Markets and Monkeys

Interview: Dr. Michael Shermer

"Watch out for gorillas!" 
"Don't trade with strangers." 
"Buy this now!" 

Our brains are constantly bombarded with messages about how to behave, what to buy, and whom to trust.  How do we parse these messages, and how do our choices affect the world economy?  

This week on Skepticality, Derek & Swoopy discuss how economic and evolutionary theory speak the same language, and how our hardwired human biology affects modern economics, with Skeptic Society founder Dr. Michael Shermer author of The Mind of the Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans and Other Tales from Evolutionary Economics.

Show Notes

Date - January 22nd, 2008, Read by Derek.
"it's the economy, stupid!" was coined by Clinton strategist James Carville in 1992.
Don't listen to the magic 8 ball.
The economy ranks first on the mind of 2008 voters.
Dr. Michael Shermer's new book is The Mind of the Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans, and Other Tales from Evolutionary Economics.
Shermer's book tour is touting sell out crowds.
9/11 Truth group has been badgering Michael at his talks.
Skeptic magazine and Dr. Shermer have completely covered 9/11 conspiracies.
And the 911blogger.com encouraged it's members to harass Dr. Shermer on tour.
The 9/11 conspiracies are mostly about Building 7.
The fracas at Powell's books in Portland, Ore is on YouTube.
The first book by economist Adam Smith was The Theory of Moral Sentiments.
Studies show that our financial choices are based on emotion, not reason.
Marketing goes a long way toward supporting those emotional choices.
Neuroeconomics utilize fMRI to study how the brain responds to choices.
Despite appearances we are statistically more successful as a society than ever before.
The number of world wide democracies is up from 40 in 1972 to 121 in 2008.
Evil corporations are widely publicized but rare.
Wal-Mart stirs emotions among the public.
Evolution favors monogamy. Darn.
Shermer makes no bones about being a Libertarian.
Third party candidates don't yet get a seat at the presidential table.
Even political parties have evolved.
Both parties have moved towards the middle.
What about checks and balances?
Michael hopes that liberals will consider free market economies, and conservatives will accept evolution.
The next issue of Skeptic will feature Global Warming.
You can find out more about Dr. Michael Shermer at his new website.
Skepticality outro.