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...conspiracy theories have steep costs for Americans, both as individuals and as a society. They erode trust in institutions, from the government to the press, making it harder for these bodies to function effectively on our behalf. Personal relationships become strained as folks become deeply invested in views that set them at odds with friends and family.…
Asimov then traces 1,500 terms through history, starting at their roots—their etymologies, their origins. Because so many science words have Greek and Latin roots hidden inside them, learning even a few of these roots can seriously help students, professionals, and anyone frustrated by their doctor’s medical gibberish.…
For fun this summer, to learn about confirmation bias, we mind-travel to the great and prosperous town of Biasville, where the people have odd names and the drama never ends. It’s not hard to find Biasville: You can get there by traveling through Emotion Junction, Ingroup Outpost, Heuristic Harbor (aka, the Mental Shortcut), Faux Memory Lane, Overconfidence Overpass, or—shudder—the Valley of Dissonance.…
Watch out! That medicine will make you sick! You’ll regret taking it!” Words hold immense power over our minds and bodies. Just as Dumbo believed in the magic feather and flew across the circus tent—even after he learned the feather was a placebo, an empty talisman—our beliefs can shape our experiences in unexpected ways. However, there is a darker side to this phenomenon—the “nocebo” effect. Brace yourself as we now step into the darker shadows of the circus tent and…
Citizen Science No. 5 by Jamie Zvirzdin The Power of the Placebo Effect,Part I: Magic Feathers and Medical Transparency Dumbo! C’mon, fly! Open them ears! The magic feather was just a gag! You can fly! Honest, you can!” I can recite many Disney movies almost word for word, but I also recall that the 1941 version of “Dumbo” made me acutely sad and anxious. And no wonder: a poor baby elephant with big ears is mocked by others at the…
This isn’t a hand-wringing article about the moral decrepitude of cheaters, however; it is a wake-up call to teachers and educational administrators to change the game. Our expensive, competitive, performance-based emphasis on exams and grades have created a conflict-of-interest situation for students.…
While the analogy of “panning for science” has as many holes as a sieve, it is true that we humans are easily fooled by false scientific claims. Hope springs eternal: If it worked for them, surely it will work for me, too, we think. But a testimonial is not science. Real scientists—and citizens who understand science—will stop and sift the gathered data very carefully before joining the ranks of eager squealers.…
Citizen Science No. 2 by Jamie Zvirzdin False Alarms in Science and the Media: Examining Cause and Effect When we moved into a house in 2018, I was delighted by the 1970s appliances that came with it, particularly a gas stove. Not only did it have an enormous oven underneath the range, but also a smaller oven hanging above. Two ovens and a gas range! What luxury! Alas, the gas stove has since struggled and the one remaining oven that…
Citizen Science No. 1 by Jamie Zvirzdin Introduction to Citizen Science: Finding Intellectual Security Imagine you’re sitting in science class. On the paper before you, there’s a homework problem you don’t understand. You raise your hand to seek clarity, but the teacher responds, “Oh, that problem is easy! Just use your intuition.” The teacher then rattles off a bunch of specialized words—science jargon—you just learned. “Thanks,” you say out loud, but your muddied thoughts are joined by the cold chill…
Morning Coffee Miracle: A Return to the Power of Local Community By JAMIE ZVIRZDINRICHFIELD SPRINGS – When I first visited my husband’s family in Richfield Springs back in 2007, my new grandma-in-law, Joyce Zvirzdin, told me what a thriving place Richfield Springs had been, how bustling the downtown area used to be—the restaurants, the spas, the shops, the cafés. I told her I wished I could have seen it. Fast-forward to May 31, 2021, when the whole Zvirzdin family went…
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