Steven Pinker

Steven Pinker

Birth : 1954-09-18, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

History

Steven Arthur Pinker is a Canadian-American cognitive psychologist, linguist, and popular science author. He is Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University, and is known for his advocacy of evolutionary psychology and the computational theory of mind.

Profile

Steven Pinker

Movies

Better Left Unsaid
Self
The premise behind Better Left Unsaid, lies in the unconfined analysis of the often violent extremism of today's Western political landscape. As liberal democracy becomes increasingly challenged in the West, we expose the dangerous tactics employed by the radical-left and far-right, alike. In a world where political polarization frames the way in which we live, a new path forward of unity is needed more than ever before. The value of the film lies in its impact, brevity and digestibility - as we confront the philosophical underpinnings of the radical left and their extreme right counterpart.
Thomas Sowell: Common Sense in a Senseless World
Himself
Traces Thomas Sowell's journey from humble beginnings to the Hoover Institution, becoming one of our era's most controversial economists, political philosophers, and prolific authors.
Data Mining the Deceased: Ancestry and the Business of Family
Himself
“Data Mining the Deceased” prods the industry behind the exponential intensity in genealogy. What are the motivations of the key players and how are their ambitions affecting the millions of North Americans who are searching for answers?
Still Alice
Thanks
Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. When she receives a devastating diagnosis, Alice and her family find their bonds tested.
Creating Freedom: The Lottery of Birth
THE LOTTERY OF BIRTH is the first in a three-part documentary series entitled 'Creating Freedom' exploring the relationship between freedom, power and control in Western democracies. The series draws together interviews with some of the world's leading intellectuals, journalists and activists to offer an alternative perspective on today's society and the future we're creating. We do not choose to exist, or the environment we grow up in. Our starting point in life is one of passive reliance on forces over which we have no control. THE LOTTERY OF BIRTH shows that from birth onwards our minds are a battleground of competing forces: familial, educational, cultural, and professional. The outcome of this battle not only determines who we become, but the society that we create.
The Genius of Charles Darwin
Himself
A documentary series from Channel 4, hosted by professor Richard Dawkins, well-known darwinist. The series mixes segments on the life and discoveries of Charles Darwin, the theory of natural selection and evolution, and Dawkins' attempts at convincing a group of school children that evolution explains the world around us better than any religion.
The Mind's Big Bang
Himself
The events and coincidences that led to rapid advances in human intelligence 50,000 years ago.
Me & Isaac Newton
Self
Seven of today's top scientist/researchers are the subject of this humourous exploration of real people behind the white lab coats; more about what makes the tick than what they have per-se accomplished. Chosen because the subjects are the very best in their particular fields, featured are Gertrude Elion, Ashok Gadgil, Michio Kaku, Maja Materic, Steven Pinker, Karol Sikora and Patricia C. Wright. Written by Len Massaar