Religion is unique to humans (as far as we can tell), and universal across cultures. But at the same time, religion clearly isn’t for everyone. How did our species evolve to have religion, and why are so many abandoning it? In this talk, I’ll showcase some of my lab’s work over the years on atheism – how atheists are perceived globally, how stigmatization of atheism distorts our scientific theories, and how understanding atheism can help us form better scientific questions about religion, morality, and human nature.

Merseyside Skeptics Society

Science & Education

Skeptics

Critical Thinking

Intellectual Discussions

Knowledge Sharing

Rationality and Reasoning

Will Gervais is a cultural evolutionary psychologist at the Centre for Culture and Evolution (Brunel, University of London) and has been a global leader in the scientific study of atheism for over a decade. Dr. Gervais’s research has been featured in media such as the BBC, the New York Times, the Washington Post, National Public Radio, Der Speigel, Psychology Today, Vox, and Scientific American, and has garnered international scientific recognition. His first book, Disbelief: The Origins of Atheism in a Religious Species (Prometheus Press), is out now! When not doing science, Will likes cooking, camping, comics, and his dog.

Atheism, Religion, and Human Nature: Evolutionary Puzzles of Faith and Atheism

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