logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2019
15m 6s

How we can protect truth in the age of m...

TED
About this episode

Fake news can sway elections, tank economies and sow discord in everyday life. Data scientist Sinan Aral demystifies how and why it spreads so quickly -- citing one of the largest studies on misinformation -- and identifies five strategies to help us unweave the tangled web between true and false.

Learn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
Sunday Pick: How to think critically about history — and why it matters (w/ David Ikard)
Have you ever recalled a story only to have someone point out "that's not how it went"? Well, what happens when what we misrepresent are our historical narratives? David Ikard is a Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University. In this episode, he ta ... Show More
30m 20s
Jan 31
The language you're fluent in — but forgot how to hear | Louis VI
What if the calm you feel when you hear birdsong isn't a coincidence, but ancient evolutionary wiring ... a signal that once meant safety? Musical ecologist and rapper Louis VI says humans are hardwired to nature's sonic language, but modern life has drowned it out. He explores h ... Show More
18m 54s
Jan 30
Why can't we better prepare for extreme weather? | Catherine Nakalembe
Thanks to advanced technology, we can now see droughts and crop failures months before they hit. So why are millions of people still going hungry? TED Fellow Catherine Nakalembe, director of the NASA Harvest program in Africa, exposes the blind spots that keep life-saving climate ... Show More
11m 5s
Recommended Episodes
May 2022
How we can protect truth in the age of misinformation | Sinan Aral
Fake news can sway elections, tank economies and sow discord in everyday life. Data scientist Sinan Aral demystifies how and why it spreads so quickly -- citing one of the largest studies on misinformation -- and identifies five strategies to help us unweave the tangled web betwe ... Show More
23m 58s
Feb 2024
Tackling misinformation: How to identify and combat false news - څنګه کولای شو ناسم معلومات او جعلي خبرونه وپیژنو او پر ضد یې مبارزه وکړو؟
In an era where information travels at the speed of light, it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish between true and false. Whether deemed false news, misinformation, or disinformation, the consequences are the same - a distortion of reality that can affect people's op ... Show More
11m 2s
Nov 2023
Stopping the spread of misinformation, with Sander van der Linden, PhD
Misleading news stories. Propaganda. Conspiracy theories. Misinformation has always been with us, but with the rise of social media it can spread farther and faster than ever. Sander van der Linden, PhD, of Cambridge University, talks about why we’re so vulnerable to misinformati ... Show More
40m 35s
May 2022
How to Make Democracy Work for Everyone, with Yascha Mounk
During an era of identity politics, culture wars and increasing awareness of the structural biases that contribute to global inequality, it’s easy to become pessimistic about the possibility of making diverse democracies work. Yascha Mounk is a writer and political scientist whos ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2020
Deepfakes and the Future of Truth
It’s getting easy to create convincing—but false—videos through artificial intelligence. These “deepfakes” can have interesting applications in art and education, but they can also cause great harm—from ruining the reputation of an ex-partner to provoking international conflicts ... Show More
1h 11m
Jan 2022
Ep 29: Why do people share false information — and what can we do about it?
tail spinning
20m 45s
Oct 2020
Disinformation
These days, it’s not so easy to tell what’s true and what’s false on the internet. From trolls to Russian bots, there are a lot of tools being used to destabilize U.S. elections - and they are counting on regular Americans to click and share their false information. In this episo ... Show More
22m 13s
Feb 2021
Bonus: Why We Believe What Isn't True (with Axios Today)
We're no stranger to stories about misinformation or deliberate disinformation. We live in a world where now more than ever, you have to be skeptical. That skepticism can be healthy, but it also can be used to cast more doubt and misinformation on data and statistics that are ver ... Show More
14m 8s