How to Weed Out Fake News Like a Scientist

How to Weed Out Fake News Like a Scientist

At the end of every year, the major dictionaries like to publish their words of the year. In 2016, the Oxford English Dictionary went with Post Truth, an apt term if ever there was one. Well, a mere two months into 2017, and it is already looking like there are two hot contenders for their words of the year. I predict it's either going to be "Fake News" or the wonderfully weaselly words, "Alternative Facts". Not that either of these two things are new phenomena. No, we have just called them what they are in the past: lies, nonsense and - well - plenty more colourful terms mainly linked to bovine excrement. Alternative facts and fake news are worrying, because they are used to sway public opinion about a whole myriad of topics but especially about science. You merely need to take a quick look at your Facebook or Twitter feed and there it is, fake news. If it was easy to...
Read More