Memory & Belief

When it comes to our understanding of how the world works, we often turn to personal experience to shine a spotlight on the truth. But how accurate a guide is our memory for the past? Discussing evidence showing just how reconstructive remembering can be, the panelists demonstrate that memory is more like an ever-changing Etch-a-Sketch than a trustworthy roadmap. And the relationship between memory and belief is a two-way street.

Including:

James Alcock

Different beliefs are at the heart of the debates between believers and skeptics, theists and non-theists, environmentalists and climate-change deniers. But what is a belief? How do beliefs come about, how are they maintained in the face of overwhelming evidence that opposes them, and what approaches work best in successfully challenging erroneous beliefs. These are some of the questions that will be addressed.