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Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation U.S. Here are a few of our recently published stories:
“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” The phrase, sometimes attributed to Mark Twain, can also be said of mis- and disinformation. But in today’s hyper-interconnected world, a more apt way to put it might be misinformation can travel around the world multiple times before the truth gets a single “like.”
One reason misinformation can spread so fast, according to Shaon Lahiri, a social and behavioral scientist within the field of public health at the College of Charleston, is what researchers call “mass psychogenic illness, a psychological condition that results in physical symptoms and spreads socially.”
Similarly, misinformation can be a conduit for social contagion.
“Social connections establish pathways of influence that can facilitate the spread of germs, mental illness and even behaviors,” he writes. “We can be profoundly influenced by others within our social networks, for better or for worse.”
In his article, one of last week’s most popular on our site, he explains how social contagions can resemble the spread of viruses, why it’s so hard to stop them, and some of the social practices you can use to inoculate yourself from contagion.
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Bryan Keogh
Managing Editor
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Readers' picks
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Shaon Lahiri, College of Charleston
Mass psychogenic illness has happened throughout history, but social media makes it more likely to spread.
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Art Jipson, University of Dayton
The Seven Mountains Mandate calls on Christians to gain influence, or ‘take dominion,’ over seven key areas of culture: religion, family, education, government, media, business and the arts.
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Hatim Sharif, The University of Texas at San Antonio
A hydrologist explains why the region is known as Flash Flood Alley and how its geography and geology can lead to heavy downpours and sudden, destructive floods.
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Paul M. Collins Jr., UMass Amherst
What is the purpose of US District Courts
and Court of Appeals, and why do some courts have multiple judges and others have only one?
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Mireille Rebeiz, Dickinson College
For decades, Lebanon has been torn apart by internal division and external conflict. There may currently be a narrow window for a different future.
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Editors' picks
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Jeffrey A. Lee, Texas Tech University
While rarely explicitly taught to scientists in training, a set of common values guides science in the quest to advance knowledge while being ethical and trustworthy.
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Charlie Hunt, Boise State University
Lawmakers who are aligned politically with the president are increasingly voting in line with the chief executive. Doing otherwise could cost them on Election Day.
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Brian G. Henning, Gonzaga University
The administration said the grants were ‘no longer consistent with EPA funding priorities.’ Spokane, which has faced deadly heat waves in eastern Washington, shows who is at risk.
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Pooja Shree Chettiar, Texas A&M University
Mental health chatbots promise therapy at your fingertips, but can AI ease anxiety and depression, or are we confusing conversation with care?
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Nathan Meyers, UMass Amherst
The Republican tax bill is set to worsen inequality, government data shows. It’s part of a 50-year trend that’s affecting the social fabric as well as the economy.
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News Quiz 🧠
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Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation
Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. Questions this week on speedballing, Grok, and fake Rubio.
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