Robert Trivers: The Folly of Fools

Inquiry welcomes ROBERT TRIVERS, a Professor of Anthropology and Biological Sciences at Rutgers University. His new far ranging and fascinating book is THE FOLLY OF FOOLS: THE LOGIC OF DECEIT AND SELF DECEPTION IN HUMAN LIFE. Professor Trivers takes a uniquely evolutionary approach to what may seem to the layperson as a psychological or sociological state: self-deception. Tonight, Professor Trivers describes some  non-human examples of deception. He also touches on a few of the numerous examples of deception and self-deception that occur in human love and sex relationships. Finally, as an example of self-deception on the social and corporate level, Trivers discusses the ingrained blindness of NASA that led to the Challenger and Columbia disasters.