Carl Sagan’s guide to fake news
Secondary | Space | Views: 1673
Use the following guide to help you spot fake news, not scientific fact! Do some research using the following guidelines:
Do:
- obtain independent confirmation of the facts: check internet sources, witnesses, different pictures, how many times it has been tested
- try more than one hypothesis: test each one, the one that survives is most likely to be right rather than your first attempt
- apply Occam’s razor: the simpler hypothesis that explains the same answer is most likely to be correct
Don’t:
- judge based on the person: focus on the argument, not the arguer
- trust because of authority: does the person in authority have expertise? Have they tested the hypothesis?
- use ignorance/absence of knowledge as proof: the claim that whatever has not been proved false must be true
- confuse correlation and causation
Visit the website »
« Back
