Steven Pinker - Rationality: What it is, why it seems scarce, why it matters

[@ubscenter]

We thank Steven Pinker for his presentation and regret the technical problems. The lecture starts at 11:50

[@Life_42]

Thank you.

[@mimimotor]

Incompetent support staff is endemic in universities too.

[@andrewoakeshott7759]

as a graduate of this uni and someone present for the talk, this was a disgraceful spectacle to watch. The lack of proper tech support was one thing (I cannot believe they did not have a replacement remote on hand or swapped the batteries), but the fact that following this, whoever the uni or UBS had employed to handle tech was not even capable of following Mr. Pinker's simple hand gestures for switching slides made the whole matter even worse. Truly embarrassing. That said, the man handled himself rather well, given the difficult circumstances. He is no doubt a very capable and eloquent speaker.

[@ubscenter]

Dear Andrew, thank you very much for your feedback. We understand your disappointment. We also very much regret that we were unable to provide Mr. Pinker with the infrastructure he deserves. We can reassure you, we apologized sincerely to Mr. Pinker. We would also like to take this opportunity to apologize to our audience, who are used to a better delivery from us. Although we plan the lectures in detail and conduct preliminary test runs, we are not immune to technical challenges. We know that you have suffered with us and trust in your understanding.

[@andrewoakeshott7759]

Thank you also, especially for making this event happen. I am indeed grateful for that. And mistakes happen, of course, forgive and forget. Though it was still rather embarrassing to witness, that I have to say.

[@maxdetrickster6524]

@@ubscenter Thanks God you aren't in the business of making rockets. Also, the big-ass "UBS Center for Economics in Society" inscription on the lectern doesn't inspire confidence after the recent Credit Suisse debacle. By the way, whoever is in charge of the tech support, should look up the definition of redundancy in the dictionary.

[@rickywinthrop]

Shit happens. It was a fantastic talk regardless the slight shortcomings of the tech.

[@wadetisthammer3612]

11:45 - Starts here 51:37 to 1:00:20 - reform beginning with rational argument (with cool examples).

[@scottming6481]

I really like this book and this lecture. May I ask where I can get the author's slides?

[@seanwebb605]

Why didn't you edit this video before posting it?

[@ubscenter]

Dear Sean, thank you for your question. This video is a live recording, so an edited upload was not produced. We trimmed the beginning and end slightly, leaving the technical issues for context.

[@seanwebb605]

@@ubscenter Technical issues? Do you mean gross incompetence? What exactly is the context? Does that mean further public embarrassment?

[@fallalt-o6l]

@@ubscenter Thanks for making this recording available.

[@fiachraoceallaigh4640]

The Rational thing to do would have been to remove the batteries from Mr Pinkers remote. His remote was intermittingly working causing a double entry. @@ubscenter

[@skepticalbutopen4620]

Excellent lecture by Pinker. The only thing I disagreed with is that he lumped fasting In the category of “quack cures”. There is now a rather large body of evidence on the health benefits of fasting.

[@JuergenAschenbrenner]

Why do I have to think of Pierre Richard?

[@mparento]

Or Simon Rattle.

[@jnauttube]

If you cut out the problems with the remote clicker, this was a 17 minute talk.

[@gordonpepper1400]

Steven Pinker, I think, should realize that the term 'rationality' is something which grows out of literacy, or at the very least is accentuated through a literate society. When literacy disappears, as it obviously is within our electronic, iconic based environment - then, all bets are off. We will continue to see institutions, the legal framework, educational systems, etc., all begin to take an inward turn - cracks in the armour. Pinker needs to take a more rigorous approach in exploring the effects of changes to our communication technologies, and how they are affecting all facets of society.

[@celorfiwyn8193]

So good!

[@sjoerd1239]

If people do not think "the system" is working for them, then they are going to be susceptible to false reasoning. In terms of confidence in the future beyond the short term, the relatively recent awareness of the relatively recent phenomenon of the global nature of man-made crises and limited resources is not taken into account.

[@danremenyi1179]

It is really amazing that the organisers of this event could not get the technology to work properly.

[@Rossell-t9b]

CLEAN ENERGY WILL BECOME CHEAPER WHEN OIL AND GAS ARE EXHAUSTED OR ALMOST EXHAUSTED AND THE PRICE GOES UP.

[@timofeyuvarov1267]

Start watching from min 10

[@Beth-z2e]

August 24, 1980 on Parris Island SC, US I fell from a 3 story balcony and incurred TBI. Specifically nonspecific white matter on my left occipital and a poorly diminished right mastoid. The language instinct has helped me a great deal 🌔🪐💫🥀😅

[@mawalir937]

Rationality tells me If he wrote the book he does not need the slides, though they help. This was more like the speakers who stands on the stage and reads the slide deck.

[@quakers200]

Funny that he starts his lecture on rationality with a malfunctioning equipment that he ascribes to luck. Let's pray that no more issues happen

[@StorytellingHeadshots]

Ugh, I had the same thing happen with the remote slide system at a talk I was giving in Europe. It was intensely annoying and distracting .

[@royolstad8532]

Piniker talks about the real need in academia to return to a less politically tinged environemnt and to more rigorous pursuits in academia. Then he gives this talk, and his illustrations of various rational and logical arguments are all politically tinged. Does academia need to hunker in their insulative bubbles and constantly reinforce the political correctness that is currently destroying the public trust of their institutions?

[@glenrotchin5523]

Dr. Pinker, Should universities allow political activities on campus?

[@fallalt-o6l]

he did a podcast on channel "theories of everything" 4 years ago relating to this topic

[@user-wr4yl7tx3w]

Time magazine is hardly an authority on this. 😄

[@valerieurquhart3133]

As it appears he was reading from his notes, it probably would have been easier just to post his notes.

[@valerieurquhart3133]

which was done, and which I then read.

[@Michael-cb5nm]

Amazing that nobody tested the presentation equipment beforehand. I hope someone got chewed out for that. I also hope it wasn’t deliberate.

[@StorytellingHeadshots]

I had the same thing happen at a talk I gave in Europe. And I had taken the precaution of going early to the venue to check the slides and test the equipment. It was deeply annoying especially since I had taken the time and trouble to test technical factor in advance.

[@sjoerd1239]

I find the breast cancer example, to be problematic and possibly artificial and oversimplified. In particular, it must be assumed that all women are tested for breast cancer. So, exactly what "test" is he talking about (or why does he not say so)? Pinker seems to have used this example over a long period of time.

[@angharadllewellyn2192]

We can send probes to Pluto, but we can't make a clicker work!!!!

[@glenrotchin5523]

You don’t need god to understand the validity of do unto others as you would have them do to you.

[@psycoticmonkey666]

and yet Bertrand Russell said that under no circumstances should you do to other what you'd like them to do to you, because they may not like it...

[@glenrotchin5523]

@@psycoticmonkey666 it’s not a question of like or dislike. It’s a question of right and wrong. Personal preference is not morality.

[@StorytellingHeadshots]

Must be witches that hexed the remote and caused the PowerPoint to become possessed by the devil… thus undermining this otherwise excellent talk. :-) If only he had had his astrological chart analyzed earlier; he could have had the foresight to have worn an anti-hexing crystal that would have exorcized the demons and ensured that the equipment worked like a charm… 😂