Entanglements, by Undark cover image

Entanglements, by Undark

Is the Misinformation Crisis Overblown?

Dec 9, 2024
Sander Vanderlinden, a social psychology professor at the University of Cambridge, and Hugo Mercier, a cognitive scientist from the Institut Jean Nicod, dive deep into the misinformation crisis. They challenge the narrative of widespread vulnerability to misinformation, suggesting that humans may be more resilient than assumed. The duo also explores how misinformation interacts with personal beliefs and the complexities of vaccine hesitancy, emphasizing trust issues that complicate public health decisions. Their enlightening conversation reveals that the crisis might be more nuanced than it seems.
31:21

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The podcast highlights that broadly defined misleading information could constitute up to 30% of online content, complicating the understanding of misinformation prevalence.
  • A significant debate emerges around the impact of misinformation on beliefs, with some experts arguing it primarily reinforces existing biases rather than persuading individuals.

Deep dives

Understanding Misinformation and Its Scope

Misinformation is defined as false or misleading information, while disinformation is misinformation that is intended to deceive. The podcast discusses how various perceptions of misinformation impact views on its prevalence. For example, if misinformation is narrowly defined to include only fringe conspiracy theories, it may seem less prevalent since many people do not subscribe to such ideas. However, when including misleading information that might have a basis in truth but is utilized manipulatively, the scale of the problem becomes significantly larger, affecting a higher percentage of content consumed by individuals.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode