Preview
  • Scienceblind

  • Why Our Intuitive Theories About the World Are So Often Wrong
  • By: Andrew Shtulman
  • Narrated by: Barry Abrams
  • Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (42 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Scienceblind

By: Andrew Shtulman
Narrated by: Barry Abrams
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.47

Buy for $15.47

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Humans are born to create theories about the world - unfortunately, they're usually wrong, and keep us from understanding the world as it really is. Why do we catch colds? What causes seasons to change? And if you fire a bullet from a gun and drop one from your hand, which bullet hits the ground first? In a pinch, we almost always get these questions wrong. Worse, we regularly misconstrue fundamental qualities of the world around us.

In Scienceblind, cognitive and developmental psychologist Andrew Shtulman shows that the root of our misconceptions lies in the theories about the world we develop as children. They're not only wrong, they close our minds to ideas inconsistent with them, making us unable to learn science later in life. So how do we get the world right? We must dismantle our intuitive theories and rebuild our knowledge from its foundations. The reward won't just be a truer picture of the world, but clearer solutions to many controversies - around vaccines, climate change, or evolution - that plague our politics today.

©2017 Andrew Shtulman (P)2017 Tantor
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"[A] fascinating, empathetic book.... Mr. Shtulman distills some useful ways to improve science education in the classroom and for the adult public." ( Wall Street Journal)

What listeners say about Scienceblind

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    15
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    15
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    4

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I still don't see why ADULTS blind themselves to reality

(As posted on GoodReads)
(I apparently took a hiatus from the end of October until early December. Time to get back to it…)
This book was totally different than what I expected. Chapters 1 through 10 seemed more like an introduction to the actual meat of the argument/book, and chapter 12 gave the best discussion of evolution that I have ever seen thus far. In the conclusion of the book, the "science blindness" was actually pointed out from the beginning, but some of the assumed conclusions from the first part really need a bit more emphasis!
Overall, I think it was a pretty good book, but it could've been better; and as I say, chapter 12 was excellent, and that alone made the whole book worthwhile! But I still don't know why individuals, ADULT individuals, STILL make themselves blind to reality!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

one interesting detail between the screeds

I'll save you some time the one insight from this book is that our childlike intuitive models are not completely over written by what we learn later as scientific theory. otherwise this book uses rhetorical buzzwords such as anti and denier while only sighting the scientific skepticism of his ideological opponents.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

A bit too simple

If you are curious about science, this is a very interesting book. If your science level is anything above 7th grade... Then this is just boring.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful