Steven Pinker: Why Smart People Believe Stupid Things

Steven Pinker: Why Smart People Believe Stupid Things

Steven Pinker is a world-renowned cognitive psychologist, and is widely regarded as one of the most important public intellectuals of our time. His work delves into the complexities of cognition, language, and social behavior, and his research offers a window into the fundamental workings of the human mind. Pinker, who is the author of nine books including Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism and Progress and Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters, approaches his work with a kind of data-driven optimism about the world that has set him apart from the chorus of doomer voices we hear so much from in our public discourse. Today, we talk to Pinker about why smart people believe stupid things, the psychology of conspiracy theories, free speech and academic freedom, why democracy and enlightenment values are contrary to human nature, the moral panic around AI, and much more. The Free Press earns a commission from any purchases made through Bookshop.org links. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(360)

Justice Amy Coney Barrett

Justice Amy Coney Barrett

When Amy Coney Barrett was appointed to the Supreme Court, she was in some ways an unlikely choice. She was living in South Bend, Indiana, not New York or D.C. She went to Notre Dame Law School, makin...

8 Sep 20251h 18min

Conversations with Coleman: Three Hostages Families Disagree on How to Get Their Loved Ones Home

Conversations with Coleman: Three Hostages Families Disagree on How to Get Their Loved Ones Home

Everyone wants the war in Gaza to end. The reason the war is not over is because about 50 people are still being held hostage by Hamas. Twenty of them are alive, but on the brink of death. About 30 o...

2 Sep 20251h 7min

Breaking History: The Invention That Changed Everything

Breaking History: The Invention That Changed Everything

Ever travel to Europe in the summer and suddenly feel very “ra ra ra” about America? It’s not because of American culture, or food, or architecture. The thing people miss first and foremost is AC. Ye...

26 Aug 202531min

The Radical Right Is Coming for Our Sons

The Radical Right Is Coming for Our Sons

You might have heard of the new term: “woke right.” It’s the idea that the illiberalism that has swallowed the progressive left—what we often refer to as “wokeness”—has come for the right. Here’s how...

19 Aug 202545min

Why Amanda Knox Forgave the Man Who Sent Her to Prison

Why Amanda Knox Forgave the Man Who Sent Her to Prison

On November 1, 2007, a man named Rudy Guede broke into a random home in Perugia, Italy, then raped and killed Meredith Kercher—a 21-year-old exchange student from the University of Leeds. You might n...

12 Aug 20251h 40min

Why Unions Went for Trump

Why Unions Went for Trump

The question of who represents the working class is probably the hottest debate in American politics. Is it Republicans? Democrats? Or socialists like Zohran Mamdani? Pundits can debate that question...

5 Aug 20251h 26min

Jeffrey Epstein and Conspiracy America

Jeffrey Epstein and Conspiracy America

Here’s one fun question to ask at a dinner party: What is your favorite conspiracy theory? There’s the idea that the CIA killed John F. Kennedy. The moon landing was fake, and 9/11 was an inside job....

29 Jul 20251h 6min

Could Rahm Emanuel Be Our Next President?

Could Rahm Emanuel Be Our Next President?

Rahm Emanuel is giving every indication that he’s running for president in 2028—including by coming on Honestly yesterday. Emanuel, now 65 years old, has spent decades making a name for himself as on...

23 Jul 20251h 23min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
forklart
aftenpodden-usa
stopp-verden
popradet
fotballpodden-2
det-store-bildet
nokon-ma-ga
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
rss-gukild-johaug
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-ness
hanna-de-heldige
aftenbla-bla
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-dannet-uten-piano
rss-utenrikskomiteen-med-bogen-og-grasvik
frokostshowet-pa-p5