The Age of Magical Overthinking
Thursday, 24 Apr 2025 at 6:00 pm – Great Hall, Memorial Union
Annual Goldtrap Lecture & Quentin Johnson Lecture in Linguistics Author and linguist Amanda Montell will explore how modern technology and information exacerbate our inherent cognitive biases, leading to irrational and "magical" thinking when people believe their thoughts can directly influence external events. Montell will argue that our brains' evolutionary shortcuts are causing problems in the digital age, leading to issues like conspiracy theories and unhealthy online behaviors.Montell has authored two bestselling books, Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language, and co-hosts the popular podcast Sounds Like A Cult. Her work has been praised by major publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post. Cultish was named a best book of 2021 by NPR.Originally from Baltimore, she holds a degree in linguistics from NYU. This lecture will be recorded and available for two weeks on the Available Recordings page approximately 24-36 hours after the conclusion of the event.Annual Goldtrap Lecture & Quentin Johnson Lecture in Linguistics Author and linguist Amanda Montell will explore how modern technology and information exacerbate our inherent cognitive biases, leading to irrational and "magical" thinking when people believe their thoughts can directly influence external events. Montell will argue that our brains' evolutionary shortcuts are causing problems in the digital age, leading to issues like conspiracy theories and unhealthy online behaviors.Montell has authored two bestselling books, Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language, and co-hosts the popular podcast Sounds Like A Cult. Her work has been praised by major publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post. Cultish was named a best book of 2021 by NPR.Originally from Baltimore, she holds a degree in linguistics from NYU. This lecture will be recorded and available for two weeks on the Available Recordings page approximately 24-36 hours after the conclusion of the event.
Stay for the entire event, including the brief question-and-answer session that follows the formal presentation. Most events run 75 minutes.
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Lecture Etiquette
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