First hour: Why we believe things that are obviously untrue
Second hour: Meet the candidates competing to fill Bill Nojay's Assembly seat
Why do people believe irrational things? Why do people believe things that are demonstrably untrue? For example, This American Life's Ira Glass recently interviewed his uncle, who didn't believe that Barack Obama went to Harvard. How can we convince ourselves that basic facts are somehow untrue, connected to a conspiracy? One clue comes in a recent survey showing that Americans on social media spend almost no time reading or following posts from people who disagree with them. We'll explore the power of belief and what we can do to open our minds. Our guests:
- Eric Caine, chair of the department of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center
- Jannai Shields, Ph.D. candidate in philosophy at the University of Rochester
In our second hour: The death of Assemblyman Bill Nojay has opened up his seat for the November election. We'll sit down with both candidates: Republican Joe Errigo and Democrat Barbara Baer.
