Skepticism 101: How to Think like a Scientist
(The Great Courses)
by Michael Shermer
4.11 · Rating details · 469 ratings · 57 reviews
Despite our best efforts, we're all vulnerable to believing things without using logic or having proper evidence-and it doesn't matter how educated or well read we are.
But there is a method for avoiding such pitfalls of human nature, and it's called skepticism. By using rational inquiry and seeing subjects from a scientific perspective, we can approach even the most sensitive claims with clear eyes to ultimately arrive at the truth.
During 18 lectures that will surprise, challenge, and entertain you, you will learn how to think, not just what to think-and you'll come to understand why extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
You'll discover how skepticism can help differentiate between real science and pseudoscience, as well as between "scientific" history and pseudohistory-distinctions that have serious educational and political implications.
Fascinating case studies illustrate how you can apply the methods of skepticism to detect specious claims and faulty logic in any scenario you encounter such as:
•The methodology employed by Holocaust deniers
•Arguments made by proponents of creationism
•The biology of near-death experiences and the sensed-presence effect
•Psychic abilities and other "paranormal" phenomena.
As you learn how our brains work to form beliefs, you'll examine the classic fallacies of thought that lead us to experience mistakes in thinking and to form bad arguments in favor of our beliefs.
Is there a God? Is there life after death? Is there a basis for morality without God? Skepticism 101 doesn't shy away from controversial questions, nor does it give final answers. What it offers are methods and hard evidence for rationally evaluating various claims and positions, and an opportunity to understand why you believe what you believe.
Listening Length: 9 hours and 10 minutes (less)
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Published July 8th 2013 by The Teaching Company
ISBN139781682766132
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Great Courses
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Amirography
May 26, 2017Amirography rated it really liked it
Shelves: cognitive-science, philosophy
This book presents, for the most parts, why being skeptical is a necessary surviving skill. It utilizes many different real-life examples, to make abstract taught rather more tactile; while not using them as a proof at the same time.
I would argue that its greatest flaw is his lack of knowledge or preciseness when it comes to morality and animals. He explains normative ethics (Study of what people generally think they ought to do), as ethics in general (What we ought to do, regardless of our intuition), and calls it absolute truth, which was the problem with Sam Harris's book on ethics. He goes on about how animals have pre-ethical abilities while associating same abilities as "The absolute morality". Ironically, he immediately uses Frans Du Waal's works, as an anecdote to his perception, which is absolutely ridiculous, as Frans Du Waal has been utterly against calling other animals anything but parallel to us in historic terms.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and a fun and general introduction to what should be a scientific skepticism in the twenty-first century. (less)
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Clif Hostetler
Mar 19, 2016Clif Hostetler rated it liked it
Shelves: current-events
These are eighteen lectures intended to teach listeners to be open-minded enough to accept new ideas without making fools of themselves by believing apparent truths that are actually false. As indicated by the title, these lectures encourage scientific and skeptical thinking.
Thinking skeptically doesn’t come naturally to the human brain which has been hardwired by evolution to be a belief engine. Our early ancestors while walking across the African Savanna had to quickly develop an image of possible causes for a sound behind a nearby bush; was it a predator or the wind? Those who waited around to collect more data in order to be certain about the cause ended up being victims who didn’t pass along their genes.
Thus today we have brains that naturally look for and find patterns of possible meanings from the flow of sensory data flowing into our brains. One process used by our brains is what the lecturer, Shermer, calls “patternicity” which is the tendency to find meaningful patterns in both meaningful and meaningless data. Another process of our brains is what he calls “agenticity” which is the tendency to infuse patterns with meaning, intention, and agency.
Our brains were evolved to connect the dots of our world into meaningful patterns that explain why things happen. We can’t help it, it’s just what our brains do. These meaningful patterns become beliefs, and these beliefs shape our understanding of reality. To keep these brain processes from leading to false conclusions Shermer quotes Rachard Feynman as saying, “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself--and you are the easiest person to fool.”
One interesting fact noted is that, “Students that scored well on these [science knowledge] tests were no more or less skeptical of pseudoscientific claims than students that scored very poorly.” The reason for this failing according to Shermer is that students are taught facts about science, but not how to do science.
