Originally published on April 10, 2019 (Episode 106)
Introduction
Do certain places make ideas more believable? Thomas Gieryn thinks so. In Truth Spots: How Places Make People Believe (Chicago, 2018), he argues that credibility is often tied to location.
From the ruins of Delphi to Walden Pond, from Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village to the Detroit Institute of Arts to clean rooms that prepare satellites, Gieryn shows how “truth” is culturally grounded in particular places. His book is a tour of these sites, past and present, and a provocative meditation on why place matters for belief.
About the Guest
Thomas F. Gieryn is Rudy Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Indiana University, Bloomington. His work explores science, knowledge, and culture, with a particular focus on how credibility is built and sustained.
For Further Investigation
Thomas F. Gieryn, Truth Spots: How Places Make People Believe (Chicago, 2018)
Detroit Institute of Arts—for Diego Rivera’s murals
Listen & Discuss
Why do some places acquire the power to shape belief?
What modern “truth spots” might future historians identify?
👉 Share this episode with someone who still thinks “place doesn’t matter”—then see if they change their mind.
