Philosophy
There are many reasons why lots of otherwise reasonable people don't 'believe' in the theory of evolution. Yes, some of it has to do with their religious background and with a lack of basic education concerning science generally and evolution specifically, but that can't be the whole story.
Part of it also has to do with the way our minds work. For instance, we have a natural tendency to think teleologically (in terms of goals, purposes and design) and in terms of agency (there must be some intentional mind or subject behind any given phenomenon), and so we commit a basic category mistake when we apply these modes of thinking (the manufacture of industrial and commercial goods) to non-teleological phenomena (like biological complexity and organic processes).
But it doesn't stop there. The problem is that as evolved creatures, we have inherited a set of cognitive quirks and biases that conferred our ancestors with practical benefits that are not always conducive to the attainment of truth. To add insult to injury, our cognitive biases often lead us to commit logical fallacies, like the God of the Gaps argument.
In the following fascinating and amusing presentation, Neil deGrasse Tyson explains how even some of the greatest scientific minds of all time, people whose education and intelligence are unimpeachable, when confronted with the limits of their own knowledge and understanding, quickly retreat to this pernicious mode of poor thinking. In the process, he draws some deliciously thought-provoking lessons.
- 12-21-2012 - Just Another Day
When your poster calendar reaches December 31st, do you freak out about the end of the world because your calendar doesn't mark any future days? That's ridiculous, you say? Well, that's exactly what's happening as we reach the end of a...
- Stephen Colbert Interviews Neil Degrasse Tysoon
So what do you get when you mix up a smart comedian (like Stephen Colbert) and a fun and eloquent popularizer of science (like Neil deGrasse Tyson)? Answer: one and a half hour of thought-provoking and funny awesomeness. Enjoy your weekend. I would have...
- "living Popular Scientist" Poll
Who is your choice for living "popular" scientist? Brian Greene...0 Freeman Dyson...3 Lawrence Krauss...0 Neil deGrasse Tyson...2 Stephen Hawking...3 Somewhat surprised. I suppose Hawking would lead...he is quite an icon. I expected Krauss to be at the...
- Pluto, Tyson, Cnn Lecture
From CNN: "The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet" Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about the controversy over re-classifying Pluto as a comet. New York's American Museum of Natural History, where this talk was held, was the...
- Neil Degrasse Tyson..."nova Sciencenow"--2nd Season
Neil deGrasse Tyson [cool jacket] Since the death of Carl Sagan, a vacuum was left when it came to popularizing science, but there are new individuals on the horizon. There is Brian Greene and now Neil deGrasse Tyson [Astrophysicist and Director of the...
Philosophy
Neil DeGrasse Tyson - The God of the Gaps
There are many reasons why lots of otherwise reasonable people don't 'believe' in the theory of evolution. Yes, some of it has to do with their religious background and with a lack of basic education concerning science generally and evolution specifically, but that can't be the whole story.Part of it also has to do with the way our minds work. For instance, we have a natural tendency to think teleologically (in terms of goals, purposes and design) and in terms of agency (there must be some intentional mind or subject behind any given phenomenon), and so we commit a basic category mistake when we apply these modes of thinking (the manufacture of industrial and commercial goods) to non-teleological phenomena (like biological complexity and organic processes).
But it doesn't stop there. The problem is that as evolved creatures, we have inherited a set of cognitive quirks and biases that conferred our ancestors with practical benefits that are not always conducive to the attainment of truth. To add insult to injury, our cognitive biases often lead us to commit logical fallacies, like the God of the Gaps argument.
In the following fascinating and amusing presentation, Neil deGrasse Tyson explains how even some of the greatest scientific minds of all time, people whose education and intelligence are unimpeachable, when confronted with the limits of their own knowledge and understanding, quickly retreat to this pernicious mode of poor thinking. In the process, he draws some deliciously thought-provoking lessons.
- 12-21-2012 - Just Another Day
When your poster calendar reaches December 31st, do you freak out about the end of the world because your calendar doesn't mark any future days? That's ridiculous, you say? Well, that's exactly what's happening as we reach the end of a...
- Stephen Colbert Interviews Neil Degrasse Tysoon
So what do you get when you mix up a smart comedian (like Stephen Colbert) and a fun and eloquent popularizer of science (like Neil deGrasse Tyson)? Answer: one and a half hour of thought-provoking and funny awesomeness. Enjoy your weekend. I would have...
- "living Popular Scientist" Poll
Who is your choice for living "popular" scientist? Brian Greene...0 Freeman Dyson...3 Lawrence Krauss...0 Neil deGrasse Tyson...2 Stephen Hawking...3 Somewhat surprised. I suppose Hawking would lead...he is quite an icon. I expected Krauss to be at the...
- Pluto, Tyson, Cnn Lecture
From CNN: "The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet" Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about the controversy over re-classifying Pluto as a comet. New York's American Museum of Natural History, where this talk was held, was the...
- Neil Degrasse Tyson..."nova Sciencenow"--2nd Season
Neil deGrasse Tyson [cool jacket] Since the death of Carl Sagan, a vacuum was left when it came to popularizing science, but there are new individuals on the horizon. There is Brian Greene and now Neil deGrasse Tyson [Astrophysicist and Director of the...