Evolution, Belief, and Manipulation (w/ Robert Gressis and Hugo Mercier)

<p>In this dialogue, Robert Gressis (UCal Northridge) and Hugo Mercier ( French National Center for Scientific Research, Not Born Yesterday) discuss how human belief and manipulation work, and Hugo's research about why people aren't as manipulable as we sometimes think.</p> <p>01:24 Hugo&rsquo;s thesis: when it comes to communication, people are not easily manipulated, but hard to manipulate.<br />07:19 If people aren&rsquo;t easily manipulated, then how does Hugo explain the success of Hitler, Pol Pot, and Trump?<br />16:07 Aren&rsquo;t people easily manipulated by leaders who share their political orientation?<br />21:00 Do people really believe the crazy things they espouse?<br />28:36 What is the connection between belief and behavior? 35:45 Sperber and Mercier&rsquo;s &ldquo;interactionist&rdquo; theory of reason<br />41:00 Twitter as a counterexample to the interactionist theory of reason<br />48:18 Are people good at arguing?<br />53:13 Rational rioters and the extraordinary heterogeneity of crowds</p>