The Error of the Era of Disinformation

Have you ever heard of The Dunning Kruger Effect? If you’ve not you should look it up. It’s a bit like “The Game*,” because once you know about it you see it EVERYWHERE. In a nutshell it is the idea that ignorance can equate to certainty.

I find it distressing when I am confronted by it. It’s frustrating to discuss something with someone who is so adamant and unshakeable in their belief. “Rape seed oil is bad for you,” I was told. It’s not. I explained that it contains natural antioxidants, unsaturated fats- I explained about double carbon bonds, high flash points, low free-radicals… “It’s bad for you!” But it’s not. Research has shown the health benefits over other lipids and… “It’s bad for you.” Well according to Shen et al. (2023) in their paper, “A Comprehensive Review of Health-Benefiting Components in Rapeseed Oil,” there are significant benefits to… “It’s bad for you, they’re wrong, I saw on a reel…”

And there you have it. Science is wrong, social media trumps diligent research.

On another occasion I was warned that using my hearing aid could accelerate the onset of dementia. I went to the research papers again. Turns out that the correct use of hearing aids in those experiencing hearing loss slows the onset of dementia.

So, what does that mean for us all? Well, I recommend questioning everything. I do while I’m teaching; the other day I was trying to trick a student into guessing that Joule, who gave his name to the unit of energy, was from France when I knew that he was Scottish. The student didn’t guess France, he guessed Manchester. I laughed. No, he was a Scot! And I thought to myself, how do I know that? And I checked. James Prescott Joule, born Salford. Ah. I’m not afraid to be wrong, and I’m not afraid to question my own knowledge even in the middle of lesson. Even in the middle of a sentence.

The about The Dunning Kruger Effect is that those who bask in their ignorance fall foul of it. However, in those who aim to expand their knowledge and learn and explore the world, there is a flip side as well; Imposter Syndrome. One aspect of that is that you constantly question whether what you know is true. Thankfully.

*Apologies if you just lost!