"Confirmation Bias/My Side Bias," an Owl & Ibis Presentation by Ed Outlaw

Kudos to Ed Outlaw for his superb November 28, 2020 Owl and Ibis - A Confluence of Minds presentation, "Confirmation Bias/My Side Bias." A PDF copy of Ed's PowerPoint presentation is available here.

Ed's points of argumentation were:

1a: Confirmation Bias is common and significant in the way people think about political issues on both sides in our current politically polarized environment.

1b:This is both a cause and an effect of political polarization, leading to a cycle that perpetuates a politically divided community.

2a: Understanding one’s own Confirmation Bias can make a person’s political beliefs stronger, better-founded, and more convicted (counterintuitively).

2b: While at the same time working against political polarization.  

The discussion that followed explored a number of areas. Here are a few:

- Ed's points of argumentation were unopposed.

- When one is objectively on the "right" side (moral high ground) of a moral, political or social issue, is one a victim of confirmation bias or are they simply correct?

- Is US society at a moral impasse, especially in a political sense?

Congratulations and thanks, Ed!

Jim

O&I Admin

}:> & ~:)

"Our Responsibility for Climate Change Induced Migration" by Doug Nichols, An Owl & Ibis Presentation

Kudos to Doug Nichols on his Saturday, October 31, 2020, Owl & Ibis – A Confluence of Minds presentation, “Our Responsibility for Climate Change Induced Migration.”

In his multi-media presentation Doug began by focusing on human population growth and the increase of harmful climate change since the Industrial Revolution. He then informed the Confluence of the unintended consequences of these two major demographic and ecological transformations on human migration; and the ensuing impact of migration on the world’s political, economic, and existential present and future.

A stimulating discussion followed where many facets of migration and climate change were explored. Notable was unanimous agreement that what was most urgently needed, of all options most likely to succeed, were cooperative global responses versus the now trending competitive nationalistic approaches. In closing, Doug presented his point of argumentation as follows:

We should demand that the United States:

     1. Rejoin the Paris Agreement leading an acceleration of actions to limit the growth in average global temperature to 1.5°C.

     2. Join and help lead the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration - guided by the Basic Principles.

PDF copies of Doug’s slide show in two parts and the text of his narration may be found on the O&I website and here:

   Migration and Climate Change, Part I

   Migration and Climate Change, Part II

   Migration and Climate Change Narration

Congratulations, Doug, on an outstanding presentation!

Jim

Owl & Ibis Founder and Administrator

}:> & ~:)