http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf

Skeptic Magazine editor Michael Shermer says the human tendency to believe strange things – from alien abductions to dowsing rods and conspiracy theories – boils down to two of the brain’s most basic, hard-wired survival skills. He explains what they are, and how they get us into trouble. It’s a fascinating explanation for human credulity and a powerful argument for critical thinking & open-minded skepticism.