Very Bad Wizards

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. 

May 20, 202501:14:4885.62 MB

Bonus Episode: Va Va Boom (Robert Aldrich's "Kiss Me Deadly")

We kick off our Bonus "Noir Summer" series with Robert Aldrich's "Kiss Me Deadly" (1956). While the rest of the bonus series will be for Patreon subscribers only, the first is free to all. 

May 06, 2025
308
01:14:5085.85 MB

Episode 308: The Gray Man who Dreamed (Borges' "Shakespeare's Memory")

David and Tamler return to their happy place and talk about two pieces by JL Borges – the story “Shakespeare’s Memory” and the [essay/story/poem/literary sketch??] “Everything and Nothing.” What would it mean to have the memory of a supreme artist like S...

April 22, 2025
307
01:16:3787.89 MB

Episode 307: What's in the BOX?

David and Tamler talk about two famous puzzles that for different reasons have bedeviled the rationalist community – The Monty Hall Problem and Newcomb’s “paradox.” Why is it so hard for people to see that a 66% chance of winning a car is better than a 3...

April 08, 2025
306
02:04:08142.27 MB

Episode 306: What to Expect When You're Expecting (David Lynch's "Eraserhead" with Barry Lam)

David and Tamler welcome Barry Lam back to the show. In the first segment we violate one of our own rules by talking about his new book "Fewer Rules, Better People", a full frontal attack on David’s strict Kantian worldview. Then we dive DEEP into David ...

March 25, 2025
305
01:44:26119.72 MB

Episode 305: Emile Is the Name of the Goat (with Paul Bloom)

VBW favorite Paul Bloom joins us to break down the Severance season finale and season 2 in general. We all agree that it’s a much-needed return to form and debate some of the choices and questions the episode raises. Plus, an evolutionary account of the ...

Listener Reviews

Read what other people are saying about our podcast!

Apple Podcasts
Truly, my favorite podcast

It’s hard out here with all the smart stuff being serious and the funny stuff being dumb, but these guys bridge the gap. This podcast has been around for a long time, and it’s only gotten better over the years. It has introduced me to interesting and sometimes important topics in philosophy and psychology, and it’s a...

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Apple Podcasts
Wish they were my therapists

I can honestly say that these two got me through philosophy grad school, covid, and what not else. I wish they were my friends, or even better, my therapists. Keep up the good work, Tamler & Dave! ✌🏾

Apple Podcasts
Smart interesting conversations

except often they seem to end up conversations about sport