“I think, therefore I am . . . . very likely to sometimes make errors of reasoning”. That’s the theme of the next Skeptics In The Pub on Wednesday May 22, starting at 6pm, at Armidale’s Wicklow Hotel.

Even though we may pride ourselves on our “horse sense” (our ability to make good judgments or decisions), the human mind is very prone to falling for fallacies.

Guest speaker will be Dr Sandy Boucher, Senior Lecturer in the Philosophy of Science at UNE and Associate Editor of the prestigious Australasian Journal of Philosophy.

Dr Boucher also coordinates the weekly HASS Research Seminars Series at UNE which the public are most welcome to attend.

At the Wicklow on May 22, he will deliver a humorous presentation on how all humans, even the most educated, are prone to making errors in their thinking.

“Fallacies of reasoning, cognitive biases, and irrational beliefs are an all-too-common feature of human thinking,” Dr Boucher said.

“They range from plain silly, like the flat earth theory, to the sinister and dangerous.

“I’m aiming to deliver a fun and interesting presentation that will be something a bit different from the usual heavy discussions on fallacies relating to pseudo-science and climate change denial.

“We’re all aware of those, so I am going to expand into less familiar zones and throw out a few fun challenges on the night.

“I’ll discuss the variety of ways human reasoning goes wrong, look at some of the sources of erroneous thinking, and offer some suggestions for how we can improve our reasoning, individually and collectively.”

Skeptics In The Pub is a fun, friendly and free event, a chance to have a drink and a think, open to everyone, and there is no need to book.

People arrive at 6pm at the ground floor of The Wicklow, order and pay for their dinners and drinks, then settle in to hear the speaker, followed by a discussion session.

For further information contact:

Amelia Willmer
Convenor Skeptics In The Pub
Phone 0407 765 669