Tagged: Social Sciences

Evolutionary cooperation - Open Parachute

Ken Perrott • Sep 26, 2011 •

• competition,
• Cooperation,
• creationism,
• evolution,
• evolutionary psychology,
• natural selection,
• Norway,
• philosophy,
• Psychology,
• PZ Myers,
• religion,
• Sciblogs,
• Social Sciences

Here’s a lecture on evolutionary cooperation by PZ Myers. Ok, it’s pretty long, but it’s worth downloading and watching (or even listening as the video doesn’t catch most of the slides). Click on World Humanist Congress 2011 08/13/11 07:32AM. Cooperation … Continue reading → … Read More

A Better World Through Video Games - Skepticon

Darcy Cowan • Jun 15, 2011 •

• behaviour,
• gaming,
• prosocial behaviour,
• Psychological,
• Psychology,
• Sciblogs,
• Social Sciences,
• video games

Over the last few years evidence has been mounting that violence in the media and especially interactive media such as video games contributes to aggression displayed by individuals.[1] This ability to influence our behaviour in such a way is concerning and may undermine attempts to build a peaceful society that nevertheless respects a person’s right [...] … Read More

Answering questions on morality - Open Parachute

Ken Perrott • Apr 22, 2011 •

• agnostic,
• agnosticism,
• atheism,
• belief,
• Christianity,
• creationism,
• diversity,
• evolution,
• human rights,
• Jonathan Haidt,
• Marc Hauser,
• morality,
• Patricia Churchland,
• religion,
• Sam Harris,
• Sciblogs,
• science of morality,
• Social Sciences,
• Telling Right from Wrong,
• The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values

I want to spend a few posts answering some of the questions commenters have raised on my science of morality articles here and at the SciBlogs syndicated version (Open Parachute@ SciBlogs). See, for example, Foundations of human morality. Those articles represent … Continue reading → … Read More

Deriving ’ought from is’ scientifically? - Open Parachute

Ken Perrott • Jan 04, 2011 •

• agnostic,
• agnosticism,
• atheism,
• belief,
• Christianity,
• ethics,
• evolution,
• Human,
• human rights,
• morality,
• philosophy,
• politics,
• religion,
• Richard Carrier,
• Sam Harris,
• Sciblogs,
• Social Sciences,
• supernatural,
• superstition,
• tradition

There has been a lot of debate recently about the role of science in deciding moral questions. And I am sure this will continue as scientific investigations reveal more about our morality. One issue which keeps coming up, though, is … Continue reading → … Read More

Treating statistics sensibly - Open Parachute

Ken Perrott • Sep 30, 2010 •

• atheism,
• belief,
• Christianity,
• Psychology and Religion,
• religion,
• Religion and Spirituality,
• Sciblogs,
• Social Sciences,
• statistics,
• superstition,
• tradition

People love to quote statistical studies to support their claims. And often its just a matter of confirmation bias. The statistical studies may not provide the support required – or may suffer from all sorts of flaws. We see a … Continue reading → … Read More

A scientific consensus on human morality - Open Parachute

Ken Perrott • Sep 21, 2010 •

• ethics,
• Interpersonal relationship,
• Marc Hauser,
• morality,
• morals,
• natural selection,
• Psychology,
• Sam Harris,
• Sciblogs,
• science of morality,
• Social Sciences

There has been some local discussion of the scientific approach to morality. Unfortunately some of this has concentrated on only one source (a TED talk by Sam Harris – see Can science answer moral questions?). I believe Sam makes some … Continue reading → … Read More

Human Evolution and the Organ of Mind - Open Parachute

Ken Perrott • Sep 17, 2010 •

• book review,
• brain,
• evolution,
• evolutionary psychology,
• human brain,
• human evolution,
• John S. Allen,
• Psychology,
• Sciblogs,
• Social Sciences

Book Review: The Lives of the Brain: Human Evolution and the Organ of Mind by John S. Allen Price: US$32.04; NZ$79.97 Hardcover: 352 pages Publisher: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (October 30, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 0674035348 ISBN-13: 978-0674035348 … Continue reading → … Read More

Delayed Gratification = Success? - Skepticon

Darcy Cowan • Aug 10, 2010 •

• Child,
• Educational Resources,
• experiment,
• Health,
• Psychological,
• Psychology,
• Sciblogs,
• Social Sciences,
• Stanford University,
• Walter Mischel

Today we are going to step into the time machine and go back 21 years to 1989. It was in this year that the study to become known as the “Marshmallow experiment” was published. Performed by Walter Mischel at Stanford University this experiment showed an amazing thing, that testing a child’s self-control at 4yrs could [...] … Read More

Is and ought - Open Parachute

Ken Perrott • Jul 28, 2010 •

• ethics,
• evolution,
• evolutionary psychology,
• Human,
• Human nature,
• human rights,
• philosophy,
• Psychology,
• religion,
• Sam Harris,
• Sciblogs,
• Social Sciences,
• Western world

I have been watching some of the videos from the Edge seminar THE NEW SCIENCE OF MORALITY. There will eventually be about 10 hours of talks and discussions posted on the Edge site. From the few presentations I have seen … Continue reading → … Read More

Can the Order You View Things Affect Your Opinion of Them? Or, To Make a Good Impression Ensure You’re Introduced First - Skepticon

Darcy Cowan • Jun 28, 2010 •

• Dana Carney,
• Decision making,
• experiment,
• Implicit Association Test,
• Mahzarin Banaji,
• Psychological,
• Psychology,
• Sciblogs,
• Social Sciences,
• Tests and Testing

“First the worst, Second the best, Third the golden eagle.” The above is a rhyme from my youth1, the implication being that you really don’t want to be first in anything. First is the worst after all. Obviously this is not true in the world beyond the playground, firsts in every field are celebrated, sometimes [...] … Read More