I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual congress of the US Center for Inquiry – an organisation promoting science and reason, and countering scientific misinformation.

Featured speakers included such luminaries as Neil deGrasse Tyson and Brian Cox — giants in both scientific practice and science communication.

Various talks focused on misinformation and deception in areas as diverse as UFOs and so-called ‘psychics’.

There were also important talks about what makes humans interpret evidence using emotion, and the influence of tribalism — or feeling part of an ‘in-group’.