Minds on Math, Dr. Steven Pinker - Wednesday, March 13th 2024

Minds on Math, co-sponsored by the Lab for the Developing Mind at New York University (director, Dr. Moira Dillon) and by the National Museum of Mathematics and supported by the National Science Foundation, features accomplished scholars in developmental psychology, cognitive science, mathematics, and education, who conduct research on how our minds and brains learn and appreciate math and related fields.
Title: "Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters”
Abstract: Today, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding-and at the same time appears to be losing its mind. Why do we find ourselves flooded with fake news, medical quackery, conspiracy theorizing, and “post-truth” rhetoric? Why do we fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning our best thinkers have discovered over the millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability, correlation and causation, and optimal ways to update our beliefs? And how does the rational pursuit of self-interest, sectarian solidarity, and uplifting mythology by individuals add up to crippling irrationality in a society?
Join cognitive psychologist and popular science author Steven Pinker as he discusses why rationality matters, how it leads to better choices in our lives and in the public sphere, and how it is the ultimate driver of social justice and moral progress.