Google Maps is ubiquitous. Changing place names — like the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of American — under political pressure and without user consent is dangerous.
(Priscilla du Preez/Unsplash)
When compared to how common it is for the Google search engine to boost misinformation, changing the name of a body of water might not seem like a big deal. It is.
A Canadian supporter of Donald Trump waves an American flag from an overpass in Montréal in November 2020, two days after the presidential election that Joe Biden ultimately won.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Who are the 10 per cent of Canadians who support Trump and his annexation threats? They are likely people afflicted with cognitive biases that prevent them from accurately assessing risk.
Protesters fill the Iowa state Capitol to denounce a bill that will strip the state civil rights code of protections based on gender identity.
AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall
Two social psychologists explain the ways unconscious biases influence how people think and can fuel discrimination against transgender people and other minority groups.
A Macalester College course helps students navigate a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Khanchit Khirisutchalual/Getty Images
Truly ignorant individuals lack introspection and stubbornly cling to their irrational opinions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, meets with his security cabinet on Oct. 7, 2023, the day of the Hamas attack.
Haim Zach (GPO) / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
A university course teaches students why people believe false and evidence-starved claims, to show them how to determine what’s accurate and real and what’s neither.
Understanding our confirmation biases can help us tackle fake news and misinformation.
(Shutterstock)
As elections approach – and even after they’re done – there’s a lot of confusing, and deliberately misleading, information out there. Learn how to protect yourself.
It can feel safer to block out contradictory information that challenges a belief.
Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank via Getty Images
Here are some reasons for the natural human tendency to avoid or reject new information that runs counter to what you already know – and some tips on how to do better.
Preclinical research — the kind that takes place before testing on humans — often guides decisions about which potential treatments should continue to clinical trials. But attempts to replicate 50 studies found the odds of getting the same results were only about 50-50.
(Pexels/Artem Podrez)
Preclinical studies are an important part of biomedical research, often guiding future trials in humans. Failure to replicate research results suggests a need to increase the quality of studies.
We’ve all heard an exasperated “do your research!” from people who want to persuade us to accept their claim or point of view. The problem is it’s not likely to convince anyone.
Vaccine hesitancy has been a growing challenge for more than a decade. Concerns about vaccine safety and adverse events are the most commonly cited reasons.
(AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
To help increase trust in vaccines, researchers analyzed data on adverse events to address safety concerns, and then used cognitive science to show how cognitive biases feed vaccine hesitancy.
Are you open to new ideas and willing to change your mind?
Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images
Science denial is not new, but researchers have learned a lot about it. Here’s why it exists, how everyone is susceptible to it in one way or another and steps to take to overcome it.
Identify and stop the lies.
NLshop/iStock via Getty Images Plus
Whenever you hear about a new bit of science news, these suggestions will help you assess whether it’s more fact or fiction.
These psychological tendencies explain why an onslaught of facts won’t necessarily change anyone’s mind.
Francesco Carta fotografo/Moment via Getty Images
Cognitive shortcuts help you efficiently move through a complicated world. But they come with an unwelcome side effect: Facts aren’t necessarily enough to change your mind.
Climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
Daniele COSSU/Shutterstock