Throughout history scepticism and the urge to question accepted truths has been a powerful force for change and growth. Today, as we are bombarded by fake news, adverts, and political rhetoric, a healthy amount of scepticism is widely encouraged. In this book, Duncan Pritchard examines the nature of scepticism, asking when it is problematic. He also examines the philosophical arguments for a radical form of scepticism which maintains that knowledge...

When it comes to what we believe, humans see what they want to see. In other words, we have what Julia Galef calls a "soldier" mindset. From tribalism and wishful thinking, to rationalizing in our personal lives and everything in between, we are driven to defend the ideas we most want to believe-and shoot down those we don't. But if we want to get things right more often, argues Galef, we should train ourselves to have a "scout" mindset. Unlike the...

The author draws on her own personal experience to launch a broader inquiry into the phenomena of psychics, shamans, astrologers, and their fans. Through historical documents and interviews with clairvoyants, seers, and their believers, Victoria opens herself up to the modern mystical complex in cultures and cities around the globe. She pays close attention to what they have to tell us about how we choose to live, what we might be missing out on in...

Why do some parents refuse to vaccinate their children? Why do some keep guns at home, despite scientific evidence of risk to their family members? And why do people use antibiotics for illnesses they can't possibly alleviate? When it comes to health, many people insist that science is wrong, that the evidence is incomplete or inconclusive, and that unidentified hazards lurk everywhere to harm us.

"For Sarah Krasnostein, it begins with a Mennonite choir performing on a subway platform, a fleeting moment of witness that sets her on a fascinating journey to discover why people need to believe in absolute truths and what happens when their beliefs crash into her own. Some of the people Krasnostein interviews believe in things many people do not: ghosts, UFOs, the literal creation of the universe in six days. Some believe in things most people...