The title “Skepticism 101: How to Think Like a Scientist” is actually the name of a freshman foundation course taught by Shermer at Chapman University. When I did an on-line search I found the syllabus for the class at the following link:
http://www.skeptic.com/downloads/Skep...
The following list of lecture titles and their descriptions give a pretty good idea of the topics covered by these lectures.
LIST OF LECTURE TITLES AND DESCRIPTIONS
(These descriptions are copied from The Great Courses)
1. The Virtues of Skepticism: As the professor introduces you to the definition of skepticism and the concept behind the larger skeptical movement, learn how myths like the Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon get started, why scientists aren’t able to effectively debate pseudoscientists, and why smart people believe in what skeptics call “weird things."
2. Skepticism and Science: What is the difference between a theory and a construct? How does skepticism relate to science? How do we know anything is true? Answer these and other questions as you explore how science works, what it means to think like a scientist, and the essential tension between skepticism and credulity.
3. Mistakes in Thinking: We All Make From coincidences and false reasoning to tautology and false analogies, there are a number of classic thinking fallacies and biases that interfere with our ability to reason clearly and rationally. This lecture provides an overview of the 12 most prevalent types of fallacies of thought that can lead us to make mistakes in our thinking.
4. Cognitive Biases and Their Effects: Once we form beliefs and commit to them, we reinforce them through powerful cognitive heuristics-otherwise known as rules of thumb or cognitive biases-that guarantee we are always correct. Explore the various types of biases we allow to influence us and learn how they can both help and hinder how we understand the world.
5. Wrong Thinking in Everyday Life: Has the status-quo effect ever led you to complacency? Have you ever held onto a stock too long because its value fell below what you paid for it? Explore the research on how people behave irrationally when it comes to money and which cognitive biases and fallacies of thought most interfere with our ability to make rational decisions about purchases and investments.
6. The Neuroscience of Belief: We all have a natural tendency to find meaningful patterns in both meaningful and meaningless noise. Learn why we’re hardwired to be superstitious and prone to making false positive errors through an investigation of the evolutionary origin of superstition and magical thinking. Discover how the brain’s neural networks drive the two central processes-patternicity and agenticity-that lead to the formation of beliefs.
7. The Paranonnal and the Supernatural: According to Professor Shermer, there is no such thing as the paranormal or the supernatural. There is just the normal, the natural, and the mysteries we have yet to explain. Discover how faulty neural activity and anomalous neural firing can lead to paranormal, supernatural, and extraordinary experiences, then consider scientific explanations for these natural phenomena.
8. Science versus Pseudoscience: Who has the burden of proof in science-the person making the claim or the person hearing about the claim? Delve into human psychology, the need to believe, and the age-old techniques psychics use to lure people into believing that paranormal powers are real. Then, see how the preconceived notions of scientists can skew research results.
9. Comparing SETI and UFOlogy: What is the difference between scientists engaged in SETI-the search for extraterrestrial intelligence-and proponents of the existence of UFOs? Make a distinction between science and pseudoscience through an analysis of the supposed alien crash-landing at Roswell, physiological explanations for the experience of alien abduction, and an exploration of the attempt to answer the question “are we alone?".
10. Comparing Evolution and Creationism: From the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” trial to the 2006 Dover trial over the theory of Intelligent Design, look at the history of the evolution and creationism debate, which has important political and cultural ramifications for science and education. Break down the “God of the Gaps" argument and consider why people shouldn’t fear evolution.
11. Science, History, and Pseudohistory: How can we tell the difference between scientific history and pseudohistory? What is the difference between historical revisionism and historical denial? Find out in this lecture that looks at the methodology of alternative historians and revisionists, specifically people who deny the Holocaust despite an overwhelming convergence of evidence. Conclude with an example of good historical science.
12. The Lure of Conspiracy Theories: Why do people believe conspiracy theories?Address the larger topic of conspiracies and conspiracy theories by contrasting erroneous claims surrounding Princess Diana’s death, the terrorist attacks of September 11, and the assassination of President Kennedy with the true conspiracy that led to the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Learn the characteristics that indicate a conspiracy theory is unlikely to be true.
13. Inside the Modern Cult: See how the power of belief and other strong psychological forces can override the rational mind and lead people to become members of cults. Learn the many characteristics that define a cult, from veneration of a leader to isolation from friends and family, then examine Heaven’s Gate as a case study for a modern cult.
14. The Psychology of Religious Belief: Investigate the issues of God, morality, and the afterlife through the eyes of a skeptic. Why do so many people across cultures believe in some form of God? What role do evolution and our cultural history play in the tendency to be religious? Look at dramatic parallels in the mythology of one religion to another as you consider the many cultural and historical factors that go into the world's religions and their varying beliefs about God.
15. The God Question: The question of God's existence has plagued humanity since ancient times, but it’s no less important a topic for skeptics to consider today. Using the Christian conception of God, examine the best arguments for and against his existence and judge the answer for yourself.
16. Without God, Does Anything Go?: If we hypothesize that God does not exist, is morality as we know it null and void? Consider why humans are and should be moral, independent from religion and an all-knowing God. Delve into the evolutionary theory of morality through a discussion of the Natural Law theory, the cross-cultural endorsement of the Golden Rule throughout history, and evidence of pre-moral sentiments in animals and how these gave rise to real moral emotions in humans.
17. Life, Death, and the Afterlife: Polls show that the vast majority of people believe in an afterlife. In this last lecture on science and religion, learn the primary psychological reasons why this may be the case, and consider the dualistic nature of most religions, where the soul is separate from the body. Explore biological explanations for near-death experiences-and why the events seem so real to people who report having them.
18. Your Skeptical Toolkit: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Explore this skeptic’s motto and assemble a “skeptical toolkit” of general principles that you can use for what the late great astronomer and skeptic Carl Sagan called “the fine art of baloney detection." Conclude with two broad observations about science and skepticism that illustrate just how important these modes of thinking are to our lives and to our society.
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Jim
Feb 19, 2020Jim rated it really liked it
Shelves: 3lecture, 1audio, 2non-fiction, science
I hadn't connected Shermer with Skeptic Magazine, but I should have. I had a subscription for a year some years back. It was good, but pricey & I didn't have time to read it properly. Anyway, he's the guy that started it. He's been knocking down all sorts of bunk for a long time. He mentions quite a bit of it in his lectures. I don't know how he manages to actually hang around with some of these nut jobs. Might be that he is one himself since he was in the first & several other runnings of the Race Across America, a 3000 mile bike race. My crotch hurts just thinking about it.
The lectures are well done. Nothing earth shattering, but just a very good overview of how to think properly & skeptically. He's a good speaker & makes his points well. The Table of Contents says the rest pretty much. It's from the PDF that accompanied the course. I didn't need to refer to it very often. I'll just put in a few notes, mostly further suggested reading. Highly recommended.
LECTURE 1
The Virtues of Skepticism ...................................................................4
LECTURE 2
Skepticism and Science ...................................................................11
He never mentions William Kingdon Clifford or The Ethics of Belief! Incredible since he's practically recreated the text in the first 2 lectures.
LECTURE 3
Mistakes in Thinking We All Make ....................................................20
LECTURE 4
Cognitive Biases and Their Effects ...................................................28
I recommend reading Brain Bugs: How the Brain's Flaws Shape Our Lives, too. It goes into more detail.
LECTURE 5
Wrong Thinking in Everyday Life ......................................................37
LECTURE 6
The Neuroscience of Belief ..............................................................45
Up to this point, he's shown just how flawed our thinking & memories are. He's also pointed out the correct methods for determining the facts or thinking like a scientist. From this point on, he starts taking on the major areas where people get fooled & showing how.
