Every generation thinks that its successor’s lazy habits of mind will bring on a cultural and intellectual decline.

The study found that the most successful headlines don’t convey facts, they promise you an emotional experience.

“The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than [that needed] to produce it.”

Participating on social media is only secondarily about sharing new information; it is primarily about maintaining and reinforcing common bonds.

“The point of modern propaganda isn’t only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.”

So why is there bullshit everywhere? Part of the answer is that everyone, crustacean or raven or fellow human being, is trying to sell you something. Another part is that humans possess the cognitive tools to figure out what kinds of bullshit will be effective. A third part is that our complex language allows us to produce an infinite variety of bu

These algorithms are not designed to keep you informed; they are designed to keep you active on the platform.

There are three basic approaches for protecting ourselves against misinformation and disinformation online.

The “firehose strategy” is designed to leave the audience disoriented and despairing of ever being able to separate truth from falsehood.