Subject: USSO

Term: Summer 2010

USSO 285T: Why We Believe Weird Things (100/2017)

MWR 10:30-12:30 PM Jun 14-Jul 26

Butler, J

How, in such a skeptical age, can people maintain questionable beliefs regarding urban legends, alternative medicine, superstitions, and paranormal phenomena? How do cults manage to attract and maintain large memberships? How can so many seemingly normal people come to the conclusion that they have been abducted by aliens? We will explore the idea that these behaviors are not examples of pathological thought processes, but rather natural consequences of the biases that characterize everyday reasoning. Emphasis will be placed on critical examination of questionable phenomena with a goal of understanding why people might want to hold such beliefs.