Behind the Headlines | The Age of Uncertainty

Recorded October 06, 2020. There is a growing sense that the one certainty we can count on over the coming weeks, months, and years, is uncertainty. From the ancient stoics and philosophers to contemporary historians, writers and economists, thinkers have grappled with this concept and its implications. What can they tell us about our current predicament, and can we learn to tolerate uncertainty in our daily lives? In our forthcoming Behind the Headlines, we explore what uncertainty means today. In the midst of a global pandemic, with looming lockdowns, an unsettled political climate, economic volatility and the spectre of false news, we will consider possible responses to life in the ‘age of uncertainty’ and discuss the ways in which unpredictability shapes our feelings about the future. Speakers: Professor Siobhán Garrigan, Loyola Chair of Theology, Head of School of Religion, TCD, will look at how Christianity offers a wealth of resources on how to cope with uncertainty … as well as quite a few examples of how not to cope with it. Professor Kenneth Pearce, Ussher Assistant Professor in Berkeley Studies, Head of Department of Philosophy, TCD, will explore early modern traditions of philosophy and their approach to uncertainty, asking if making peace with uncertainty is essential for life in the modern world. Professor Mani Ramaswami, Professor of Neurogenetics, Director of Trinity Institute of Neurosciences (TCIN), will examine uncertainty from the perspective of Neuroscience, looking at our brain's ability to accurately predict the future, and how we can use uncertainty to our advantage. Carmel Crimmins, Financial Desk Deputy Editor, Reuters, will look at how we produce the news during a global pandemic with societies under lockdown, rumour and misinformation proliferating online and stories breaking on multiple fronts. Learn more at: https://www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub/