By J. ANDERSON THOMSON
Added: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 UTC

Download Quicktime Version (63.1 MB, 1:15:47)

J. Anderson Thomson gave this lecture at the Washington & Lee Law School on October 15, 2008. Q&A follows the lecture. This is the first attempt at a future video production which we are working on, and we welcome your comments or criticisms below.

UPDATE:
To clarify, this video is just a low-fi capture from the school (that's why it's such a wide shot, and you can't see the slides). We are hoping to create a high-quality video program with similar content, about how religion hijacks cognitive mechanisms in the brain which were 'designed' by natural selection for other purposes. Which parts do you find most interesting? Which need work, or should be cut? The idea is to show that humans are vulnerable to religious ideas, but they don't NEED religion. It's an attempt to answer the question: "Why is religion seemingly everywhere?" - Josh

UPDATE: From Andy

To those who waded through the fixed camera, hard to read slides and maiden voyage of a new presentation, thank you very, very much.

I have read all the posts and learned. Yes, it was disjointed, my speed is too slow with too many "ok's," and it needs to be tightened up.

I will rethink presenting the Sapolsky material on desert vs rainforest religion and research the music as by-product idea.

We are trying to prepare a possible video that will convey the ideas to any interested listener, especially a curious teenager or young adult.

Again, many thanks. Andy Thomson.

TAGGED: PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY, SPEECHES