LECTURE 7
The Paranormal and the Supernatural .............................................53
LECTURE 8
Science versus Pseudoscience .......................................................62
LECTURE 9
Comparing SETI and UFOlogy .........................................................70
LECTURE 10
Comparing Evolution and Creationism .............................................79
LECTURE 11
Science, History, and Pseudohistory ................................................87
LECTURE 12
The Lure of Conspiracy Theories .....................................................95
LECTURE 13
Inside the Modern Cult ...................................................................102
LECTURE 14
The Psychology of Religious Belief ................................................111
LECTURE 15
The God Question ..........................................................................119
LECTURE 16
Without God, Does Anything Go?...................................................127
LECTURE 17
Life, Death, and the Afterlife ...........................................................135
LECTURE 18
Your Skeptical Toolkit......................................................................143
If this lecture is too long, the Debunking Handbook by John Cook is only 6 pages long & available for free from SkepticalScience.com. I read it a couple of years ago & gave it 5 stars. (less)
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Ivonne Rovira
Mar 21, 2016Ivonne Rovira rated it really liked it
Michael Shermer, founder of the Skeptics Society and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic, has written the book on skepticism — literally now, with Skepticism 101: How to Think Like a Scientist, a series of lectures on science, pseudoscience, and the in-between. He does the same service for history, pseudo-history, and historical revisionism. I was fortunate enough to listen to these lectures on the Audible edition released by The Teaching Company.
Skepticism 101: How to Think Like a Scientist doesn’t quite measure up to Shermer’s excellent The Borderlands of Science: Where Sense Meets Nonsense, with which it shares some material. However, readers will find the lectures a surprisingly entertaining read and definitely worth it.
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Bevan Lewis
May 31, 2017Bevan Lewis rated it really liked it
Excellent introduction to the skeptical way of viewing the world. Open minded people will enjoy this presentation which provides.a useful toolset for understanding the world. With ever greater numbers of charlatans and odd beliefs along with a deteriorating media (to mediate news, not that they're always perfect!) this kind of education is really important. Highly recommended (less)
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Gendou
Apr 25, 2015Gendou rated it it was amazing
Shelves: non-fiction, skepticism
These lectures are like an extended edition of Shermer's book Why People Believe Weird Things. I particularly liked the chapter on arguments for and against god. Spoiler alert, the against arguments are way more convincing. (less)
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Xin
Dec 13, 2020Xin rated it did not like it
A lousy attempt to use the name of skepticism to stamp out any political or scientific skepticism. I couldn’t believe that the study of scientific methods, the science of the sciences, a philosophy to encourage ppl to think science more as a theory that needs periodic revolutionary restarts, has deteriorated into a pendantic tool that tells a student of science they can only think in one way but not in any another, a tool that the professor used favorably and constantly to “disprove” political rumors about Obama and Romney, degrading the “conspiracy theorists” who believe there might be an alternative truth to what’s presented by MSM or attacking religion in general. Also the teacher quotes “statistically speaking” all the time but fails to successfully display any grasp of knowledge of Bayesian thinking. The teacher’s “scientific standards” of thinking show his own lack of deep understanding of mathematics/statistics which is the foundation of all sciences.
Don’t listen to this. If you have time, read Kuhn’s original writings, or some introductory book on statistical or Bayesian thinking. Dude is a fake. Strong disrecommend. He is a true anti-skeptic, use the name of skepticism to stamp out and demean any one who dares to voice any skepticism against “well-accepted” scientific “truths”, and refuses to think inside the box laid out by their peers, the “experts” and society. Be aware. Don’t be fooled.
Enjoy your own unconventional thinking. Always seek out an angle or a perspective that no one has tried before. No matter how crazy it sounds. Riemann refused to think inside the box, challenged the core beliefs of Euclidean geometry and came up with a brand new form of mathematics, which was the mathematical foundation of Einstein's theories of relativity. Einstein was not a great mathematician who invented a whole new branch of mathematics to describe the world in the way he needed, but he had a mathematician friend who had heard of Riemann's work and didn't think he was crazy. This is why ppl always said that great mathematicians and physicists produce their best work before they are 35, when they're still at the peak of their creativity (or when they are too inexperienced to be boxed in by orthodox thinking or too rebellious to think only in the way they are told to).
