logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2021
14m 8s

Bonus: Why We Believe What Isn't True (w...

Pushkin Industries
About this episode

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 very real. Tim Harford talks to Niala Boodhoo, from the news podcast Axios Today, about why people believe things that aren't true.


Check out Axios Today, where Niala delivers the news every weekday - in just 10 minutes.


Subscribe to Axios Today wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Oct 30
Why Miners See Ghosts | Halloween Season
In the late 1970s, Yorkshire miner Chris Campbell sees something that terrifies him. The spirit of a miner who died in a collapse is calling to him. Is the ghostly figure a waking dream, a trick of the light, or something we should take altogether more seriously? For a full list ... Show More
37m 58s
Oct 27
Introducing... Unexplained: Lying in Wait
This episode comes to you from Unexplained, the podcast that explores mysterious and haunting true stories. In 2009, during the war in Afghanistan, eight marines are tasked with occupying an isolated outpost known as The Rock. For those marines, the war is going to become strange ... Show More
35m 28s
Oct 23
The Pedlar and the Witch | Halloween Season
In 1612, a young woman encounters a pedlar in the British countryside. A seemingly trivial quarrel spirals into chaos when the pedlar is struck down by an unknown force, leading to one of Britain's most notorious witch trials. Justice for Witches Campaign: https://charlottemeredi ... Show More
39m 15s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2021
Why we believe what isn't true
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
10m 26s
Jan 2023
How To Be A Skeptic
There's a lot of information out there these days -- and, unfortunately, a lot of it isn't true. But how can we learn to discern fact from fiction? In today's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the basis of critical thought and skepticism, and how your own brain can conspire aga ... Show More
1h 1m
Jul 2021
The Truth about Fake News, with Marcus Gilroy-Ware and Richard Seymour
We are supposed to have more information at our disposal now than at any time in history. So why, in a world of rising sea levels, populist leaders and a global pandemic, do so many people believe bizarre and untrue things? In this week's episode Marcus Gilroy-Ware speaks to Ri ... Show More
45m 41s
Jun 2017
Why do people believe things that aren’t true?
In the face of our "post-truth" era of politics, it's hard to know what to believe. According to psychology research, whether we know it or not, most of us harbor false beliefs. Do you? 
8m 17s
Jul 2024
Where Truth Lies
<p>When we think about misinformation, we often focus on blatant errors or deliberate attempts to deceive us. But in recent years, social scientists have found that misinformation comes in many flavors — many of which are far more subtle than obvious falsehoods. These forms of mi ... Show More
51m 16s
Apr 2019
Why Fools Fall in Love
On The Gist, the 2020 candidates' proposals shouldn't be compared to some progressive ideal, but to some of the stuff we spend taxpayer dollars on now. In the interview, the pace of technological change means we might only be catching onto malicious disinformation techniques afte ... Show More
34m 13s
Dec 2019
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
15m 6s
Nov 2020
EP 3: Why do we believe lies?
Honesty is a core value in most cultures. But humanity has always been obsessed with untruths, from little white lies to vast conspiracy theories. Bill and Rashida are joined by Sapiens author and historian Yuval Noah Harari to talk about why we’re so willing to believe falsehood ... Show More
45m 29s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami