On Being Certain: How Do We Know What We know?
In October I linked to an article in Scientific American on Robert Burton’s New book On Being Certain. Today I have another link from the Neuro Narrative (they do a great job of interview Burton). Click Here To Read About Certainty & Neuroscience
Article Introduction (via NeuroNarrative)
In On Being Certain, neurologist Robert Burton challenges his readers to ask one of the most basic—and crucial—of questions: how do we know what we know? With an engaging, conversational style, he tackles the neuropsychological underpinnings of belief and certainty, carefully examining these ubiquitous dynamics in light of what is known about how the mind works. Garnering excellent reviews from Scientific American Mind, The Wall Street Journal, and Seed Magazine, to name a few, the book has struck a deeply resonant chord. To quote from the Scientific American Mind review, “On Being Certain challenges our understanding of the very nature of thought.”
Article Excerpts (Via NeuroNarrative)
“I’ve always been fascinated by why some people seem so certain of their opinions, while I seem plagued by a persistent, overriding sense of doubt that my opinions are definitely correct”
“I am quite cynical about the value of presidential debates as they are presently held. You’d never interview someone for an important job and ask such open-ended questions and accept such evasive, non-committal or tangential answers.”
