This is, as has been widely noted, a bleak time for enlightenment values. In the face of a populist tide, a feeling of pessimism has gripped many liberals about the ability of logic, reason and evidence to influence the wider public. Discussion often turns to psychological research showing that when ordinary people are presented with facts in the context of a political debate it has little impact. There’s growing chatter about a “backfire effect”, where rebutting misconceptions actually serves to entrench falsehoods, perhaps by making the myths more salient.

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