May 2024
NCAS
Public Lecture Series
The
Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
Zelda Gilbert,
PhD
Professor Emerita of Psychology, Woodbury University
Saturday, May 4, 1:30pm US/Eastern
(UTC-04:00)
Central Library
Barbara M. Donnellan Auditorium
1015 North Quincy Street
Arlington, VA [
map] [
directions]
(Virginia Square-GMU Metro station)
FREE admission – Everyone welcome, members and non-members
Also a YouTube Live
Event with Q and A
NCASVideo YouTube Channel:
Dr.
Gilbert will discuss how the tools of modern psychology
can be used to explore the prevalence, motivations, and
content of historical and contemporary conspiracy
theories. This will include conspiracy theories concerning
such things as Lincoln's assassination, chemtrails, the
destruction of the battleship Maine, election fraud, and
space lasers from orbit. Concepts such as existential,
epistemic and socio-psychological motivations will be
defined and applied to various theories, providing the
audience with the tools to do their own analyses.
Finally,
audience members will be invited to create and evaluate
their own conspiracy theories.
Zelda Gilbert is
a retired professor of psychology with over 40 years
experience in higher education. She currently lectures on
political psychology, conspiracy theories, and other
topics, mostly for the continuing education Silver Frogs
program at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. She
completed a doctorate in counseling psychology at the
University of Kentucky and studied political psychology at
UCLA.
Refreshments will be
available.
https://www.ncas.org/2024/04/the-psychology-of-conspiracy-theories.html
Eldritch Investigations and a Discount for NCAS
"Cults and cryptids
collide when a curious Washingtonian investigates
local unexplained phenomena. Explore the lure of
the unknown and its entanglement with DC history in
this multi-chapter adventure across the city."
At the start of the pandemic, the local Rorschach
Theatre company created a unique theatrical
experience that extended over the course of 9-10
months. It was originally a way for the show to go
on when the pandemic shut down stage performances,
but it has been so successful that they've continued
into their 4th year with an all-new story in
December 2023.
Rorschach often incorporates elements of fantasy,
horror, and/or supernatural. This season, the
Eldritch Investigations project involves themes
particularly close to NCAS. The company has extended
a 20% discount to NCAS members.
Subscribers receive a monthly box or envelope with
maps, directions to locales around DC, and other
artifacts such as postcards, telegrams, and various
trinkets that help unfold a story over the course of
9-10 months. You investigate these locations at your
own pace, on your own time. They also provide online
videos for those who can't visit in person.
The adventure has
already begun, so new subscribers will receive all
previous chapters in the first shipment.
For the discount, use code NCAS when subscribing here:
https://rorschachtheatre.com/23-24-psychogeographies-project/
Sounds a bit like an expanded version of our NCAS
Skeptours!
May Bay Area Skeptics Lecture
The [San Francisco] Bay Area Skeptics will
host their next online event on Thursday, May 9 at
10 PM ET.
William & Susan Trollinger,
authors of
Righting America at the Creation
Museum (Johns Hopkins University Press,
2016) will provide an update on the activities of
the creationist organization "Answers in
Genesis." This will be livestreamed on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX70mz0Wd-4
Another Video from CSICon 2023
Center for Inquiry
has recently posted "A Life Preserver for Staying
afloat in a Sea of Misinformation" by
Melanie Trecek-King, an
associate professor of biology at Massasoit
Community College, where she teaches a
general-education science course designed to equip
students with empowering critical thinking,
information literacy, and science literacy skills:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkGsxtbetts
