Episode Synopsis
Science doesn’t lend itself to fact checking, since science isn’t a set of facts but a process for finding things out. That’s why Facebook got criticized for deleting posts suggesting the virus causing Covid-19 might have had something to do with a lab accident. The reality is we don’t know where the virus came from. This week, social scientists David Rand of MIT and Gordon Pennycook of the University of Regina will discuss why there’s so much misinformation on social media, and how to fix the problem without employing fact checkers.
“Follow the Science” is produced, written, and hosted by Faye Flam, with funding by the Society for Professional Journalists. Today’s episode was edited by Seth Gliksman with music by Kyle Imperatore. If you’d like to hear more “Follow the Science,” please like, follow, and subscribe!
