The Skeptics Society & Skeptic magazine

Shermer and Keltner discuss: the death of his brother and how this led to his study of awe • an operational definition of awe • the reliability (or unreliability) of self-report data in social science • how to quantify and measure the experience of awe • What are emotions and how can they be measured? • How has the scientific understanding of emotions changed? • predictors of awe: nature, music, art, dance, movement/exercise, love & friendships • awe in moral beauty • how to train yourself to experience awe • how awe helps heal traumas, grief, and loneliness • mystical experiences, spirituality, and awe restorative justice and awe.

The renowned theorist of analytical design, Edward Tufte, was described by the New York Times as “the Leonardo da Vinci of data” for his pioneering work in the display and analysis of visual evidence. His lecture here draws from his forthcoming book, Beautiful Evidence, which develops the fundamental theory of analytical design and proposes methods for display for nearly every type of evidence (time series, images, causal arrows, data tables, statistical graphics, public presentations).