Three days on disinformation

“To better understand why there is so much disinformation in society and what we can do about it.”

What has been your approach in terms of inviting speakers?
“We wanted to cover various aspects and have therefore invited researchers who have worked on disinformation in different fields. Topics will include climate change, vaccine scepticism, alternative medicine, disinformation in war situations and general scepticism about science. Two of the lectures will be open to the public.”

Yes, one of the public lectures will be given by a researcher known for an experiment with a gorilla suit, is that right?
“Yes, that’s the American researcher Christopher Chabris who conducted the famous experiment of a person in a gorilla suit interfering in a basketball game without half of the spectators even seeing it – a classic viral film. He often talks about common misconceptions about how the brain works and selects information. The second public lecture will be given by Anastasia Kozyreva & Philipp Lorenz-Spreen from the Max Planck Institute in Berlin and is entitled: Digital Media, Democracy, and the Challenge of Misinformation

You have previously co-authored a report on how to respond to false information. What would you say is the most serious form of disinformation dissemination in your field of research – medicine and health?
“That would be resistance to vaccination, a scepticism based on ignorance and rumours. That’s why it’s important to respond with accurate facts that are also accessible and comprehensible to the general public.

What can be done about that?
“Those in possession of the facts need to collaborate with figures like psychologists and teachers, so that the material can be presented in a way that reaches people. This will provide people with a kind of consumer protection to help them resist fraudulent claims.”

Sandra Gunnarsson