More Picture Puzzles, Mixed Bag questions, a Crossword about Roman Mythology and a set of Logic Problems (with solutions) are at the top of the PUZZLES PAGE .
Puzzles from January 2018 to December 2019 have been removed to form Puzzles Archives 8
Skepticamp 2020 February 29
10:30 AM – 4 PM
Aireys Inlet Community Hall
Great Ocean Rd, Aireys Inlet, Victoria
Here are some of the presenters and topics, with more to come:
Richard Saunders: Strange Energies and Even Stranger Devices
Karl Hemphill: Scammers on Line
Aung Ko Oo & Arghavan Shafiei: Ken Harvey’s Whack-a-Mole Project
Dr Scott Power: Climate Change
Tina Hanigan: Shonky TAFE Courses update. Some new kids on the block
Stella Schubert: My Journey from Acupuncturist to Skeptic
It’s free, but register via the Eventbrite link: https://tinyurl.com/SkepticampVIII
Help us celebrate Charles Darwin’s 211th birthday at the annual Barbecue, from 5 pm at the Studley Park Boathouses picnic area. BYO everything.
Celebrate February 12 (Charles Darwin’s Birthday) in your classroom!
Charles Darwin Crossword Years 9 to 12
Charles Darwin Wordsearch Years 5 to 8
Charles Darwin Cryptogram Years 7 to 10
charles_darwin_by_grichmond [Colouring in}
Come and enjoy the glorious location at Aireys Inlet and a variety of speakers at this grassroots event on February 29, 2020. It’s free but please register via the Eventbrite link: https://tinyurl.com/SkepticampVIII
The Intelligence Trap: Why smart people do stupid things and how to make wiser decisions
By David Robson
Reviewed by John Barrett
This book presents a challenge to any person of proven high intelligence. As the author says in his introduction, “Smart people may be even more vulnerable to certain kinds of foolish thinking.” High intelligence inappropriately applied can be like a high performance car with faulty brakes. The author provides examples of foolish thinking by some famously smart people such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein. He also provides examples of smart people who avoided thinking foolishly: Socrates and Benjamin Franklin. Interestingly, the great strength of both was their preparedness to recognise the limits of their own knowledge.
The author introduces some useful concepts, including:
· Dysrationalia: a mismatch between intelligence and rationality;
· Earned Dogmatism: a perceived “right” to be closed-minded;
· Motivated reasoning: a tendency to apply our brainpower to affirming a predetermined goal.
The book deals tangentially with issues of interest to Skeptics such as astrology, extra-terrestrial visitations, séances, complementary medicines, vaccination, climate change, and evolution. Its emphasis is on clear thinking and how some highly intelligent people can come to believe some ridiculous things.
I recommend this book to all Skeptics. A useful summary is available here: https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/intelligence-trap
I also recommend this review: https://irishtechnews.ie/the-intelligence-trap-review/