Nichola Raihani giving her talk entitled "Believing the unbelievable: the science of paranoia and conspiracy thinking", on the Mind and Body Stage at New Scientist Live 2022
Paranoia is the most common presenting symptom of psychosis, a mental disorder where people lose their grip on reality and may come to hold convoluted (and often bizarre) delusional beliefs. Paranoia also plays a central role in the formation of conspiracy theories: perceptions that powerful groups are coordinating to harm others. Because of its link to mental illness, paranoia is often viewed as a cognitive malfunction: something that should be treated and, ideally, eradicated. But is this really the best way to understand paranoid beliefs? Join Nichola Raihani as she presents an evolutionary perspective to illuminate the logic – and even the benefits – of paranoia, and show how our status as intensely social and tribal creatures can lead us to believe the unbelievable. ichola Raihani studies the evolution of social behaviour, a fascination that has taken her from the Kalahari Desert to the Australian outback and the coral reefs of far north Queensland. She is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Professor in Evolution and Behaviour at UCL. Originally trained as an evolutionary biologist, Nichola now works in the Department of Experimental Psychology, where her research explores the intricacies of social behaviour in humans.
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Location: ExCeL London, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
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