LECTURE

 

From Myths to Memes: The Diffusion of Pseudo-Scientific Beliefs 

 

MON 6 OCTOBER, 20:00

Auditorium, Minderbroedersberg 4-6

 

Stefaan Blancke, PhD

Assistant Professor of Philosophy of Science, Tilburg University

 

We live in an age of science and technology, yet people are very vulnerable to weird beliefs. Does this mean that humans are by nature highly gullible and irrational creatures?

In this lecture, Stefaan Blancke will explore the diffusion of (pseudo-)scientific beliefs and the factors that contribute to human susceptibility to irrational beliefs. It will become clear that people are in fact quite sceptical and selective about the sort of beliefs they adopt. Why then do irrational beliefs persist?