01452nam a2200277u 4500 650019996 20190501175207.0 ta 110610s2011 nyua b 001 0 eng 2010030706 9780805091250 0805091254 BF773 .S54 2011 Shermer, Michael The believing brain : from ghosts and gods to politics and conspiracies--how we construct beliefs and reinforce them as truths / Michael Shermer 1st ed New York : Times Books, 2011 xii, 385 p. : ill. ; 25 cm Includes bibliographical references and index Mr. D'Arpino's dilemma -- Dr. Collins's conversion -- A skeptic's journey -- Patternicity -- Agenticity -- The believing neuron -- Belief in the afterlife -- Belief in god -- Belief in aliens -- Belief in conspiracies -- Politics of belief -- Confirmations of belief -- Geographies of belief -- Cosmologies of belief -- Epilogue : the truth is out there Shermer demonstrates how our brains selectively assess data in an attempt to confirm the conclusions (beliefs) we've already reached. Drawing on evolution, cognitive science, and neuroscience, he considers not only supernatural beliefs but political and economic ones as well Belief and doubt Knowledge, Theory of Cognitive neuroscience 7 5865 5865 0 0 ABELJ abelj NF 2016-10-26 0 153.4 SHER 21191 2016-10-26 28.00 2016-10-26 BOOK