Harvard Cognitive Scientist Shares Fascinating Insights About The Human Mind

The more we learn about the human mind, the more fascinating it becomes, according to Harvard cognitive scientist Steve Pinker. He's known for his research in evolutionary psychology, or the idea that human nature has adapted over time to improve chances of survival. He's written some bestselling books "How The Mind Works," and "The Blank Slate," and last night answered readers' questions during a fascinating Reddit "Ask Me Anything". We've included some of the highlights below: Here we all are, banging at keyboards and reading squiggles on screens, and somehow we're exchanging ideas about consciousness, hunter-gatherer societies, rape, the meaning of life, and hair-care products (I'll get to that). Of course we're using written language, not to mention computer technology and the Internet, but we could be having the same conversation at a bar, dinner table or seminar room, so it's language itself that is the astounding phenomenon.