Of all the things that behave in the universe (planets, stars, plants, animals, atoms, quarks, etc.), the behavior of humans is perhaps the most interesting. Although we usually consider ourselves to be rational beings, we still engage in behaviors that are questionable and sometimes downright dumbfounding. Using the book by Michael Shermer, Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time, the class will take a journey through a variety of venues (ESP, alien abductions, near-death experiences, revisionist history, religion and evolution, cults, mass suicides, among other topics) to try and understand human thought and action.
The class will meet once a week for the semester. In addition to regular readings and discussions, each student will be required to select a topic for the class. A final report, in both written form and as an oral presentation, will be required.