Why large groups of people often come to the same conclusions

Large groups of people everywhere tend to come to the same conclusions.In small groups, there's a much wider diversity of ideas.The mechanics of a large group make some ideas practically inevitable. People make sense of the world by organizing things into categories and naming them. "These are circles." "That's a tree." "Those are rocks." It's one way we tame our world. There's a weird correspondence between different cultures, though — even though we come from different places and very differe...
Tags: Psychology, Decision Making, Amazon, Facebook, Social Media, Personality, Innovation, Collaboration, University of Pennsylvania, Debate, Cooperation, Nature Communications, Annenberg School for Communication, Damon Centola, Douglas Guilbeault, Network Dynamics Group NDG

Can you step in the same river twice? Wittgenstein vs. Heraclitus

'I am not a religious man,' the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once said to a friend, 'but I cannot help seeing every problem from a religious point of view.' These problems that he claims to see from a religious point of view tend to be technical matters of logic and language. Wittgenstein trained as an engineer before he turned to philosophy, and he draws on mundane metaphors of gears, levers and machinery. Where you find the word 'transcendent' in Wittgenstein's writings, you'll likely find ...
Tags: Psychology, Religion, Innovation, Philosophy, Mind, Debate, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Heraclitus, Wittgenstein, Meister Eckhart, Ancient World, Parmenides, David EganThis

Jon Ossoff debated an empty podium and called Sen. David Perdue a 'coward' for skipping the debate a month before their Senate runoff

The Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff at a debate for US Senate on Sunday in Atlanta that Sen. David Perdue declined to attend. Ben Gray, Pool/The Associated Press The Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff debated an empty podium Sunday night in Atlanta after his opponent, Republican Sen. David Perdue, declined to participate. Ossoff is challenging Perdue in one of two US Senate runoffs, set to take place in Georgia on January 5, that will determine control of the US Senate. After sharing ...
Tags: Politics, Congress, Washington, Senate, Trends, Atlanta, Georgia, Joe Biden, US Senate, Associated Press, Debate, Biden, Donald Trump, Perdue, Trump, Election 2020

Jon Ossoff debated an empty podium and called Sen. David Perdue a 'coward' for skipping the debate one month ahead of the Senate runoff election

Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff speaks during a debate for U.S. Senate on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Atlanta. Sen. David Perdue declined to attend the debate. Ben Gray, Pool/The Associated Press Democrat Jon Ossoff debated an empty podium Sunday night in Atlanta, Georgia after his opponent, Republican Sen. David Perdue, declined to participate in the event. Ossoff is challenging Perdue in the Georgia Senate runoff election on January 5, which will determine which party takes control of the ...
Tags: Politics, Congress, Washington, Senate, Trends, Atlanta, Joe Biden, US Senate, Associated Press, Debate, Biden, Donald Trump, Perdue, Trump, Election 2020, U S Senate

funny pictures, political edition, 2020

Today there is a need for some humor, with it being election day in the U.S. This is a scary election, with millions of people voting for which presidential candidate seems least likely to destroy democracy. (I still can’t get over the fact that out of all the great people here, Joe Biden and Donald […]
Tags: Facebook, Politics, Funny, Joe Biden, 2020, Humor, Debate, Biden, Election, Political Humor, Presidential Election, Trump, Donald, Madea, Funny Pictures

Chris Wallace said he was 'pissed off' when he found out that the Trump family did not have their masks on during the presidential debate

Debate moderator and Fox News anchor Chris Wallace directs the first presidential debate between U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at the Health Education Campus of Case Western Reserve University on September 29, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images Chris Wallace said he was "pissed off" upon learning that multiple guests of President Donald Trump's had avoided wearing a mask while seated in the auditorium.  Several members of...
Tags: Post, Politics, News, Washington Post, Washington, White House, Trends, Joe Biden, United States, Fox News, Debate, Donald Trump, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Trump, Melania Trump, Hope Hicks

Trump boasted he had the 'best Black unemployment numbers' in history, but Black unemployment is nearly double the white jobless rate

