Paul Slovic discusses human perception towards mass tragedies and losses at scale.

We as a global society value individual lives greatly and respond strongly to protect a single

Paul Slovic discusses human perception towards mass tragedies and losses at scale.

We as a global society value individual lives greatly and respond strongly to protect a single person in need, but often ignore mass tragedies and fail to take appropriate measures to reduce their losses. As the numbers grow larger, we become insensitive; the data fail to trigger the emotion or feeling necessary to motivate action. In some cases, large numbers convey a false sense of inefficacy, discouraging us from taking valuable actions. Understanding how our minds deceive us in the face of large losses of life is essential to motivating actions needed to reduce the harm from catastrophic consequences such as those associated with poverty, disease, climate disasters, and violence.

Paul Slovic received his B.A. degree from Stanford University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in psychology from the University of Michigan. In 1976, Dr. Slovic founded the research institute Decision Research with Sarah Lichtenstein and Baruch Fischhoff, where he currently serves as President. He has also been a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon since 1986. He and his colleagues worldwide have developed methods to describe risk perceptions and measure their impacts on individuals, industry, and society. His most recent work examines “psychic numbing” and the failure to respond to global threats from genocide and nuclear war. He publishes extensively and serves as a consultant to industry and government.

Dr. Slovic is a past President of the Society for Risk Analysis and in 1991 received its Distinguished Contribution Award. In 1993 he received the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association. In 1995 he received the Outstanding Contribution to Science Award from the Oregon Academy of Science. He has received honorary doctorates from the Stockholm School of Economics (1996) and the University of East Anglia (2005). Dr. Slovic was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2015 and the National Academy of Sciences in 2016.

Moderated by Ozgen Dundar.

The Butterfly Effect with Catharine MacKinnon

Equality seakers spread your wings! Under the right conditions, small simple actions in a collective context can produce large complex effects

The Butterfly Effect with Catharine MacKinnon

Equality seakers spread your wings! Under the right conditions, small simple actions in a collective context can produce large complex effects and change. Pioneering lawyer and activist for women’s rights Catharine A. MacKinnon argues that seemingly minor interventions in the legal realm can have a butterfly effect that generates major social and cultural transformations.

Watch Catharine MacKinnon, lawyer and activist, in our latest RSA Spotlight - the edits which take you straight to the heart of the event! Loved this snippet? Watch the full talk here. 

Substantive Equalty, Multidimensional Political Thinking, Principled Creativity, Inspired Intervention, Open debates on strategy, old and new forms of organizing. 

Catharine A. MacKinnon is the Elizabeth A. Long Professor of Law at Michigan Law and the long-term James Barr Ames Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She holds a BA from Smith College, a JD from Yale Law School, and a PhD in political science from Yale. She specializes in sex equality issues under international and domestic (including comparative, criminal, and constitutional) law. 

Published on Sep 9, 2016

North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple has activated the National Guard ahead of today’s ruling on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s lawsuit against the

Published on Sep 9, 2016

North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple has activated the National Guard ahead of today’s ruling on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s lawsuit against the U.S. government over the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg is set to rule today on an injunction in a lawsuit challenging the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to issue permits for the pipeline, arguing it violates the National Historic Preservation Act. This comes as over 1,000 people representing more than 100 Native American tribes are gathered along the Cannonball River by the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation to resist the pipeline’s construction. It’s been described as the largest unification of Native American tribes in decades. We go to North Dakota for an update from Tara Houska, national campaigns director for Honor the Earth.

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