Dope Labs Falling For it: Brains Wired for Bias - Lab 113
Oct 12, 2025
Gather around as Titi and Zakiya delve into the wild world of biases that shape our beliefs! They explore why we often trust stories over stats, revealing the role of evolutionary psychology. Discover how social media algorithms amplify sensational narratives, while our own vulnerabilities lead us to jump to conclusions. From the dangers of Tylenol misinformation to the viral predictions of rapture, they highlight the interplay of group identity and information processing. Join them for insight and a sprinkle of empathy!
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Stories Trump Statistics
- Our brains favor vivid anecdotes over tables and stats because evolutionary systems prioritize memorable stories.
- That preference makes stories more persuasive than aggregated evidence in modern decision-making.
Why Rare Events Feel Common
- Availability heuristics make recent, vivid events feel more likely than they are.
- Social media and algorithms amplify those memorable events, inflating perceived risk.
Viral Mislabels Persist
- A viral video mislabeled a commuter's skin bumps as monkeypox and no corrective follow-up matched its reach.
- Titi and Zakiya noted the sensational claim stuck while the correction failed to go viral.