When the jobless rate for Black Americans recorded a historic low last year in October, the Black unemployment rate (5.4%) was also roughly 1.7 times that of white unemployment (3.2%). Getty President Donald Trump concluded his remarks on Thursday's debate by lauding how "we had the best Black unemployment numbers in the history of our country" during his presidency. Although Black unemployment hit a historic low last fall, Black Americans marked higher rates than the rest of Americans in ...
Tags: Politics, US, Trends, Joe Biden, Mit, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unemployment, Associated Press, Debate, Donald Trump, Black, Trump, BLS, Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS, Black Americans, Coronavirus

‘We Need To Move On’: Welker Keeps Debate On Track After Week Of Trump Attacks

NBC News White House correspondent Kristen Welker was widely praised for her performance moderating the final presidential debate between President Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden Thursday, following a week of Trump waging attacks against her. Welker, who is the first Black woman to moderate a general-election presidential debate since Carole Simpson of ABC in 1992, was targeted by Trump in the days leading up to her moderation duties. The President repeatedly accused Welker of being “a r...
Tags: New York Post, Rachel Maddow, News, Abc, White House, China, Joe Biden, Williams, Cbs, Debate, Biden, Msnbc, Brian Williams, Trump, Chris Wallace, Jeff Mason

Trump Speaks At Length During Debate In Indecipherable Code Of Far-Right Fever Swamps

President Donald Trump, who spends much of his time in right-wing fever swamps of Twitter and on TV, has come to speak the language — a reality on full display during the last presidential debate of 2020. But for those of us who don’t live in those worlds, it can be impossible to figure out what he’s talking about. In the first hour of the debate, Trump tossed out handfuls of buzzwords for various conspiracy theories, Greek to those who left their Fox News decoders at home. “Joe got $3.5 mill...
Tags: News, Putin, China, Iraq, Russia, Joe Biden, Ukraine, Moscow, Debate, Biden, Donald Trump, Joe, Trump, 2020 Elections, Hunter Biden, Kate Riga

Biden says he would 'shut down the virus, not the country' during the final presidential debate

Democratic Presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 22, 2020. Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images Democratic nominee Joe BIden pushed back during Thursday night's debate against President Donald Trump's repeated claim that he would tank the economy with shutdowns if elected. "I'm going to shut down the virus, not the country," Biden said. "It's his ineptitude tha...
Tags: Politics, Science, US, Trends, Bloomberg, Joe Biden, Debate, Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Nashville Tennessee, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Belmont University, 2020 Election, Jake Lahut, Getty Images Democratic

Report: Ratcliffe Trying To Pull Off Another Pre-Debate Russia Doc Dump

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe again tried to declassify documents that cast doubt on Russia’s 2016 attempt to help President Donald Trump win the election just hours before a 2020 presidential debate, according to Reuters.  Ratcliffe pulled a similar stunt before the first presidential debate, releasing unvetted Russian disinformation about Hillary Clinton’s campaign without contextualizing or disavowing it. The Russian chatter, which Ratcliffe publicized in a letter to Sen...
Tags: New York Post, News, Nbc, Congress, Nsa, Russia, Dnc, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Fox News, Cia, Debate, House Intelligence Committee, Donald Trump, Senate Intelligence Committee, Clinton

Can fake news help you remember real facts better?

In 2019, researchers at Stanford Engineering analyzed the spread of fake news as if it were a strain of Ebola. They adapted a model for understanding diseases that can infect a person more than once to better understand how fake news spreads and gains traction.A new study published in 2020 explores the idea that fake news can actually help you remember real facts better."These findings demonstrate one situation in which misinformation reminders can diminish the negative effects of fake-news expo...
Tags: Psychology, Decision Making, Learning, Memory, Social Media, Mindfulness, Innovation, Storytelling, Debate, Curiosity, Stanford Engineering, Christopher N Wahlheim, Wahlheim

Presidential debate commission allows for muting microphones so Trump and Biden can have uninterrupted time

