What Dr.
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What Dr. Francis Collins is describing in this excerpt from his new book isn’t just a problem in public health. Institutions don’t understand how influencers, algorithms, and crowds now shape public opinion, and they don’t understand the incentives that power factionalism. Institutions have dropped the ball — *and* they are also under attack.
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Kevin Leecasterreplied to Renee DiResta last edited by
@Noupside
I heard Ari Melber interview an author of a new book recently who made a good case that every technological advancement in communications has caused turmoil in society similar to mass psychosis.I think the name of the book is 'Nexus'?
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Mastodon Migrationreplied to Kevin Leecaster last edited by [email protected]
Great point! Didn’t read the book, but this is a well known thing. The printing press led to hundreds of years of war, radio presaged WW2, television the cold war/Vietnam, and now all over the world nations are thrown into disarray by the internet/social media. Periods of information systems disruption are unquestionably opportunities for exploitation by the most malign forces in society.
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Kevin Leecasterreplied to Mastodon Migration last edited by
@mastodonmigration @Noupside
It was fascinating to learn that the top selling pamphlet post-printing press late 15th century was Malleus Maleficarum, usually translated as the Hammer of Witches.Witch hunting, burning, and other atrocities followed. Better access to information does not lead to a better informed population sadly since it seems that malinformation is more popular than good information.