Naive optimism

Forthcoming: Psychology’s optimistic bias and the undermining of science

Continuing my extremely gradual world lecture tour, I’ve been invited to speak at University College Cork next Monday evening, by the university’s honorable Psychology Society. Way hay! Everyone loves Cork. (For the benefit of people outside Ireland, Cork is a large-ish town to the south of the country. Nobody ever leaves.) […]

Obligatory Halloween tie-in: Ghost spotted at football match actually a man

Here’s a famous football quote (out of the mouth of Satan himself): “Football, eh? Bloody hell!” Yes. Football and hell. Inextricably linked. So, it was always but a matter of time before intrepid photojournalists would capture occult goings-on at a football game. But not just any old kickabout. No, the […]

Cancer: Misinformation is a risk factor too

People who know me personally will know that I don’t take cancer lightly (for various reasons I won’t go into here). So I am always a bit reluctant to criticize people who make the fight against cancer their life’s mission. After all, there are easier jobs. But cancer is not just […]

Personality goes a long way…toward making you sick

This is dangerously close to “day job” territory, but yesterday evening I was on the wireless talking about the relationship between psychological traits and physical health. This was part of the excellent Futureproof show on Newstalk 106-108 fm, hosted by the also-excellent Jonathan McCrea (and produced by the just-as-excellent Shaun […]