Very Bad Wizards
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, recen
...more
Science
Society & Culture
Philosophy
Episode 281: Choose Your Fighter
We dig into the biggest rivalry in Tamler’s professi...
more
Mar 26 2024 1h 22m
Chapter 1 12 mins
University of AustinChapter 2 7 mins
Discussion of University of Austin EventChapter 3 17 mins
Peter Boghossian's Street Epistemology CritiquedChapter 4 11 mins
Analytic vs. Continental PhilosophyChapter 5 15 mins
Analytic vs Continental Philosophy DebateChapter 6 13 mins
Analytic vs Continental Philosophy and PsychologyChapter 7 3 mins
Analytic and Continental Philosophy DebateChapter 8 46 sec
The Great and Bad Wizard
Episode 280: Mad Masque (with Phil Ford and J.F. Martel)
Phil Ford and J.F. Martel from the great "Weird Stud...
more
Mar 12 2024 1h 39m
Chapter 1 12 mins
Exploring Dark Themes in PodcastsChapter 2 5 mins
Exploring the Concept of FluffersChapter 3 4 mins
Data Collection on Sexual ActivityChapter 4 15 mins
Birthday Bang and Penis ExperimentsChapter 5 8 mins
Exploring Weird Fiction and GenresChapter 6 10 mins
Exploring Mood in FictionChapter 7 5 mins
Poe's "The Masque of Red Death"Chapter 8 9 mins
Exploring Themes in Weird FictionChapter 9 8 mins
Symbolism in "The Masque of the Red Death"Chapter 10 8 mins
Symbols of Delusion and TimeChapter 11 9 mins
Analyzing Literary Themes and Symbolism
Episode 279: The Greenhouses We Burned Along the Way (Lee Chang-dong's "Burning" Pt. 2)
David and Tamler conclude their discussion of Lee Ch...
more
Feb 27 2024 1h 9m
Chapter 1 15 mins
Podcast TopicsChapter 2 11 mins
Book Suggestions and DiscussionChapter 3 8 mins
Patreon Benefits Explanation and Film AnalysisChapter 4 2 mins
Metaphoric Dialogue on Death and DisappearanceChapter 5 12 mins
Inner Turmoil and Self-LoathingChapter 6 4 mins
Analyzing Character Motivations in FilmChapter 7 6 mins
The Burning GreenhousesChapter 8 8 mins
Analysis of Ambiguity and Interpretation
Episode 278: Schrödinger's Everything (Lee Chang-dong's "Burning" Pt. 1)
David and Tamler fall under the spell of Lee Chang-d...
more
Feb 13 2024 1h 32m
Chapter 1 13 mins
New Orleans Panel Presentation MeetingChapter 2 3 mins
Gaming Ratings and Twitter AnnouncementsChapter 3 9 mins
Pet Peeves in Office EtiquetteChapter 4 9 mins
Media's Obsession With UniversitiesChapter 5 8 mins
Discussion on Lee Chang-Dong's BurningChapter 6 10 mins
Perception and Imagination in RelationshipsChapter 7 7 mins
Themes and Aesthetics in FilmChapter 8 4 mins
Cat Existence and Movie Themes DiscussionChapter 9 14 mins
Emotional Dynamics in Troubled RelationshipChapter 10 8 mins
Movie Metaphorical Elements AnalysisChapter 11 1 min
Deep Dive Into Movie Discussion
Episode 277: The Merits of Buggery (Nagel's "Sexual Perversion")
David and Tamler play the old hits – Thomas Nagel an...
more
Jan 30 2024 1h 35m
Chapter 1 15 mins
Exploring Blame in Sexual AssaultChapter 2 5 mins
Morality of Sex With a RobotChapter 3 10 mins
Moral Judgments and Sex RobotsChapter 4 11 mins
Analyzing the Concept of Sexual PerversionChapter 5 5 mins
Discussion on Perverse AppetitesChapter 6 13 mins
Hunger and Sexual DesireChapter 7 15 mins
Sexual Desire and Arousal ExplainedChapter 8 4 mins
The Nature of Sexual DesiresChapter 9 13 mins
Discussion on Sexual Perversion and NormsChapter 10 40 sec
Pay No Attention to the Wizard
Episode 276: Attention Please
David and Tamler are back for the new year and one o...
more
Jan 16 2024 1h 27m
Chapter 1 17 mins
University Chancellor's Amateur Porn ControversyChapter 2 12 mins
The Significance of Attention in PsychologyChapter 3 6 mins
The Nature of Attention in PsychologyChapter 4 11 mins
Attention and Constructing Reality DistinctionsChapter 5 11 mins
Nature of Attention and GeniusChapter 6 6 mins
Attention and PerceptionChapter 7 12 mins
The Connection Between Expertise and PerceptionChapter 8 5 mins
Exploring Free Will and DeterminismChapter 9 3 mins
Determinism and Western Views on Self
Episode 275: The Ineffable Center (Borges' "The Aleph")
An episode interesting from every point of view, we ...
