Throughout our existence, humans have dipped our proverbial toes into the how and the why of our thoughts and actions. But as curious as we are, there is still a wide gap in our understanding of what is fact and what is fictitious. To discover how to thwart misinformation and move closer to understanding our psyches, Positive Psychology Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with a scientist and a philosopher about their thoughts and perspectives regarding the capabilities and limitations of the human mind. Climate Scientist John Cook designed a cartoon and game based on a ‘Cranky Uncle’ amalgam to teach our minds how to have conversations with people who think differently than we do. Simon Critchley shares philosophical takeaways from his book, Bald: 35 Philosophical Short Cuts, and what he thinks humans gained and lost during the pandemic, philosophically speaking.

About Lisa’s guests:

John Cook Ph.D. is a post-doctoral research fellow at the Climate Change Communication Research Hub at Monash University. He obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Western Australia, studying the cognitive psychology of climate science denial. His research focus is on understanding and countering misinformation about climate change.

Simon Critchley is the Hans Jonas Professor of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research and the moderator of the New York Times’ Stone column. He is the author or editor of many books, including the recent book, Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us; a novella, Memory Theatre; a book-length essay, Notes on Suicide; and studies of David Bowie and association football.

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