Michael Shermer on the Colbert Report
Written by Tom Beasley in News, Science at July 12, 2011
Last night Michael Shermer appeared on the Colbert Report to discuss his new book The Believing Brain. The book describes evolutionary advantageous mechanisms, such as pattern recognition and observation about the world around us and explains how much of what we know and revere does not lead us to truth. Natural selection favored that humankind be cautious, not that humankind seek the truth and thus we are left with many, many untrue concepts in society today. Shermer goes on to note that we reinforce these false beliefs and that the best way to determine the truth is the mechanism of science, or similarly strict methods of taking in information.
On the following clip, the segment ends with a discussion in religion. Colbert, as many of you know, is a Catholic. Please, enjoy:
