Fake news and science: Luca Perry conquers the audience in “L’API HOUR”.

The success of the first Api Lecco event

“We think we are rational, but we are not at all.”

LECCO – “Halfway good start.” He can say that very well Lyco bees That last night, Friday, in a wonderful atmosphereManzoni barn in PescarenicoThe course of cultural encounters was opened entitled “API Clock” Designed for members.

In the chair Luca PerryAstrophysicist and science communicator who held the conference entitled “Fake news and cognitive mechanisms that deceive us”.

The young scientist who also worked on radio programmes Piero And Alberto AngelaWith his characteristic and lively friendship, he put the audience to the test in which he had to find, among 4 pairs of statements related to the scientific and astronomical world, which of them was false, and therefore false.

Enriching the answers with anecdotes, curiosities and stories related to space and UFOs, Perry stimulated the attention of the audience in the room, demonstrating how easy it is to fall for fake news.

“We think we are rational, but we are not at all. He explained that most of the decisions we make, we make randomly, guided by emotions – he explained – scientific studies have proven that the average person has 6,000 thoughts daily, but very few of these thoughts are analyzed rationally. In most cases, we are conditioned Cognitive biases (Mental Processes of Judgment, ed.) It is Biases To which we are all subject and which is difficult to move away from because it has characterized man for 300 thousand years until now. “We are naturally called to provide answers and make decisions quickly, but we do so in our intuition.”

A cross-section of human nature that needs to be considered and focused on to try to avoid falling into the trap of fake news and misinformation.

“We think that we make decisions rationally, and we think that intelligence and culture can make us immune to fake news, in reality this is not the case, because we are guided by emotions. That is why everyone must “wash” with humility. Moreover, we must learn to know the mechanisms That deceives us, such as the confirmation bias through which we tend to trust and give credence to that information that confirms our point of view, and reject or question everything that is not in line with our point of view.’ This phenomenon is also called ‘cherry picking’literally “cherry picking,” or the ability of an individual to understand only the information he or she likes.

The definitive proof was presented during the evening with direct participation from those in the room: “You took statements and sayings that seemed false to you according to your instinct and emotional side, and then paradoxically discovered that the true statements and sayings were much more wonderful and amazing, showing how science can be more extraordinary than our imagination.”

The evening was then concluded with a delicious aperitif.