Although the term is rooted in politics, “alternative facts” have moved beyond the political arena to weaken and warp decision-making across the economy. Whether spreading misinformation about vaccine safety or leading to false assumptions about women-led startups, alternative facts trigger unconscious action when cognitive reflection would be more productive. But believers of alternative facts aren’t necessarily lost causes — many people can still be persuaded by actual facts.
Our guest is former U.S. Senate and House of Representatives Chief of Staff Mark Bayer, who has led working groups like Cornell’s Advancing Science And Technology student group and has spoken before the Broadening Careers in Scientific Training at the Graduate School, now called Careers Beyond Academia at Cornell.
