The Skeptics Society & Skeptic magazine

INSIDE SKEPTIC

in this issue

• our human superpowers
• philosophy of the mind
• fooling ourselves
• the unconscious; thinking we do not notice
• uncomfortable inconsistencies
• when prophecies fail
• a modern doomsday group
• doubt and denial
• dissonance theory put to the test
• dissonance confirmed
• forming and defening beliefs

By Daniel Loxton. This issue’s cover by Daniel Loxton features modelling by Sylvie Gordaneer.

from the Introduction

Hello!

We’ve investigated some very weird mysteries in the pages of Junior Skeptic. Today we’ll delve into the deepest, strangest mystery of them all: what’s happening inside our own brains! There are smart people today who believe that the Earth is flat, that they’ve been kidnapped by space aliens, or even that the deadly coronavirus pandemic is a hoax. How is it that so many people believe things that aren’t true, despite strong evidence that they’re wrong? Well, how is it that any of us decide what is true, or which sources to trust? How do our brains sometimes fool us into justifying our silliest beliefs and most hurtful behaviour? Let’s find out!