Most of us weren't born reasonable. We were born into a superstitious culture with only our ramshackle primate brains to try and figure out what's going on. Reason, an appreciation for evidence and critical thinking skills are virtues that most of us had to fight for and that we have to work hard to keep … Continue reading "How To Be Reasonable: By Someone Who Tried Everything Else"

Recent data from the World Health Organisation has indicated a fourfold increase in cases of measles in 2017 compared to previous year (from 5273 to 21 315 cases) across the European region (www.euro.who.int/en/media-centre/sections/press- releases/2018/europe-observes- a-4- fold- increase-in- measles-cases- in-2017- compared-to- previous-year). These cases subsequently lead to hundreds of hospitalisations, and 35 recorded deaths. While some … Continue reading "The Psychology of Vaccine Acceptance, Hesitancy, and Denial"

A few people wanted to delve into politics, so bit of a break from the usual sciencey subjects. Going forward we're going to get as many people from across the political spectrum as possible to discuss local, national and historical issues. No speaker, just a group discussion. First requested topic was Anti Semitism in Labour. … Continue reading "Politalks 1- Is Anti Semitism A Problem In The Labour Party"

Jamie will talk about his new book 'The People Vs Tech', which argues there is a looming war between democracy and digital technology. He will explain what Cambridge Analytica did during the Trump election - and whether it made a difference - and suggest that democracies are being slowly undermined by the internet. Jamie will … Continue reading "People vs Tech: How The Internet Is Killing Democracy (and how we can save it)"

Hypnosis is a valuable method for studying different facets of conscious awareness yet it continues to be one of the most misrepresented and misunderstood phenomenon in psychology. Here I will dispel widespread myths and misconceptions about hypnosis and describe what psychologists, neuroscientists, and clinicians have learned about this fascinating phenomenon. Devin Terhune is a Senior … Continue reading "Separating Fact and Fiction In Hypnosis"

In 2013, when Michael Marshall first interviewed the Vice President of the Flat Earth society for his show Be Reasonable, people could scarcely believe that anyone could genuinely think the Earth was flat. Five years later, Flat Earth belief has gone mainstream, spawning thousands of hours of YouTube videos, gaining widespread international media coverage, and … Continue reading "Circular Reasoning: The Rise Of The Flat Earth Belief"

Ever since records began, in every known society, a substantial proportion of the population has reported unusual experiences many of which we would today label as “paranormal”. Opinion polls show that the majority of the general public accepts that paranormal phenomena do occur. Such widespread experience of and belief in the paranormal can only mean … Continue reading "Weird Science: An Introduction To Anomalistic Psychology"

"Leicester's answer to Derren Brown" - BBC Radio "The skills incorporated into the show breath-taking ... a highly impressive performance" - Bunbury Magazine Roll up! Roll up! Roll up! Gather ye round the traveling caravan, as Snake Oil Salesman Ash Pryce demonstrates the miraculous curative abilities of psychic surgery, taught to your humble trickster by … Continue reading "How to be a Psychic Conman"

What better way to understand ourselves than through the eyes of comedians - those who professionally examine our quirks on stage daily? In this touching and witty book, award-winning presenter and comic Robin Ince uses the life of the stand-up as a way of exploring some of the biggest questions we all face. Where does … Continue reading "I’m A Joke And So Are You"

Given the bewildering variety of life on Earth – all stemming from one self-replicating molecule – can we really predict what life on other worlds is like? Maybe not. But we can imagine what it isn’t like. Stevyn Colgan has been involved with aliens for three decades. He’s held Jabba the Hutt’s face, helped sculpt … Continue reading "Mr Green And Mr Grey Cannot Visit Us Today"