Lab 037: In Denial
About This Lab
This week we talked to Dr. Barbara Hofer and Gale Sinatra about science denial. They gave us some really good pointers and helped us remember that we are all susceptible to science denial. Yes, even you! Now you may think of science denial as a blanket rejection of all things science, but that’s not how it works. Most people subscribe to cafeteria-style denial - they pick and choose what they’ll believe (put on their tray) and what they’ll leave behind.
If you’re looking for additional resources related to some of the discussion points in the episode, I recommend:
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman - This book gives a great explanation of the the System 1 & System 2 model of thinking. It’s a long read though!
12 Examples of Cognitive Bias by the Masterclass staff - This is a short read (less than 10 minutes) to give you a quick overview of biases
How to Break Out of Your Social Media Echo Chamber by Christopher Seneca (Wired Magazine) - This article explains how social media platforms leverage confirmation bias, showing you more of the content you like (and probably already agree with)
Guest Experts
Dr. Gale Sinatra and Dr. Barbara Hofer
Check out their new book, Science Denial: Why It Happens and What To Do About It.
Transcript
You can read the transcript here.
One Thing
This semester we added a new segment to the show! Titi and I share one thing we’re enjoying, so you can check it out too - no pressure though!
Zakiya - Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely (book)
Titi - Get Out: The Annotated Screenplay by Jordan Peele (book)