Michael Shermer takes us through the strange claims we humans put forth as truth - from alien encounters to Virgin Mary sightings on pizza pies, to hidden messages revealed while playing “Stairway to Heaven” backwards - and explains the evolutionary and cognitive basis for these lapses in reason. Shermer is the founder/publisher of Skeptic Magazine, and author of several books, including Why People Believe Weird Things. Recorded February 2006 in Monterey, CA at the TED Conference.
Notice how when you listen to Stairway to Heaven backwards first you catch only one word or so. Then when Michael Shermer tells you what to listen for, you hear a lot more. Compare this same concept to how “feeling the spirit” is used as a confirmatory experience. You are told what to look for and what it means and miraculously people feel something.
Comments:
Great video. I love it!! Thanks Scott! |
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Worth the watch |
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I was in charge of the Arts and Lectures series at USU in 03-04 and we actually had Dr. Shermer come to give a full-length lecture (I guess about an hour). I was so fascinated at the time, but I’ve come a long way as a skeptic myself since then (I was inactive at the time, but had yet to really explore my beliefs), so I wish I had the chance to meet with him again. We had lunch with him after the lecture, which was actually my favorite part. I had several TBMs on my committee at the lunch and it was fun to have them involved in the discussion. We had a pretty liberal line-up of speakers that year, but my goal was to offer something different for students. I got quite a bit of grief from some of the conservative student groups on campus, but it was worth it. |
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Funny! |
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Rainangel, I’m jealous! I’d love to have lunch with the guy. He’s pretty famous and infamous—a mover and a shaker. |
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Shermer’s books were probably the most important non-Mormon related book that helped me disengage from church. I loaned it to another guy, and he left the church shortly thereafter. John |
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This was a fun watch...I was one of the unfortunate teenagers back in the 70’s who attended a “youth fireside” about the “evils” of the music industry. We were all exposed to demonstrations of some popular rock/pop singers and their songs played backward, from Led Zepplin to Carly Simon. (Some of you may remember that movement!?) Anyway, being the TBM that I was, I promptly went home and made a small bonfire of all of my beloved record albums...from Led Zepplin, Queen, Diana Ross and everything in between. The only vinyls that were spared were the Saturday’s Warrior soundtrack and all of the Osmond LPs. Years later, I’m still rebuilding my collection *sniff* |
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There is a slightly longer, more inclusive version of this that I found at the following: |
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on 04/12/2007