How to have difficult dinner-table conversations about science misinformation

Original story by Lauren Leffer

Public belief in misinformation is on the rise, but what can you do about it? Especially with the holidays approaching, you may be dreading upcoming family conversations where people you love are parroting debunked scientific information.

Wrigley Institute Faculty Innovation Award winner Gale Sinatra, author of the book Science Denial: Why It Happens and What to Do About It, spoke with Popular Science about the issue of misinformation and how to communicate about it with loved ones.

According to Sinatra, you’ll have the best chance of helping relatives rethink their ideas if you pay attention to why they bought into misinformation in the first place. Then use that understanding to approach them with empathy and to frame your words in a way that is meaningful to them. It’s also important to make scientific information understandable and to communicate it respectfully.

Finally, maintain your humility. “We all need to become more digitally literate and learn how to assess information online,” says Sinatra.

Read the full story in Popular Science >>