Jonah Lehrer

Is ignorance democracy's bliss? Can we be rational in our election decisions? Probably not, says Jonah Lehrer. Whether this is our first time voting or our tenth, we each want to believe that we are making rational, well-informed decisions. But how can we? We are bombarded by 30-second emotional ads that direct our attention but in many cases have nothing to do with the issues. We all bring emotional bias to the voting booth, but how do we put that aside and look to vote based on the facts? In this talk, Jonah Lehrer, author of the bestseller How We Decide, outlines the many factors that go into the important decision of who we vote for this November. The more rational we try to be, says Lehrer, the farther we stray from rational decision making. How do we side-step the manipulation of political ad directors and vote our future? And what do first-time voters need to know before beginning their careers as informed citizens? Equal parts science, politics, and psychology, Lehrer helps students understand what makes voters tick, and helps make new voters savvy, informed, and entertained.