Real Time with Bill Maher Ep. #580: Steven Pinker, Robert Costa, Michael Render (aka Killer Mike)
Oct 9, 2021
Join cognitive scientist Steven Pinker, journalist Robert Costa, and rapper Killer Mike as they tackle a range of pressing issues. They discuss the intersection of political accountability and ghost stories, pondering the supernatural while critiquing leadership failures. The trio dives into the need for police reform and the realities of wealth disparity, alongside a fintech initiative aimed at empowering marginalized communities. They also analyze immigration's impact on working-class voters and the unsettling landscape ahead of the 2024 election—where chaos may loom.
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Episode notes
Progressophobia
- Steven Pinker discusses progressophobia, the resistance to acknowledging progress.
- He explains how negativity bias in news and the availability heuristic contribute to this phenomenon.
Historical Irrationality
- Bill Maher questions if people were more rational in the past.
- Pinker explains that irrationality and misinformation have always existed, citing historical examples of conspiracy theories and fake news.
Belief in the Paranormal
- Bill Maher asks why intelligent people believe in things like ghosts.
- Pinker explains that humans are naturally dualists and how this contributes to belief in the paranormal, similar to how unidentified objects don't necessarily mean extraterrestrial origins.
