William & Myrtle Harris Distinguished Lectureship in Science and Civilization
Baxter Lecture Hall
Science vs. Intuition: Why Scientific Ideas Elude the Human Mind
Andrew Shtulman,
Associate Professor, Cognitive Science; Psychology,
Occidental College,
Abstract: Scientific ideas are difficult to teach, difficult to learn, and difficult to accept as true because they contradict our intuitive theories of how the world works -- theories constructed in childhood but retained across the lifespan, influencing our thinking even as adults. In this talk, I will discuss what intuitive theories are, where they come from, and why they blind us to more accurate theories of the world.
For more information, please contact Emily de Araujo by phone at 626-395-8028 or by email at [email protected].