Enjoy your creativity. Enjoy your independent individualistic thinking. That's what makes this world so beautiful! Don’t ever let other people’s skepticism stop you, no matter how “scientific” they claim themselves to be. (less)
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Xavier
Dec 13, 2019Xavier rated it really liked it
Shelves: audiobook, science, philosophy, non-fiction, library, fighting-false-info, great-courses
How important it is think critically and to question everything. It's okay to say, "I don't know. Let me do some research and get back to you." It's okay not to know everything and to ask questions. Look at both sides of the argument and come to your own conclusions but keep in mind that a new piece of information may arise and completely change your view. To pursue knowledge and understanding is to swim in a river with a gentle current -- it's always in flux and a new scene will present itself around every bend. To think like a scientist is to constantly ask and receive answers, to do research and experimentation to come to a conclusion, always learning something new. A static mind doesn't grow.
The teacher of this course Mr. Shermer seems to be a big fan of the poetic scientist Carl Sagan and so he will find a good friend in me! He mentions how some of those who are pious will make the claim that skeptics and scientists lack spirituality. I'll quote Mr. Sagan who can put it more eloquently than I ever could,
“Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light‐years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty, and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual. So are our emotions in the presence of great art or music or literature, or acts of exemplary selfless courage such as those of Mohandas Gandhi or Martin Luther King, Jr. The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both.”
If that doesn't evoke some emotion in both the religious and the atheistic, I don't know what will. (less)
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Bremer
Oct 31, 2020Bremer added it
A skeptic will believe in an idea when there is sufficient evidence for that idea being true. Until then, depending on the quality of evidence and the probability of that idea’s truth, a skeptic will either suspend their judgement or lack a belief in such an idea.
Skeptics are open to many diverse—even seemingly paradoxical—ideas, but they will not accept those ideas as being true until there is empirical evidence and logic, which supports those ideas.
People who are intelligent and well-educated can still believe in strange, illogical ideas.
Just because a person is smart in one area doesn’t mean that they are smart in another. People are prone to believing in many superstitious ideas like ghosts and fortune telling, elusive fairies and demons and telepathy, knocking on wood for good luck, and peeing on a wart for its removal.
Smart people not only can believe in strange ideas, but they often argue for their beliefs much better than the average person, rationalizing for their side, while being resistant to any counter arguments.
Often someone will claim a supernatural event happened to them, such as one of their dreams predicting a future event, while ignoring all those times when their premonitions did not occur.
It is normal to remember a significant event while ignoring an insignificant event.
Such events, which may feel personally unique, may occur regularly in a probabilistic sense. All insignificant events, however, are often not accounted for, when considering the totality of such events. The hits are recorded but the misses are not.
Science is a method that leads to provisional conclusions. The scientific method aims at objectivity under external validation. Science is based on rational thought and logic and evidence.
There is a tension in science between skepticism and credulity. For paradigm shifts to occur in the field, scientists need to be willing to challenge established views. They need to criticize the cherished beliefs of civilization as well.
What distinguishes science from pseudoscience is the validity of each claim, the consistency of those claims with other theories, the quality of the evidence presented, the ability of each claim to be tested, and so on.
It is important to be rigorous when investigating claims because people are deeply flawed thinkers, prone to biases, misconceptions, and perceptual mistakes.
Many people are seduced by compelling anecdotes while never considering the evidence behind those anecdotes. Anecdotes are not data, no matter how many people believe in them, unless they are backed by sufficient evidence.
The burden of proof is on those who make claims rather than on those who do not agree with the claims presented. One doesn’t have to disprove every story invented.
When confronted with claims, a skeptical person should look for sound reasoning. It is all too common for proponents of a belief to argue on irrational, self-contradictory grounds, based on enthusiasm and tradition and appeals to emotion.
One fallacy that individuals use is the argument from ignorance. They may say that if they or anyone else cannot explain X, then their proposed explanation must be true. It is much more rational to say “I don’t know” than to assume a conclusion.
Another fallacy comes from equating correlation to causation. The human mind naturally seeks relationships and patterns. At the same time, many events may be coincidental, or probable, but not necessarily connected.
Often during heated arguments, people use ad hominem fallacies. They insult their opponents rather than addressing their arguments directly.
Even if such insults are true, that still doesn’t invalidate the other person’s argument. An ad hominem argument, rather than dealing with the substance of the argument, acts to distract.
