Thursday, 4 November 2021

Steven Pinker on rationality in our times

Click screenshot for the vid. (a bit over an hour)
Steven Pinker in a great talk with Andrew Sullivan, to discuss Pinker’s latest book “Rationality"  Both are heterodox thinkers, great minds at work.

Settle down to listen, all worth it. Some timestamps: 

33:00: On “My Side Bias”. The most common bias out there. Says Steven. We all have it

42:00: “Your mommy made you gay”.  Andrew Sullivan (gay himself and a major force in legalising same-sex marriage), discusses what you’re not supposed to discuss.

1:00:00: “Availability Bias”. Discusses its effect, eg on nuclear power debate. A kind of cognitive dissonance.