Democratic Presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden (L) and US President Donald Trump speaking during the first presidential debate at the Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio on September 29, 2020. Jim Watson, Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images The Commission on Presidential Debates announced it will employ new rules at the next debate to mute microphones to allow each presidential candidate gets two minutes of uninterrupted time. The mo...
Tags: Politics, News, Washington Post, Nbc News, US, Trends, Joe Biden, Commission, Nashville, Debate, Biden, Donald Trump, Abc News, Trump, Presidential Debates, Election 2020

Trump and Biden will participate in separate town halls at the same time instead of 2nd presidential debate

President Donald Trump and former Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speak during the first presidential debate on September 29, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. Morry Gash-Pool/Getty Images President Donald Trump will participate in an NBC News town hall on Thursday evening, the network announced on Wednesday. The town hall will take place at the same time as his 2020 Democratic opponent's Joe Biden's on ABC News, which was announced last week.  The change of schedule ca...
Tags: Florida, Politics, News, Nbc, Abc, Nbc News, Trends, Joe Biden, Commission, Miami, Philadelphia, Debate, Biden, Donald Trump, Abc News, George Stephanopoulos

Second Presidential Showdown Is Cancelled After Trump's Tantrum About Debating Remotely

If you were looking forward to seeing President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden shout over each other like two geriatric playground bullies again next week, I have some bad news. Read more...
Tags: Science, Joe Biden, President, Debate, Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Presidential Debates, Trump Administration, President Trump, 2020 Election

Next scheduled presidential debate between Trump and Biden has been canceled, according to reports

Getty The next presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was scrapped, The Wall Street Journal and CNN reported Friday. The Commission on Presidential Debates canceled the upcoming debate, scheduled for October 15, which was changed from an in-person town hall to a virtual meeting, according to reports. The decision was made after Trump and several other people in the White House tested positive for COVID-19 last week. The president s...
Tags: Post, Politics, News, Washington Post, White House, Trends, Joe Biden, Cnn, Nashville, Debate, Biden, Donald Trump, Abc News, Wall Street Journal, Trump, Presidential Debates

Next scheduled presidential debate between Trump and Biden has been canceled

Getty The next presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden was scrapped, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced in a Friday statement. The organizing group canceled the upcoming debate scheduled for October 15, which was changed from an in-person event to a virtual meeting. The decision was made after Trump and several other people in the White House tested positive for COVID-19 last week. The president said he would not parti...
Tags: Post, Politics, News, Washington Post, White House, Trends, Joe Biden, Cnn, Nashville, Debate, Biden, Donald Trump, Abc News, Trump, Election 2020, Nashville Tennessee

A debate between Sen. Lindsey Graham and challenger Jamie Harrison got nixed after Graham refused to take a COVID-19 test

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images A debate between South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison was canceled after Graham refused to get tested for COVID-19.  Harrison demanded on Thursday that Graham take a COVID-19 test before they got together on the debate stage.  The two candidates will separately participate in interviews with local reporters instead. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A debate between South Ca...
Tags: Post, Politics, Science, Cbs News, White House, Trends, Joe Biden, Getty Images, Graham, Debate, Donald Trump, South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, Democratic, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Harrison

Funny Caption 78: Fly in Pence

[Author: [email protected] (Francis Q)]
Tags: Politics, Funny Caption, Humour, Vice President, Debate, Francis, Joke, Pence, Funny Photo

The Fly And Bloodshot Eyes: Pence Fuels Meme-Worthy Debate Moments

Compared to last week’s Trump-fueled debate disaster, Wednesday night’s vice presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) was a more conventional affair, but that didn’t stop subtle-yet-show-stopping moments from going viral (no pun intended). In the midst of Harris’ repeated reminders to Pence that “I’m speaking” and the VP’s repeated dodges on critical issues such as climate change and abortion, Twitter users were quick to react to the absurd moments th...
Tags: Rachel Maddow, News, White House, Joe Biden, Debate, Msnbc, Kamala Harris, Trump, Mike Pence, Joe Scarborough, Rick Wilson, HARRIS, Pence, Josh Gondelman, Katie Rogers, John Harwood

A gigantic fly landed and rested on Pence's head during the vice-presidential debate

