Distinguishing Between Misinformation and Disinformation Is Crucial David Gurteen

Distinguishing between misinformation and disinformation is crucial. Misinformation comes from those who genuinely believe what they say, while disinformation involves deliberate deception, cover-ups, or the spreading of falsehoods. Differentiating between them can be challenging, and even trusted sources may inadvertently spread misinformation. Credit: David Gurteen Source: Pollution of the Global Information EcosystemPosts where this quotation … Continue reading Distinguishing Between Misinformation and Disinformation Is Crucial David Gurteen

Finding the Truth in a Post-truth World Why we don’t really care about truth

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   December 29, 2023, 15:20In today’s world of misinformation and conspiracy theories, it can be hard to know who and what to trust. But as Joseph Shieber argues in this fascinating article, our ability to determine the truth may be more limited than we think. He suggests that rather than having an innate lie … Continue reading Finding the Truth in a Post-truth World Why we don’t really care about truth

Would You Rather Be Uninformed or Misinformed? False quotations on the web

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   December 8, 2020, 11:37I recently came across this quotation that I rather loved, supposedly from Mark Twain. If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you are misinformed. I was a little suspicious of it as there are so many false quotes on the web, so I ran … Continue reading Would You Rather Be Uninformed or Misinformed? False quotations on the web

Understanding Our Political Nature EU Science Hub (2019)

Understanding our Political Nature: How to put knowledge and reason at the heart of political decision-making  Abstract Recognising that advances in behavioural, decision and social sciences demonstrate that we are not purely rational beings, this report brings new insights into our political behaviour and this understanding have the potential to address some of the current … Continue reading Understanding Our Political Nature EU Science Hub (2019)

Technology and Democracy EU Science Hub (2020)

Technology and Democracy: Understanding the influence of online technologies on political behaviour and decision-making  Abstract Drawing from many disciplines, the report adopts a behavioural psychology perspective to argue that “social media changes people’s political behaviour”. Four pressure points are identified and analysed in detail: the attention economy; choice architectures; algorithmic content curation; and mis/disinformation. Policy … Continue reading Technology and Democracy EU Science Hub (2020)

Christopher Hitchens’s Razor No not what he shaved with

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   February 12, 2023, 13:18I’m a big fan of Christopher Hitchens, a larger-than-life personality. It’s a shame that he died so young, but his legacy continues on YouTube. I especially like his epistemological razor (a guide for evaluating the validity of knowledge claims.). In other words, the responsibility of proving the accuracy of a … Continue reading Christopher Hitchens’s Razor No not what he shaved with

There Are No Sources of Information We Can Totally Trust David Gurteen

There are no sources of information we can totally trust. We must conduct due diligence through thorough research and analysis. To make sound decisions and meaningful actions, we must avoid shortcuts and laziness, putting in the necessary effort. Credit: David Gurteen Source: Pollution of the global information ecosystemPosts where this quotation is embedded Embracing the Imperfections … Continue reading There Are No Sources of Information We Can Totally Trust David Gurteen

Pseudoscience and Its Dangers Misinformation and its impact on society

The Scientific Method for Everyday Life Recognising New Age Mumbo Jumbo Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Misinformation and disinformation are common on the web, often overshadowing crucial facts. Pseudoscience, in particular, masquerades as legitimate science without proper evidence or methods. It can lead to dangerous consequences, especially in health, undermining public trust in … Continue reading Pseudoscience and Its Dangers Misinformation and its impact on society

Recognising New Age Mumbo Jumbo Understanding and avoiding deceptive New Age ideas

Pseudoscience and Its Dangers The Socratic Method Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Much like pseudoscience, New Age beliefs and practices are widespread and often presented in confusing or meaningless terms, which can mislead people into adopting unproven ideas or ignoring evidence-based solutions. Recognizing the difference between credible information and New Age mumbo jumbo … Continue reading Recognising New Age Mumbo Jumbo Understanding and avoiding deceptive New Age ideas

Signal-to-noise Ratio The ratio of useful or true information to false or irrelevant data

Circles of Engagement ** What Would Make a Better World? Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter The term “signal-to-noise ratio” is a useful metaphor when discussing the pollution of the information ecosystem with misinformation, disinformation, or situations where much of the information available is irrelevant. A signal-to-noise ratio is a measure most frequently used … Continue reading Signal-to-noise Ratio The ratio of useful or true information to false or irrelevant data

Pollution of the Global Information Ecosystem The contamination of information with false and misleading material

The Global Information Ecosystem Uncertainty ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Information pollution is the contamination of information with false and misleading material. Pollution of the info-ecosystem The quality of the information in our global information ecosystem is paramount. To reduce uncertainty and make good sensemaking and decision-making, we need to trust the … Continue reading Pollution of the Global Information Ecosystem The contamination of information with false and misleading material