more
Dec 26 2023 1h 34m
Chapter 1 17 mins
DiscussionChapter 2 7 mins
Discussion on Movies, Trailers, and AnimationChapter 3 9 mins
TV Shows and Movie Experiences DiscussionChapter 4 11 mins
Borges' "The Aleph" and GratitudeChapter 5 15 mins
Describing Beatrice and Analyzing PoetryChapter 6 7 mins
Borges Discovers Madness in a HouseChapter 7 10 mins
The AlephChapter 8 12 mins
Meaning of Aleph and PerceptionChapter 9 1 min
Themes in a Story
Episode 274: Can I Get a Kidney Voucher? (with Vlad Chituc)
RETURNING guest Vlad Chituc joins us for a wide-rang...
more
Dec 13 2023 1h 35m
Chapter 1 11 mins
Science, Ethics, and Personal Identity DiscussionChapter 2 11 mins
Neuroscience and Climate ChangeChapter 3 14 mins
Neuroscience's Impact on Climate ChangeChapter 4 9 mins
Effective Altruism and Kidney DonationChapter 5 6 mins
Donating KidneysChapter 6 3 mins
Kidney Donation and Effective AltruismChapter 7 11 mins
Kidney Donation and Fear of SurgeryChapter 8 7 mins
Effective Altruism and the AI ApocalypseChapter 9 6 mins
Effective Altruism and AI Funding DebateChapter 10 3 mins
The Criticism of Effective AltruismChapter 11 8 mins
Individual Actions and Systemic Critiques in Morality
Episode 273: Spirited Away
David and Tamler board the train for Hayao Miyazaki’...
more
Nov 29 2023 1h 57m
Chapter 1 8 mins
Spirited Away Movie and Conversation EndingsChapter 2 6 mins
Understanding Conversation Duration and Coordination ProblemsChapter 3 11 mins
The Complexity of ConversationChapter 4 9 mins
Themes and Visuals of Spirited AwayChapter 5 7 mins
Miyazaki's Dreamlike and Rule-Based FilmmakingChapter 6 12 mins
Spirited AwayChapter 7 14 mins
Benevolence and Identity in Spirited AwayChapter 8 12 mins
Understanding No-Face in Spirited AwayChapter 9 12 mins
Themes and Plot Points in Spirited AwayChapter 10 11 mins
Reflection on Spirited Away Train SceneChapter 11 9 mins
Discussion of "Spirited Away" Movie
Episode 272: Neigh Means Yay
The morality of zoophilia has received shockingly li...
more
Nov 15 2023 1h 24m
Chapter 1 14 mins
Zoophilia and Ethical Debate PaperChapter 2 3 mins
Human-Animal Relationships and Societal ConventionsChapter 3 15 mins
Exploring ZoophiliaChapter 4 9 mins
Exploring the Controversial Topic of ZoophiliaChapter 5 13 mins
Decline in Civic Engagement and CapitalChapter 6 15 mins
Technology's Impact on Social CapitalChapter 7 6 mins
Cell Phones and Civic EngagementChapter 8 4 mins
Decline of Leisure and Social EngagementChapter 9 1 min
Bowling Alone and Very Bad Wizards
Episode 271: Concept-Con 2023
It’s the first annual “Concept-Con” – a not at all c...
more
Oct 31 2023 58m
Chapter 1 8 mins
Free Speech, Israel, and GazaChapter 2 15 mins
Analyzing "Mid" and "Basic" ConceptsChapter 3 15 mins
Exploring the Concept of CoolChapter 4 8 mins
Understanding One Night StandsChapter 5 8 mins
One Night Stands and Concept of RizChapter 6 1 min
The Evolution of Word Meanings
Episode 270: Take Me to the River (Blood Meridian, Pt. 3)
David and Tamler conclude their three-part discussio...
more
Oct 10 2023 1h 43m
Chapter 1 11 mins
Passive Aggression Scale in Psychological StudyChapter 2 13 mins
Exploring Passive Aggressive BehaviorChapter 3 15 mins
Therapy's Power for Personal GrowthChapter 4 9 mins
Judge's Philosophy and Coin Trick DiscussionChapter 5 9 mins
Supernatural Elements in a Book DebateChapter 6 15 mins
Philosophical Discussion on Morality and ActionChapter 7 8 mins
Interpreting Progress and Technology in McCarthy's NovelChapter 8 9 mins
Director Options for Blood Meridian AdaptationChapter 9 9 mins
Casting Discussion for a Movie AdaptationChapter 10 1 min
Appreciating the Impact of a Book
Episode 269: Blood Meridian, Part 2: Death Hilarious
In part 2 of our journey into Cormac McCarthy’s Bloo...
