The Skeptics Society & Skeptic magazine

Whether it’s in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and self-deceive—but deceit and self-deception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. In this Distinguished Science Lecture recorded on November 11, 2011, Robert Trivers explains why deception plays such a prominent role in our everyday lives.

Whether it’s in a cockpit at takeoff or the planning of an offensive war, a romantic relationship or a dispute at the office, there are many opportunities to lie and self-deceive—but deceit and self-deception carry the costs of being alienated from reality and can lead to disaster. In this Distinguished Science Lecture recorded on November 11, 2011, Robert Trivers explains why deception plays such a prominent role in our everyday lives.