I think we have a lot of romance about science that they just, scientists just sit around trying to figure things out. We're even where we're mirror social scientists. And it's easy to fool yourself. I like the fine and, quote, the first rule is not to fool yourself and you're the easiest person to fool.
Neurologist and author Robert Burton talks about his book, On Being Certain, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Burton explores our need for certainty and the challenge of being skeptical about what our brain tells us must be true. Where does what Burton calls "the feeling of knowing" come from? Why can memory lead us astray? Burton claims that our reaction to events emerges from competition among different parts of the brain operating below our level of awareness. The conversation includes a discussion of the experience of transcendence and the different ways humans come to that experience.