more
Sep 26 2023 1h 31m
Chapter 1 10 mins
Ethics and Cheating in WordleChapter 2 16 mins
Global Civic Honesty and StreaksChapter 3 7 mins
The Kid's Affinity for ViolenceChapter 4 13 mins
Kid's Morality and Struggle With ViolenceChapter 5 9 mins
Themes and Characters in Blood MeridianChapter 6 9 mins
Complex Moral Characters in Blood MeridianChapter 7 6 mins
The Comanche Attack and Tarot ReadingsChapter 8 11 mins
Tarot Cards and SymbolismChapter 9 4 mins
Exploring the Supernatural and MundaneChapter 10 2 mins
Extending Blood Meridian Analysis Discussion
Episode 268: Blood Meridian, Part 1
In part one of our two-part episode on Cormac McCart...
more
Sep 12 2023 1h 17m
Chapter 1 12 mins
The Correlation Between Similarities in RelationshipsChapter 2 9 mins
Similarities and Differences in RelationshipsChapter 3 13 mins
Blood Meridian DiscussionChapter 4 4 mins
Interpreting Epigraphs in a Dark WorldChapter 5 7 mins
Analysis of "Blood Meridian" and ThemesChapter 6 6 mins
Themes and Symbolism in a NovelChapter 7 10 mins
Narcissism and the Perception of EvilChapter 8 12 mins
Judge's Abilities and Moral AmbiguityChapter 9 1 min
Discussion on Glanton and Future Topics
Episode 267: The Thickness of Reality
David and Tamler return to the work of old favorite ...
more
Aug 22 2023 1h 12m
Chapter 1 11 mins
Generosity and UFOsChapter 2 11 mins
Null Hypothesis and Equivalence Testing DiscussionChapter 3 9 mins
Critiques of Conceptual Analysis and NatureChapter 4 14 mins
Questioning the Concept of IntellectualismChapter 5 8 mins
Critiquing Abstraction and Concepts in PhilosophyChapter 6 15 mins
Abstraction and Raw Experience Understanding RealityChapter 7 1 min
Mystical Experiences and Hallucinogens
I Want to Half-Believe
Last December, with Argentina minutes away from a Wo...
more
Aug 8 2023 1h 22m
Chapter 1 6 mins
Lawsuits and Perceptions of BeliefChapter 2 13 mins
Self-Reflection and Internal DialogueChapter 3 13 mins
Discussion on Mental Imagery and VerbalizationChapter 4 8 mins
Examining Half Belief in SuperstitionChapter 5 6 mins
Belief and Practice of SuperstitionsChapter 6 5 mins
Superstitions and BeliefsChapter 7 12 mins
Superstitions and BeliefsChapter 8 11 mins
Belief, Practice, and SuperstitionsChapter 9 3 mins
Belief and BehaviorChapter 10 1 min
Phantom Thirteenth Floor Mystery
Episode 265: Kekulé (Oh Yeah!)
The Summer of Cormac McCarthy continues – this time ...
more
Jul 25 2023 1h 20m
Chapter 1 11 mins
COVID's Impact and Podcast IdeasChapter 2 8 mins
Possible Topics for DiscussionChapter 3 11 mins
Discussion on Book and Media SelectionsChapter 4 3 mins
McCarthy's Essay on Unconscious MindChapter 5 6 mins
The Unconscious Mind and LanguageChapter 6 8 mins
Language and Decision Making EmergenceChapter 7 8 mins
The Importance and Obstacles of LanguageChapter 8 7 mins
The Role of Language in CommunicationChapter 9 13 mins
Language Evolution and the Unconscious MindChapter 10 1 min
Contemplating Survival and Literary Regret
[BONUS] Overton Windows Episode 1: Israel and Palestine
A new mini-series with Tamler Sommers and Robert Wri...
more
Jul 18 2023 1h 8m
Episode 264: The Rule You Follow (The Coen Brothers' "No Country for Old Men")
David and Tamler dive into the Coen brothers’ bleak ...
more
Jul 11 2023 2h 10m
Chapter 1 8 mins
The Illusion of Moral DeclineChapter 2 13 mins
Critiquing the Perception of Moral DeclineChapter 3 6 mins
Moral Decline and Its ConsequencesChapter 4 11 mins
Critiquing a Dismissive Blog PostChapter 5 8 mins
No Country for Old MenChapter 6 11 mins
Themes of America, Nihilism, and LandscapeChapter 7 11 mins
Opening Monologue and Chilling ViolenceChapter 8 10 mins
Anton Shigur's Motivations and ActionsChapter 9 9 mins
The Coen Brothers' Film AnalysisChapter 10 9 mins
Shootout and Escape to MexicoChapter 11 11 mins
Themes of Competence, Greed, and ConsequencesChapter 12 10 mins
Fate and Redemption in No CountryChapter 13 6 mins
Interpreting the Ending of a MovieChapter 14 1 min
Mexican Filmmakers and Their Impact
Episode 263: Free Yoel
A VBW exclusive report! For years David and Tamler h...
