Guest hosts have been a lifeline for me many times, and I appreciate all of my librarian friends and colleagues who have pitched in over the years. Since 2017, Troy Swanson has been guest hosting with a focus on misinformation, disinformation, and “fake news.” He has interviewed journalists, information literacy librarians, media scholars, and psychologists. This occasional series explores the ways that librarians can connect within and beyond librarianship to strengthen the ever-evolving information landscape and better serve their communities. He continues his series here in Episode 207.
Are our brains broken? Are humans hopelessly irrational and doomed to fall for misinformation? Cognitive scientist Hugo Mercier says “no!” His work highlights the nuanced ways that our brains successfully navigate our information world. He emphasizes that attempts at mass persuasion largely fail. We are equipped with sophisticated cognitive mechanisms that protect us from lies and cheats.
Listen and learn!
