In this episode, we explore the conspiracy theories surrounding the July 13 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump. Despite the evidence suggesting the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, acted alone, numerous theories have emerged. These include claims that the Secret Service staged the event, foreign governments were involved, and the shooter was part of Antifa or backed by Never-Trumper Republicans. We delve into why such theories gain traction, examining cognitive and emotional factors like event magnitude, proportionality bias, anomaly hunting, personal incredulity, hindsight bias, patternicity, agenticity, uncertainty bias, and teleological thinking. While some legitimate questions remain unanswered, we emphasize the importance of applying the Conspiracism Principle: never attribute to malice what can be explained by randomness or incompetence. Tune in to understand why rational people often believe in irrational conspiracies.
315. David Bernstein — Classified: The Untold Story of Racial Classification in America
314. Martin Rees — Can Science Save Us?
313. Matthew Cobb — As Gods: A Moral History of the Genetic Age
312. Louise Perry — The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century
311. Meghan Daum — The Problem With Everything: My Journey Through the New Culture Wars
310. Todd Kashdan — The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively
309. India Thusi on Sex Work, Critical Race Theory, and Moral Progress
308. Iris Berent — The Blind Storyteller: How We Reason About Human Nature
307. Nicholas Dirks on Science Denial, Distrust, and Skepticism
306. Stephon Alexander — Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider’s Guide to the Future of Physics
305. Bethanne Patrick — Book World
304. Justin Gregg — If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal: What Animal Intelligence Reveals About Human Stupidity
303. Michael Shermer — Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational
302. Tim Palmer — The Primacy of Doubt
301. Alan Blinder — A Monetary and Fiscal History of the United States
300. Saleem Ali — Earthly Order: How Natural Laws Define Human Life
299. Richard Reeves — Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It
298. Neil deGrasse Tyson — Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization
297. Andrew Doyle — How the Religion of Social Justice Captured the Western World
296. Stephen Bloom on Jane Elliott’s Famous Experiment on Race and Brutality and What It Reveals About Today’s Racial Divide
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