more
Jun 27 2023 1h 35m
Chapter 1 9 mins
Fraud and Cancel Culture in PsychologyChapter 2 7 mins
Data Fraud in Scientific ResearchChapter 3 7 mins
Fraud and Methodological Flaws in PsychologyChapter 4 12 mins
Fraud and Research IntegrityChapter 5 3 mins
Support and Job Application ExperienceChapter 6 7 mins
Controversy Over Hiring Decision at UCLAChapter 7 6 mins
Diversity Statements and Institutional EndorsementChapter 8 6 mins
Speaking Your MindChapter 9 12 mins
Navigating Authenticity and Job ProspectsChapter 10 9 mins
DEI and Abortion Politics in OrganizationsChapter 11 8 mins
Psychology and Freedom of SpeechChapter 12 1 min
Personal Advice and Self-Reflection
Episode 262: Supposing Truth is a Woman (Nietzsche's "Beyond Good and Evil")
David and Tamler dive into the first two parts of Ni...
more
Jun 13 2023 1h 28m
Chapter 1 9 mins
Quantum Theory and ConsciousnessChapter 2 14 mins
Philosophical Musings on Belief and PhysicsChapter 3 11 mins
Podcast Support and Nietzsche DiscussionChapter 4 8 mins
Nietzsche's Philosophy of Suffering and CritiqueChapter 5 9 mins
Nietzsche's Critique of Philosophical JustificationsChapter 6 8 mins
Nietzsche's Aesthetic Philosophy and ScienceChapter 7 13 mins
NordVPN and Nietzsche's Interpretation of RealityChapter 8 12 mins
Nietzsche's Skepticism and CertaintyChapter 9 1 min
Insights From Dostoevsky
Episode 261: Death of the Author
What’s the meaning of a work of art? Does the text m...
more
May 30 2023 1h 22m
Chapter 1 13 mins
Authorial Intent and Cancel Culture ClubChapter 2 15 mins
Joining Conservative Thought ClubChapter 3 9 mins
Interpreting ArtChapter 4 10 mins
The Interpretive Process in ArtChapter 5 11 mins
Separating Art and IntentChapter 6 12 mins
Interpretation and Intentionalism in LiteratureChapter 7 8 mins
Art Interpretation ImportanceChapter 8 1 min
Controversy Over Han Solo's Shooting
Episode 260: The Scream That Never Found a Voice (Murakami's "Sleep")
David and Tamler take the first excursion into the w...
more
May 9 2023 1h 29m
Chapter 1 9 mins
Minimum Turing TestChapter 2 8 mins
AI Language and CreativityChapter 3 9 mins
Analysis of Murakami's Short Story SleepChapter 4 7 mins
Housewife's Self-Discovery and AlienationChapter 5 12 mins
Interpreting Sleep Paralysis and Lucid DreamingChapter 6 7 mins
Interpreting Themes in a StoryChapter 7 11 mins
The Complexities of Identity and InsomniaChapter 8 14 mins
Insights on Sleep and ExistentialismChapter 9 8 mins
Finding Yourself, at a Price
Episode 259: Losing Time ("Tár" with Paul Bloom)
The great Paul Bloom returns to the show to explore ...
more
Apr 25 2023 1h 56m
Chapter 1 17 sec
IntroChapter 2 3 sec
Opening QuoteChapter 3 49 sec
Opening MusicChapter 4 20 mins
Part 1: Trigger WarningsChapter 5 1 min
Sponsor: BetterHelpChapter 6 36 sec
Break MusicChapter 7 3 mins
Thanks/Listener SupportChapter 8 1 hr 29 mins
Part 2: Tár
Episode 258: Mystic Peeza
David and Tamler talk about William James’ chapter o...
more
Apr 11 2023 1h 33m
Chapter 1 6 mins
Exploring Concepts Beginning With 'CChapter 2 4 mins
Exploring the Nature of CreepinessChapter 3 10 mins
The Uncertainty of CreepinessChapter 4 4 mins
Navigating the Uncanny ValleyChapter 5 15 mins
The Benefits of TherapyChapter 6 11 mins
The Transient Nature of Mystical ExperiencesChapter 7 9 mins
Exploring Different States of ConsciousnessChapter 8 9 mins
The Authentic Spiritual ExperienceChapter 9 9 mins
Mystical StatesChapter 10 6 mins
The Skeptical Nature of Mystical ExperiencesChapter 11 4 mins
The Battle Between Reason and SupernaturalismChapter 12 1 min
Mystical Beliefs and Wandering Dogs