Name of Presenter/Organizer/Institution: Dr. Zelda Gilbert
Title of Presentation/Talk/Event: The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
Name of Series (if this is part of a longer series): Individual Presentation
URL of Online Presentation/Lecture OR Production Company of Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du5JWbvSAjc
Dr. Zelda Gilbert explains why people believe in conspiracy theories, looking at both the psychological and social reasons behind them. She defines conspiracy theories as explanations that involve secretive, often sinister plots by powerful groups to explain big events. People often turn to these ideas because of how our minds work. For instance, we tend to think that big events must have equally big causes, and we prefer information that fits with what we already believe.
She also discusses how emotions like fear and uncertainty can make people more likely to believe in conspiracies, especially during times of crisis, like pandemics or political upheaval. Social media plays a huge role by creating echo chambers, which are spaces where people only see information that reinforces their beliefs. Dr. Gilbert compares older conspiracy theories with modern ones and points out that the rise of technology has made it easier for these ideas to spread to large groups at an alarming rate. To counteract conspiracy thinking, she suggests promoting critical thinking and being empathetic when talking to believers instead of dismissing them outright. She believes understanding why someone believes in a conspiracy is key to helping them move away from it.
Did you find the main points convincing?
Dr. Gilberts presentation made a strong case for why people believe in conspiracy theories, and her points were very convincing. One of the ideas that stood out to me was how people are drawn to these beliefs during times of uncertainty or crisis. It is easy to see how fear and confusion can make people seek answers that feel more meaningful or satisfying than the official story. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many conspiracy theories spread because people wanted explanations for why their lives were suddenly changed. Dr. Gilbert explained this well, showing how conspiracy theories give people a sense of control when the world feels out of control.
Another convincing point was about how our brains are wired to believe these ideas. She talked about cognitive biases. This bias explains why people might believe that something as massive as a global pandemic could not just come from a virus, and it had to involve a shadowy plot by powerful people. Her mention of confirmation bias, where people focus only on evidence that supports what they already think, was also spot on. It made me think about how we all fall into this trap, even outside of conspiracy theories. The role of social media in spreading conspiracies was another strong point. She explained how algorithms create echo chambers where people are shown more of the same type of content they interact with. This keeps reinforcing their beliefs and makes it harder for them to see other perspectives.
That said, I think Dr. Gilbert could have gone deeper into the reasons why some groups are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. She focused a lot on psychological factors, like fear and biases, but did not fully address the cultural and social factors. For example, some marginalized communities might distrust the government or powerful institutions because of historical injustices, like unethical medical experiments or systemic discrimination. For them, conspiracy theories can feel like a way to explain and resist real-world oppression, not just a way to deal with fear or confusion.
Another area that could have been expanded was her discussion of how to counter conspiracy theories. While her focus on empathy was refreshing, it might not work for deep-rooted beliefs tied to identity or ideology. For example, some people tie their sense of self to conspiracy theories, making it much harder to change their minds. She did not fully address how to approach these more extreme cases.
Overall, Dr. Gilberts presentation was insightful and persuasive, offering a clear understanding of why people believe in conspiracy theories and how we can address them. Her points about fear, cognitive biases, and the role of social media were well-explained and backed by real-world examples. I definitely agree with a lot of her main points, however, I do think there were certain spots lacking. It did definitely leave me with a better appreciation for how complex and deeply human conspiracy theories can be.
Name of Presenter/Organizer/Institution: Dr. Bert Drake, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Title of Presentation/Talk/Event: Making Sense of Climate Change 1: The History and Physical Science of Global Warming
Name of Series (if this is part of a longer series): Making Sense of Climate Change
URL of Online Presentation/Lecture OR Production Company of Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeaMiMjvYrw
Dr. Bert Drake explains the science behind climate change and how we got to where we are today. He starts with the discovery of the greenhouse effect, highlighting how scientists like Joseph Fourier realized almost 200 years ago that the Earth's atmosphere traps heat, keeping the planet warm. Over time, researchers figured out that gases like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) play key roles in this process.
Dr. Drake then focuses on how human activities, like burning fossil fuels and cutting down forests, have dramatically increased CO2 levels since the Industrial Revolution. This increase strengthens the greenhouse effect, making the Earth warmer. He uses clear data to show how CO2 levels and global temperatures have risen together over time.
Dr. Drake also tackles some common misunderstandings about climate change, like the idea that it is just part of natural cycles. He explains that while the Earth's climate has changed naturally in the past, the rapid warming we are seeing now is directly linked to human activities. He emphasizes that nearly all climate scientists agree on this, which is important for understanding the seriousness of the problem.
Dr. Drake's presentation makes a very convincing case about the science and history of climate change. He makes a lot of great points and starts by explaining the greenhouse effect in simple terms and backs it up with evidence that shows how the Earth's atmosphere traps heat. This idea is not new, and the way he ties it to the work of early scientists like Joseph Fourier helps make it clear that this is a long-established scientific concept, not something recently invented. It is easy to follow how greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide are essential to regulating the Earth's temperature, but how too much of these gases can lead to dangerous warming.
One of the strongest parts of the presentation is how Dr. Drake connects the Industrial Revolution to the rise in CO2 levels. By showing data that tracks CO2 concentrations climbing from about 280 parts per million (ppm) before the Industrial Revolution to over 400 ppm today, he makes it hard to ignore the link between human activity, like burning fossil fuels, and global warming. He also demonstrates how this rise in CO2 aligns closely with the increase in global temperatures and other climate change-related effects over the same period. This kind of evidence is clear, powerful, and factual, making his argument convincing.
I also appreciated how he addressed a common misconception, which is that climate change might just be part of natural cycles. Dr. Drake explains that while the Earth's climate has naturally changed in the past, those changes happened over thousands or even millions of years. In contrast, the rapid warming we