Welcome, Aspiring Rationalists!

(This statement is borrowed from the blog on which this group is based http://www.overcomingbias.com/welcome.html)

How can we obtain beliefs closer to reality?

Over the last several decades, new research has changed science's picture of how we succeed or fail to seek the truth. The heuristics and biases program, in cognitive psychology, has exposed dozens of major flaws in human reasoning. Microeconomics, through the power of statistics, has shown that many facets of society don't work the way we thought.

Overcoming Bias aims to bring the implications home. We want to avoid, or at least minimize, the startling systematic mistakes that science is discovering. If we know the common patterns of error or self-deception, maybe we can work around them ourselves, or build social structures for smarter groups. We know we aren't perfect, and can't be perfect, but trying is better than not trying.

Look at the polls to vote on the logistics of our meetings, discuss how you think the group should be run and coordinate carpools on the message board.