67 | |
Apple Podcasts | #137 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
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This podcast features engaging and often humorous discussions between a philosopher and a psychologist, exploring a wide range of topics that lie at the intersection of ethics, pop culture, and cognitive science. Episodes often delve into moral philosophy, the complexities of human behavior as understood through moral psychology and neuroscience, and their real-world implications. Listeners can expect a blend of insightful analysis and spirited banter, making challenging concepts accessible and entertaining. The unique dynamic between the hosts fosters an environment where deep philosophical questions are tackled alongside contemporary cultural critiques, appealing to those who enjoy intellectual exploration presented in an approachable sty... more
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These podcasts share a similar audience with Very Bad Wizards:
1. Decoding the Gurus
2. Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
3. The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
4. Making Sense with Sam Harris
5. Philosophize This!
Very Bad Wizards launched 13 years ago and published 332 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on Very Bad Wizards include:
1. Barry Lam
2. Paul Bloom
3. C. Thi Nguyen
4. David Shoemaker
5. J.F. Martel
6. Phil Ford
7. Vlad Chituc
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