Along with these fallacies, among others, people have cognitive biases.
Many biases aren’t conscious.
Individuals look for ideas that confirm their belief systems while filtering out, neglecting, and ignoring contrary evidence.
They may form conspiracies about past events once they’ve been given the benefit of hindsight.
They may justify poor choices with rationalizations while ignoring any opposing evidence.
It is common for individuals to consider their views to be rational. They will see their opponents, however, as emotional.
There are many cognitive biases such as trusting in authorities only because they are authorities, generalizing a trait of one person to all people of that same group, and focusing on negative ideas much more than positive ideas.
Scientists are as prone to wrong thinking and biases as everyone else. That is why there needs to be a rigorous standard for evidence.
People have evolved to find patterns, even when there are none, and look for threats, even when none exist.
Scientific thinkers must be able to distinguish what is real from what is an illusion, while not being seduced by the appearance of patterns.
It’s normal for people to ascribe agency to natural patterns (like the constellations) and find great significance in probability (like a pair of dice landing on the same number three times in a row).
When something that is unexplained, mysterious, or unknown gains validity through evidence, it will eventually be incorporated into science. Ideas that cannot be tested, or analyzed, under peer-reviewed standards, will still be considered unknown, meaningless, or unexplained, until there is reason and evidence in support of them.
Science is a method that filters good ideas from bad ideas. It is a long, self-correcting process.
Even the most obvious, ordinary, basic phenomena, which are assumed as true by most people, must still undergo the same amount of scrutiny as the wildest ideas. Even ideas that appear to have evidentiary support, overtime, may be falsified. Superior models may replace outdated models, new evidence may challenge an existing paradigm.
With so many claims about what reality is, it is important to be skeptical. As Carl Sagan, a famous scientist and public educator and author, once said, “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.”
Scientists don’t have the burden of proof to disprove every idea. It is up to those who make positive assertions to prove themselves.
At the same time, scientific thinkers must be aware of the vast number of biases that interfere with how people determine what evidence is credible. Hindsight bias, confirmation bias, and other such biases, affect all people to a degree. Science is a method that cuts down on these biases overtime.
No scientific principles are absolute. All scientific principles must be tested and theories must lead to predictable results. It is important to question what is seen as acceptable and challenge the premises for any given conclusion.
Claims about reality should always be taken as false, meaningless, or unknown, until those claims gain enough evidence in support of them being true. Then they should be accepted tentatively. They may later be shown to be outdated, false, limited, full of errors, and so on.
Not all claims are created equal. Many claims are often misperceptions, misconceptions, hallucinations, lies, manipulations to serve ideological motives, speculations, opinions, untestable ideas, and so on, and so on.
Those who believe in irrational ideas can influence not only themselves, but those around them. They can form groups, which are destructive to the well-being of others. Their groups can create divisions in society, where the out-group is seen as less than human. Groups tend to conform to in-group values, while being hostile to outsiders.
They will listen to authorities that support their views, even when those authorities are wrong. Eloquent speakers can persuade uncritical people to follow them, even when their words are manipulations.
People can be convinced of outlandish ideas. Even smart people can fool themselves. There are no exceptions.
It is common for humans to believe in supernatural events because humans are hardwired to be social creatures, to feel good when they believe in transcendent ideas, following what those in their closest environments follow. There may even be a genetic predisposition toward believing in supernatural ideas, inherited from past ancestors. Culture then shapes what is passed down, providing a structure for what is already there.
People are natural-born believers. While it is crucial for individuals to be open to the unknown, to novelty and a future of what could be, they must not be so open that they neglect to critically think about issues that affect their well-being and the well-being of others.
To be duped into joining cults and stupid fads, into voting for politicians who promote disastrous policies for the environment, to be fooled into ordering sham products, donating life savings to charlatans, and wasting years on false solutions, while spreading misinformation to those who are nearest, is not only unwise.
It may ultimately be dangerous.
