Lisa Bortolotti

On 10th August Why Delusions Matter is out in paperback! One of the key ideas of the book is that we should avoid thinking of beliefs that we find irrational as a sign of a pathology. In the last few days, two open-access papers have been published where I capture some aspects of this idea. In one paper,  Is it pathological to believe conspiracy theories? , I ask how we decide that some ways of thinking about the world are pathological. Either those ways are considered to be harmful or the output of a malfunctioning mechanism. But in the case of conspiracy beliefs, harmfulness is hard to ascertain, and beliefs that are harmful in some ways can also bring benefits.  For instance, the belief that a vaccine is unsafe and is promoted by health authorities to benefit the pharmaceutical company who produced it may lead someone not to take advantage of the vaccine. As a result, the person is left unprotected against a serious disease. But conspiracy theories also aim to respond to e...

On 25th November in Geneva I will be speaking at Emotions, arguing that curiosity and empathy help us develop relationships that bring positive change to our lives. The meeting was supposed to be held in February 2022 but has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A brief explanation of my interest in curiosity and empathy (in Italian) can be found in this video . What is Emotions ? "Reversing the stereotype of women ruled by their emotions and incapable of rationality, the Emotions Itinerant BrainForum has invited brilliant scientists from the most prestigious international universities and institutions to analyse the emotions, considering all their biochemical, genetic, epigenetic, psychological and neurological aspects. And to discuss the fundamental role of women’s emotional expertise in inclusion, empathy, preservation, sustainability, for solving the challenges of the Third Millennium – from migration to global heating to exploitation of resources and the difficult et...