Michael Shermer: The pattern behind self-deception

http://www.ted.com Michael Shermer says the human tendency to believe strange things -- from alien abductions to dowsing rods -- boils down to two of the brain's most basic, hard-wired survival skills. He explains what they are, and how they get us into trouble.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

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  People & Blogs

[Reza Javan]

No it doesn't you moron, double facepalm.

[NanoosaR]

........I don't see the dolphins :(

[Shane2GSX]

Good talk by Mr. Shermer.

[madleinfrost]

Wow so much information, love it! For the good of every One! Much appreciated! Greetings from London

[SPEZIO27]

Shermer, you are a glaring scientific fraud when you use sacred science to advance your political agenda.

Science is our best ecumenical hope & you are committing a crime against it.

You are in big trouble, indeed.

Nobody can miss it, you scoundrel.

[SPEZIO27]

Shermer's own SCIENTIFIC Checklist asks;

Is the claimant playing by the rules of science?

Is the claimant providing positive evidence?

Are personal beliefs driving the claim?

Although Shermer's own posited principles of scientific empirical inquiry completely demolish the Zionist Holocaust Extermination myth with its with gas chambers & ovens; Michael Shermer openly advances the Zionist Holocaust Hoax..

A powerful example of self-deception masquerading as unfettered scientific inquiry.

[jceiras]

Because all chimps are infected with aids, obviously.

[Wiliam Noliviera]

you can sound crazy to some people just by saying basic things. that's not a good way to measure because, for example, if you believe 2 airplanes made three sky scrapers simply collapse in on themselves, you're crazy. but if you say to someone the gov. continues to cover up 9/11, the crime of the century, you sound crazy to them.

[Wiliam Noliviera]

no sir, we do not all want to believe in ufo's. since when are all the people running the world hopeless star trek fan boys? it was the rand corp. that produced that transhumanist nightmare and now somehow thats the image of life we are supposed to live up to as a civilization. im talking about michio kaku, neil degrasse tyson, even jon stewart and so on.

[iampeete]

He's basically saying try and see both sides of things. A lot of people THINK they are smart by believing in conspiracy theories, being special and all that. Heck some even devote their life trying to chase those things. It's good to be aware and all but believing in something to an extent that you start sounding crazy to other people... there is something wrong with you.

[57worldwide]

He didn't say that they aren't in control. He said that you can't pretend to know that the "elite" controls everyone's life just because you believe a little circumstantial evidence and speculation is the same as solid proof.

[ObongoUltraChimpout]

he lost me at the bilderbergers and illuminati arnt in control.

what a fucking douche bag this faggot is.

smokes dmt once in his life, goes running through the streets screaming i was wrong.

ends up suiciding.