Why do people believe irrational things? Why do people believe things that are demonstrably untrue? For example, This American Life's Ira Glass recently interviewed his uncle, who didn't believe that Barack Obama went to Harvard. How can we convince ourselves that basic facts are somehow untrue, connected to a conspiracy? One clue comes in a recent survey showing that Americans on social media spend almost no time reading or following posts from people who disagree with them. We explore the power of belief and what we can do to open our minds. Our guests: Eric Caine, chair of the department of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical CenterJannai Shields, Ph.D. candidate in philosophy at the University of Rochester
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