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Calling bullshit : the art of skepticism in a data-driven world / by Bergstrom, Carl T.,author.; West, Jevin D.(Jevin Darwin),1977-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."The world is awash in bullshit, and we're drowning in it. Politicians are unconstrained by facts. Science is conducted by press release. Startup culture elevates bullshit to high art. These days, calling bullshit is a noble act. Based on Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West's popular course at the University of Washington, Calling Bullshit is a modern handbook to the art of skepticism. Bergstrom, a computational biologist, and West, an information scientist, catalogue bullshit in its many forms, explaining and offering readers the tools to see through the obfuscations, deliberate and careless, that dominate every realm of our lives. They instruct readers to ask: Who is saying it? How do they know? What do they have to gain by persuading me? Are the numbers or results too good or too dramatic to be true? Is the claim comparing like with like or apples and oranges? Is it confirming your personal bias? In this lively guide to everything from misleading statistics to "fake news," Bergstrom and West help you recognize bullshit whenever and wherever you encounter it--in data, in conversation, even within yourself--and explain it to your crystal-loving aunt or casually racist uncle. Now more than ever, calling bullshit is crucial to a properly functioning community, whether it be a circle of friends, a network of academics, or the citizenry of a nation"--
Subjects: Skepticism.;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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Meditation for fidgety skeptics : a 10% happier how-to book / by Harris, Dan,1971-author.;
Subjects: Happiness.; Meditation;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Meditation for fidgety skeptics [sound recording] : a 10% happier how-to book / by Harris, Dan,1971-author,narrator.; Warren, Jeff,author,narrator.; Adler, Carlye,author.; Random House Audio Publishing,publisher.; Books on Tape, Inc.,publisher.;
Read by Dan Harris and Jeff Warren.
Subjects: Audiobooks.; Happiness.; Meditation;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The skeptics' guide to the future : what yesterday's science and science fiction tell us about the world of tomorrow / by Novella, Steven,author.; Novella, Bob,author.; Novella, Jay,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Our predictions of the future are a wild fantasy, inextricably linked to our present hopes and fears, biases and ignorance. Whether they be the outlandish leaps predicted in the 1920s, like multi-purpose utility belts with climate control capabilities and planes the size of luxury cruise ships, or the forecasts of the '60s, which didn't anticipate the sexual revolution or women's liberation, the path to the present is littered with failed predictions and incorrect estimations. The best we can do is try to absorb the lessons from futurism's checkered past, perhaps learning to do a little better. In THE SKEPTICS' GUIDE TO THE FUTURE, Steven Novella and his co-authors build upon the work of futurists of the past by examining what they got right, what they got wrong, and how they came to those conclusions. By exploring the pitfalls of each era, they give their own speculations about the distant future, transformed by unbelievable technology ranging from genetic manipulation to artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Applying their trademark skepticism, they carefully extrapolate upon each scientific development, leaving no stone unturned as they lay out a vision for the future"--
Subjects: Science; Science.; Technological forecasting.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The believer : encounters with the beginning, the end, and our place in the middle / by Krasnostein, Sarah,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."For Sarah Krasnostein, it begins with a Mennonite choir performing on a subway platform, a fleeting moment of witness that sets her on a fascinating journey to discover why people need to believe in absolute truths and what happens when their beliefs crash into her own. Some of the people Krasnostein interviews believe in things many people do not: ghosts, UFOs, the literal creation of the universe in six days. Some believe in things most people would like to: dying with dignity and autonomy; facing up to our transgressions with truthfulness; living with integrity and compassion. By turns devastating and uplifting, and captured in snapshot-vivid detail, these six profiles of a death doula, a geologist who believes the world is six thousand years old, a lecturer in neurobiology who spends his weekends ghost hunting, the fiancée of a disappeared pilot and UFO enthusiasts, a woman incarcerated for killing her husband after suffering years of domestic violence, and Mennonite families in New York will leave you convinced that the most ordinary-seeming people are often the most remarkable and that deep and abiding commonalities can be found within the greatest differences. Vivid, unconventional, entertaining, and full of wonder, The Believer interweaves these stories with compassion and empathy, culminating in an unforgettable tour of the human condition that cuts to the core of who we are as people, and what we're doing on this earth"--
Subjects: Belief and doubt.; Credulity.; Faith.; Skepticism.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Question authority : a polemic about trust in five meditations / by Kingwell, Mark,1963-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Philosopher Mark Kingwell thinks about thinking for yourself in an era of radical know-it-all-ism. "Question authority," the popular 1960s slogan commanded. "Think for yourself." But what started as a counter-cultural catchphrase, playful in logic but serious in intent, has become a practical paradox. Yesterday's social critics are the tone-policing tyrants of today, and critical theory that once augured emancipation has hardened into ideological enforcement. The resulting crisis of authority, made worse by rival political factions and chaotic public discourse, has exposed cracks in every facet of shared social life. Politics, academia, journalism, medicine, religion, science -- every kind of institutional claim is now routinely subject to objection, investigation, and outright disbelief. A recurring feature of this comprehensive distrust of authority is the firm, indeed unshakeable, belief in personal righteousness and superiority: what Mark Kingwell calls "addiction to conviction." In this critical survey of the predicament of contemporary authority, Kingwell draws on philosophical argument, personal reflection, and details from the headlines in an attempt to reclaim the democratic spirit of questioning authority and thinking for oneself. Defending a program of compassionate skepticism, Kingwell illuminates the connection between humility about human limits, including the limits of certainty, and the infinite project of justice."--
Subjects: Authority; Authority; Critical thinking.; Skepticism.; Trust;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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Groundhog gets a say / by Swallow, Pamela Curtis.; Brunkus, Denise.;
Two groundhogs describe their various characteristics to a skeptical squirrel and crow. Text includes various facts about groundhogs."Ages 5 up"--P. [4] of cover.LSC
Subjects: Woodchuck; Squirrels; Crows;
© 2007, c2005., Puffin Books,
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition. by N., Daniel,actor.; The Great Courses (Firm),dst; Kanopy (Firm),dst;
Daniel N. RobinsonOriginally produced by The Great Courses in 2004.When Berkeley reacted to Locke with an extravagant critique of materialism, he unwittingly reinforced claims of skeptics he meant to defeat.Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subjects: Education films.; Social sciences.; Philosophy and religion.; History, Ancient.; Instructional films.;
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Finding Bigfoot : everything you need to know / by Brockenbrough, Martha.; Animal Planet (Television network);
Includes bibliographical references (p. 142-144) and index.Presents information about Bigfoot, covering details about sightings and evidence for the existence of the controversial animal, as well viewpoints of skeptics and scientists on the subject.LSC
Subjects: Sasquatch;
© 2013., Feiwel and Friends,
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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I, Robot [videorecording (BLURAY)]. by Smith, Will; Greenwood, Bruce; Mcbride, Chi;
Will Smith, Bruce Greenwood, Chi Mcbride.In the year 2035, robots are a trusted part of life. That trust is broken when a scientist is found dead, and a skeptical detective believes that a robot is responsible. Will technology ultimately lead to mankind's salvation or annihilation?CHVRS rating: PG.Blu-ray.
Subjects: Sci-Fi.; Action / Adventure.; Sci-Fi.;
© 2008., 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment,
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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