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Richard Dawkins on our “queer” universe
No matter how many explanations for scientific phenomena and advances crop up, the world just seems that much more unknowable and bizarre. Perhaps that explains why people tend to cling to their beliefs, even long after they've been undeniably debunked. The influential, controversial Richard Dawkins explains that humanity must break away from its tendency to stick with what's known and understood if it hopes to ever unlock as much potential as possible. Watch the Ted Talk here
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Ian Dunbar on dog-friendly dog training
Psychology students curious about animal behavior will certainly find this peek into the popular pets' inner workings a nice little intellectual treat. Empathy sits at the center of forging a healthy, loving and mutually beneficial relationship with a dog. Learning such a valuable lesson in the service of a canine companion holds the potential to carry over into one's interaction with other people as well. Watch the Ted Talk here
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Al Seckel says our brains are mis-wired
Thanks to his extensive work in neurosurgery and cognitive science, Al Seckel possesses an intimate understanding of the brain's over-reliance on perception. Because of this biological tendency, humans are susceptible to believing what illusions tell them. Be sure to watch the video of this lecture rather than simply reading the transcript, as the fantastic visuals greatly highlight how this phenomenon works — and gives people exactly what they want to see. Watch the Ted Talk here
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Sheena Iyengar on the art of choosing
No matter if options in question stand as amazingly trivial or earth-shatteringly major, the human brain reacts to choice with an incredibly complicated, interesting series of mental processes. Nurture and other cultural factors, of course, do play a significant role in shaping how individuals condition themselves to make choices, as with emotional and mental states. From this vantage point, Sheena Iyengar showcases the wide spectrum of psychological and sociological phenomena that lead into why people do what they do. Watch the Ted Talk here
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Remembering (and Replicating) the Milgram Experiments
Fifty years ago, Stanley Milgram’s famous obedience experiments showed that ordinary people would harm others when instructed to do so by an authority figure. The experiment was recently replicated on the Discovery Channel’s series Curiosity with the help of psychological scientist Jerry Burger. Watch this video to find out what went through the mind of a participant who said no and refused to shock another person. For more on the Milgram experiment, tune in to CNN at 7:30 am on Saturday December 10 or Sunday December 11 to watch Sanjay Gupta’s interview with Jerry Burger and Thomas Blass, both APS Members.
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Michael Shermer: The pattern behind self-deception
As an expert on debunking myths and urban legends, Michael Shermer understands the intricate psychology behind why people put their faith in everything from UFOs to dowsing rods to 2012 doomsday "prophecies." He posits that humanity's ingrained need to believe in something and uncanny ability to recognize patterns (even ones that don't necessarily exist) leads it to engage in such amazing displays of self-deception. Quite a few studies from many different sources support this insightful claim. Mastersdegree.net Watch the Ted Talk here
