As you reach for that leftover slice of pie, you might be wondering what Ira could talk about with Steve Allen, the first host of the Tonight Show and a noted author and songwriter. Rather a lot, in fact. From his school years, during which he occasionally skipped school to spend time at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, to his appointment as a Fellow of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) earlier this year, Steve Allen has never been one to shy away from scientific thought. He is currently an honorary co-chair of CSICOP's Council for Media Integrity.

Allen has frequently spoken out against what he sees as a tendency towards muddled thinking and "willful stupidity" in America, a tendency that he calls "dumbth." His award-winning television program "Meeting of Minds" brought together actors portraying notable people from throughout history, including Aristotle, Galileo, and Darwin.

He has authored over fifty books and has written hundreds of songs, in addition to entertaining untold numbers with his comedy. On this special holiday hour of Science Friday, join Ira Flatow for a conversation with Steve Allen.

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