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Michael Schulson

Michael Schulson is a freelance writer based in Durham, North Carolina. He holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from Yale.

Call to Action

Duke’s Craven Cave to Islamophobia

The university’s attempt at religious pluralism brought out the worst in people who equate the peaceful Muslims on campus with the barbarians of ISIS.

Michael Schulson

articles/2014/12/21/coexist-s-bonehead-bumper-sticker-politics/141219-schulson-coexist-tease_ef1eyx
Wishful Thinking

COEXIST’s Inane Bumper-Sticker Politics

America’s simplistic adoption of the COEXIST bumper sticker signals a dangerous inability to understand the roots of religious conflict.

Michael Schulson

articles/2014/11/16/god-vs-the-internet-and-the-winner-is/141114-schulson-god-tease_j2kedj
Reckoning.com

God vs. the Internet. And the Winner is…

Faith leaders are starting to air previously hard-to-find “truths” as religious seekers are researching central tenants of their faiths’ histories online.

Michael Schulson

articles/2014/11/08/is-it-time-to-take-a-chance-on-random-representatives/141107-schulson-lotto-tease_zdng8l
HAT TRICK

Time To Take a Chance On Random Reps?

Selecting legislators by lottery was good enough for the ancient Athenians. Why not good enough for Congress?

Michael Schulson

articles/2014/11/01/america-s-fastest-growing-death-holiday-is-from-mexico/141031-schulson-santa-muerta-tease_o2rczn
Believing to Death

America’s Fastest Growing Death Holiday

Long regarded as a ‘narco-saint,’ Lady Death has deep roots in Latin America’s Catholic tradition as well as its acceptance that all people must die.

Michael Schulson

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articles/2014/09/15/whole-foods-anti-gmo-swindle/140914-Schulson-whole-foods-gmo-tease_wj5spf
BAD SCIENCE

Whole Foods’ Anti-GMO Swindle

Cute labels saying products haven't been genetically modified are designed to profit off of fear, not protect you with science.

Michael Schulson

articles/2014/09/03/keep-our-wilderness-wild-off-wi-fi/140902-schulson-wilderness-act-tease_jkrtg9
WILD & FREE

Keep Our Wilderness Off Of Wi-Fi

The Wilderness Act—enacted to, essentially, protect our national forests and parks from modernity—turns 50 today. So go wander in celebration (but leave your phone at home).

Michael Schulson

articles/2014/08/19/are-water-filters-bs/140818-schulson-brita-tease_iysoty
SAFE OR SORRY

Are Water Filters B.S.?

The United States has one of the best public water systems in the world, yet its citizens are still shelling out big bucks on water filters. Is it worth the dough or just a waste?

Michael Schulson

articles/2014/08/10/do-midichlorians-make-you-religious/140808-schulson-religion-tease_dim403
The Force Is With Us

Is Religion Rooted in Our DNA?

A wild new paper draws on ‘Star Wars’ to speculate about whether microbes might cause religious behavior—the latest in a long history of scientific attempts to pathologize belief.

Michael Schulson

articles/2014/07/27/anti-fluoriders-are-o-g-anti-vaxxers/140725-Schulson-antivax-tease_jj5aqg
Anti-Science

Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers

Before anti-vaxxers, there were anti-fluoriders: a group who spread fear about the anti-tooth decay agent added to drinking water. They still won’t go away.

Michael Schulson

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