Science 2016

Question 1

What did Stephen Colbert dub the tendency to believe things which support our pre-existing attitudes?

Answer 1

“truthiness”: claims that feel right, even if they have no basis in fact, and which people want to believe because they fit their pre-existing attitudes.

Question 2

What is motivated reasoning?

Answer 2

reasoning that starts with established conclusions and works back to find “facts” that support what we already believe. Remain campaign featured fact, fact, fact, fact, fact. It just doesn’t work. You’ve got to connect with people emotionally. It’s the Trump success.”

Question 3

When misinformation is corrected, we can still be influenced by the former belief. What is this called?

Answer 3

Belief echos

Question 4

Holding 2 seemingly contradictory beliefs

Answer 4

cognitive dualism

Question 5

nanocrystals that concentrate infrared. Could be incorporated into glasses to see in the dark

Answer 5

aluminium gallium arsenide

Question 6

How many people died from the Ebola outbreak in 2014

Answer 6

11,000

Question 7

What organisation backed by Norway, India, the Gates Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, launched in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, aims to prepare us for epidemics

Answer 7

CEPI

Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations