Episode #878
News Items
Who's That Noisy
- Answer to last week: Gold Cheeked Gibbons
Science or Fiction
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Item #1
Science
A recent systematic review of belief in the paranormal finds a robust correlation with intuitive thinking, increased confirmation bias, and reduced conditional reasoning. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0267360
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Item #2
Fiction
A recent study finds that the more certain subjects were about the future course of the pandemic the more likely they were to follow recommended preventive protocols. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886922001106?dgcid=coauthor
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Item #3
Science
Research consistently finds that people have an action bias – they will favor doing something over doing nothing even if it worsens outcomes. https://scitechdaily.com/action-bias-why-its-so-hard-to-stay-in-the-same-line-at-the-supermarket/
Skeptical Quote of the Week.
You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don’t alter their views to fit the facts. They alter the facts to fit their views. - Doctor Who, 1977