Sunday Feb. 1. at 10:00 at One Roof’s Central Hillside Community Center at 12 East 4th Street in Duluth (coffee / chat at 9:30). Zoom link

Why people believe what they do without evidence.

One of my interests concerns the question: “Why do people believe weird things?” Debunking extraordinary/supernatural claims about the human past (Ancient Aliens, Mormon claims of Native American history, hyper diffusion) is often easy and boring. I’d like to learn why people are drawn to those claims and how they maintain those beliefs in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary or a lack of supporting evidence. This is related to logical fallacies such as red herrings, call to authority, ad hominem arguments and the like. Many people are socialized into relying on faith based knowledge (received vs observed) and an often undeserved respect for authority (Clergy).

David has spent the past 30 years working in the fields of public history, historic preservation, museology, and archaeology in both the public and private realms. He has conducted research abroad in Ireland, Ghana, Jamaica, Poland, Guatemala, Mexico and domestically in the Midwest. David also holds appointments in African and African American Studies. He currently serves as the Director of the Museum Studies Certificate Program and is a senior lecturer in the History Department. His research interests include: Oral History, Folklore and Folk Culture, Legacies of Slavery in the Atlantic world, Native American and European contact period in the U.S., Landscape Archaeology, Material Culture studies, and cultural/historical interpretation.