Will Storr

Why are stories so persuasive? Well, stories are persuasive because humans think in stories. Our brains remix reality and turn that reality into a narrative with ourselves at the center. So storytelling is sense-making for the human brain. We haven't evolved to think in data, algorithm. We've evolved to process reality in the form of stories. A story is always going to be

Why are stories so persuasive? Well, stories are persuasive because humans think in stories. Our brains remix reality and turn that reality into a narrative with ourselves at the center. So storytelling is sense-making for the human brain. We haven't evolved to think in data, algorithm. We've evolved to process reality in the form of stories. A story is always going to be

Why are stories so persuasive? Well, stories are persuasive because humans think in stories. Our brains remix reality and turn that reality into a narrative with ourselves at the center. So storytelling is sense-making for the human brain. We haven't evolved to think in data, algorithm. We've evolved to process reality in the form of stories. A story is always going to be

the most persuasive, you know, technology out there. Story's also always going to be the thing that persuades people most of all.

the most persuasive, you know, technology out there. Story's also always going to be the thing that persuades people most of all.

the most persuasive, you know, technology out there. Story's also always going to be the thing that persuades people most of all.

Absolutely. And I think there's a huge naivety out there that, you know, especially in, you know, what you might call our world of, you know, we like to think of ourselves as rational people, atheistic people, people who are interested in data and science. And amongst our people, there's a very naive idea that we are the ones who are led by data. I mean,

Absolutely. And I think there's a huge naivety out there that, you know, especially in, you know, what you might call our world of, you know, we like to think of ourselves as rational people, atheistic people, people who are interested in data and science. And amongst our people, there's a very naive idea that we are the ones who are led by data. I mean,

Absolutely. And I think there's a huge naivety out there that, you know, especially in, you know, what you might call our world of, you know, we like to think of ourselves as rational people, atheistic people, people who are interested in data and science. And amongst our people, there's a very naive idea that we are the ones who are led by data. I mean,

I remember earlier in my career as a journalist interviewing a famous skeptic, Stephen Novella, who used to present a podcast called The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe. And he very confidently told me that skeptics were kind of immune to irrationality because they were kind of tuned to be, you know, automatically skeptical about crazy beliefs.

I remember earlier in my career as a journalist interviewing a famous skeptic, Stephen Novella, who used to present a podcast called The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe. And he very confidently told me that skeptics were kind of immune to irrationality because they were kind of tuned to be, you know, automatically skeptical about crazy beliefs.

I remember earlier in my career as a journalist interviewing a famous skeptic, Stephen Novella, who used to present a podcast called The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe. And he very confidently told me that skeptics were kind of immune to irrationality because they were kind of tuned to be, you know, automatically skeptical about crazy beliefs.

I just think that's sort of deeply naive, you know, like what you'll find, especially, you know, you see all the time in the era of social media is that, you know, even, you scientists, you know, not even scientists as much as anybody else, they start with the story and then they find the data to back up their story.

I just think that's sort of deeply naive, you know, like what you'll find, especially, you know, you see all the time in the era of social media is that, you know, even, you scientists, you know, not even scientists as much as anybody else, they start with the story and then they find the data to back up their story.

I just think that's sort of deeply naive, you know, like what you'll find, especially, you know, you see all the time in the era of social media is that, you know, even, you scientists, you know, not even scientists as much as anybody else, they start with the story and then they find the data to back up their story.

So you can find, you know, academics who know way more than you or I, both of us put together about human biology who believe in that kind of woke idea of biology, gender biology, and why are men better than women at certain things? They could find all the data in the world to tell you that that's not true, even though we believe that it is true. So you can take something like Jordan Peterson,

So you can find, you know, academics who know way more than you or I, both of us put together about human biology who believe in that kind of woke idea of biology, gender biology, and why are men better than women at certain things? They could find all the data in the world to tell you that that's not true, even though we believe that it is true. So you can take something like Jordan Peterson,

So you can find, you know, academics who know way more than you or I, both of us put together about human biology who believe in that kind of woke idea of biology, gender biology, and why are men better than women at certain things? They could find all the data in the world to tell you that that's not true, even though we believe that it is true. So you can take something like Jordan Peterson,

on the one hand, and Adam Rutherford, on the other hand, two very smart men, two very opinionated men, two men who I respect, you know, equally, I would say, but two men who are very angry and very lost in the story. They're both lost in the story. So, you know, I love Adam and I love Jordan. I can never imagine being in the same room together.

on the one hand, and Adam Rutherford, on the other hand, two very smart men, two very opinionated men, two men who I respect, you know, equally, I would say, but two men who are very angry and very lost in the story. They're both lost in the story. So, you know, I love Adam and I love Jordan. I can never imagine being in the same room together.