Table of Contents

Introduction: Equations to Refute Einstein 1 PART I POLITICS, FACTS, AND BRAINS 17 Prelude: Liberal Fresco on a Prison Wall 19 1. Denying Minds 26 2. Smart Idiots 42 PART II THE "NATURE" HYPOTHESIS: DANGEROUS CERTAINTY 57 3. Political Personalities 59 4. For God and Tribe 77 5. Don't Get Defensive 89 6. Are Conservatives from the Amygdala? 111 PART III ENTER THE "ENVIRONMENT": TURNING AGAINST CHANGE 127 7. A Tale of Two Republicans 129 8. The Science of Fox News 147 PART IV THE TRUTH: WHO'S RIGHT, WHO'S WRONG, AND WHO UPDATES 169 9. The Reality Gap 171 10. The Republican War on Economics 187 11. The Republican War on History 202 12. What the Frack Is True? 219 PART V THE POLITICAL LABORATORY 239 13. A Liberal Confronts New Data 241 Conclusion: Rescuing Reality 261 Acknowledgments 275 Notes 279 Index 311

About the Author

Chris Mooney is the bestselling author of The Republican War on Science , the host of the "Point of Inquiry" podcast, and the author of "The Intersection" blog for Science Progress. In addition to three books, in the past he has written for Mother Jones , the American Prospect , Harper's , the Washington Post , USA Today , and Slate . He has appeared on The Last Word , The Daily Show , The Colbert Report , Book TV , Science Friday , Morning Joe , and Fresh Air , among other programs.

Reviews

'The Republican Brain is a fascinating and invigorating book, providing nourishment for enquiring minds...if you're keen to understand the madness of the forthcoming presidential election, The Republican Brain is an extremely good place to start' (bookgeeks.co.uk, 14th May 2012) 'Mooney follows up his hard-hitting 2005 book with a more nuanced analysis of the reasons why the American right has come to take up positions opposed to the scientific mainstream on issues such as climate change and stem-cell research.' (Financial Times, June 2012)