“As modern science diverges from our intuitive sense of how the world works, it becomes increasingly difficult for the average person to grasp. The way our brains work basically sets us up for supernatural belief.... A healthy human mind uses a combination of intuition and reasoning. We need both. Those who rely on their intuition are more likely to see patterns that don’t really exist, and they are more prone to supernatural beliefs. But that same intuition may help them to be more creative, since they may, in fact, invent new patterns. In contrast, the more skeptical among us play an important role, because they naturally challenge the claims of pseudoscience and religion. At the same time, they may have difficulty being open to new ideas.... It’s becoming increasingly important to find creative ways to teach critical thinking skills—especially to non-scientists, so that they will be less vulnerable to pseudoscience and other wacky claims.”

—Ginger Campbell