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Tom
Feb 02, 2015Tom rated it it was ok
Fell short on the "how" part of the subtitle. Most of the time was on the author's view on specific topics. However much I might agree with the position he takes on the topics, it does not address the how... how does one overcome these natural human fallacies in logic. Identification of logic fallacies and how to overcome them are different learning objectives. I wanted the latter and was therefore disappointed (less)
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John
May 10, 2016John rated it liked it
This was kind of fun and definitely brought up some good points, but the author was very clearly heavily to the left, which shows several times throughout the book (who ever heard of a liberal professor!?). In itself that isn't bad, but when you're trying to promote critical thinking, it should be done so from a politically neutral stance.
3/5 (less)
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Russ
Mar 29, 2016Russ rated it did not like it
I usually like the courses from the Great Courses. This one would be better titled as I Hate Religion and you're stupid for believing in God. Any relevant or useful information could have been provided in a much shorter format. (less)
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Dave
Apr 04, 2018Dave rated it it was ok
Shelves: gave-up-on, other-non-fiction, audio
Having listened to Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking (Great Courses by Steven Novella), I did not find this to be nearly as useful.
If you are considering this set of lectures, I suggest that you try Your Deceptive Mind.
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Natalie
Nov 13, 2018Natalie rated it really liked it
Important skills to have in the world of fake news.
Also really interesting to learn how some of our natural assumptions evolved and why we have them.
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Laura
Mar 03, 2020Laura rated it it was ok
Useful information, but I found his monist, materialist assumptions had too much influence.
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Budi Arsana
Jun 12, 2020Budi Arsana rated it did not like it
The quality is not what i expected from the great course series. And content have too much cites from other sources.
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Bart
Apr 12, 2021Bart rated it liked it
An interesting take on skepticism. However, this is more an addendum to “The Demon-Haunted World” by Ann Druyan and Carl Sagan rather than a separate position.
In many places, the author is oversimplifying things too much but on the other hand, provides discussion on the currently most popular disbelief in the world.
For instance, he presents the concepts of creationism and intelligent design in a sort of straw man fashion, by quickly summarizing it all as being a part of the supernatural, so unexplainable and therefore, unscientific.
Nevertheless, I do like his take on conspiracies vs. conspiracy theories and how easily manipulated people can be about those things. He also shares some wisdom re: the practical ways of being a skeptic at the end of the series. I do think that part should have been more emphasized with more time and detail. It felt a bit rushed. (less)
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Chris Boutté
Dec 24, 2020Chris Boutté rated it it was amazing
A while back, when I first became interested in the subjects of skepticism and critical thinking, I picked up a Michael Shermer book and didn't like it. That was about a year ago, and after reading numerous other books on the subjects, his name kept coming up, so I decided to give him another try, and he blew me away. I'm officially a fan after going through his Skepticism 101 course. He is extremely well-versed on why people believe in the supernatural and paranormal, and he has great strategies for scientific thinking. I'm super excited that I gave his work another chance because he has a ton of books that I can't wait to read. (less)
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Angie Boyter
Dec 30, 2020Angie Boyter rated it liked it · review of another edition
If you are new to this subject, you will probably enjoy this course more than my husband and I did. We listened to this course over lunches, one lecture per meal, and it was as entertaining as the radio would have been, although we were tempted to cut a couple of the lectures short. It was well presented, and there were some interesting examples and a few insights ,but for someone who has read a bit on the subject already, e.g., Dan Ariely, there is nothing new here.
In addition, there is not as much reference to scientific method as one might expect. There are a lot of references to scientific studies, however, like the Milgram study, which would be quite interesting if you do not already know them.
A minor but annoying flaw, surprising in someone like Shermer, who does a lot of public cpeaking, is his frequent (often multipl per lecture) mispronunciation of words. Admittedly, I am sometimes unsure how to pronounce a term I have only read, but if I were going to use the term in lectures, I would take the trouble to learn the proper pronunciation. (less)
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Graeme Roberts
Feb 06, 2018Graeme Roberts rated it it was amazing
This Great Courses audiobook is excellent. Michael Shermer is meticulously balanced and courteous in explaining scientific thinking and how to apply it to contentious issues. Ironically, no one who believes in conspiracy theories, attends seances, denies the existence of the Holocaust, or believes in UFOs will ever listen to it. It will help the rest of us, however. (less)
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