A fly hangs out on Vice President Mike Pence's head. CBS News The fly sat on the vice president's head for about two minutes as he debated Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris. The incident sparked an avalanche of online commentary. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A massive fly landed on Vice President Mike Pence's head during Wednesday night's vice-presidential debate.The fly sat on the vice president's head for about two minutes as he debated Democ...
Tags: Politics, News, Trends, Joe Biden, Debate, Kamala Harris, Democratic, Mike Pence, David Mack, Timothy Burke, Jim Acosta, David Nakamura, Joel Kim, CBS News The, Kamala Harris Pence, Eliza Relman David Choi

Pence Changes The Topic On Hard Questions Again And Again And Again

There’s a tried-and-true rule for cable TV talking heads: Answer the question you want to answer, not the one you’re asked.  Vice President Mike Pence, who hosted a talk radio show decades ago, put on an exemplary display of this strategy Wednesday night, during the vice presidential debate which pitted him against Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA).  It started when things got a little too personal for the vice president: President Donald Trump is 74 years old, moderator Susan Page noted, and he...
Tags: News, Supreme Court, Indiana, United States, Debate, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Page, Trump, Mike Pence, Susan, Pence, Susan Page, 2020 Elections, Matt Shuham, Sen Kamala Harris

Instead Of Promising He’d Step Down If He Loses, Pence Spouts Conspiracy Theories

Vice President Mike Pence, following in his boss’ footsteps, refused to commit to stepping down if he and President Donald Trump lose the election. Instead, he dipped into a right-wing grab bag of conspiracy theories. “But when you talk about accepting the outcome of the election, I must tell you, senator, your party has spent the last three and a half years trying to overturn the results of the last election. It’s amazing,” he said, after dodging the question about a transfer of power by exp...
Tags: News, Obama, Congress, White House, Joe Biden, Fbi, United States, Debate, Biden, Usa Today, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Trump, Mike Pence, HARRIS, Pence

Mike Pence and Kamala Harris Trade Barbs in Civil VP Debate

Sen. Kamala Harris blasted the Trump administration’s “incompetent” response to COVID-19 at Wednesday night’s debate, calling it the “greatest failure” of any administration. Vice President Mike Pence defended the administration and accused Harris and Joe Biden of seeking to pack the Supreme Court if Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed. The debate had a calmer […]
Tags: News, Supreme Court, Joe Biden, Debate, Kamala Harris, Trump, Mike Pence, HARRIS, Sen Kamala Harris, Amy Coney Barrett

Mike Pence and Kamala Harris Exchange Barbs in VP Debate

Sen. Kamala Harris blasted the Trump administration’s “incompetent” response to COVID-19 at Wednesday night’s debate, calling it the “greatest failure” of any administration. Vice President Mike Pence defended the administration and accused Harris and Joe Biden of seeking to pack the Supreme Court if Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed. The debate had a calmer […]
Tags: News, Supreme Court, Joe Biden, Debate, Kamala Harris, Trump, Mike Pence, HARRIS, Sen Kamala Harris, Amy Coney Barrett

Did the Coronavirus Plan the Vice Presidential Debate?

The vice presidential debate tonight between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris looks set to go ahead, despite Pence’s recent exposure to people who later tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Given the pitiful precautions enacted to prevent transmission of the aerosol-spread virus—tiny plexiglass barriers, who do you…Read more...
Tags: Science, Debate, Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Pence, Coronavirus, Covid 19

The plexiglass barriers that will separate Harris and Pence at the debate probably won't stop coronavirus-laden aerosols, scientists say

Kamala Harris and Mike Pence will debate each other at the University of Utah on October 7, 2020. Ethan Miller, Joe Raedle/Getty Images Plexiglass barriers will divide Kamala Harris and Mike Pence at the vice presidential debate on Wednesday. The barriers are meant as an additional protective measure to prevent potential COVID-19 transmission. But experts say the barriers would be mostly useless in preventing the spread of microscopic, coronavirus-laden aerosols. Visit Business Insider's h...
Tags: Health, Politics, Science, Supreme Court, Cdc, White House, Trends, Gop, Washington Dc, University of Florida, Debate, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Trump, Democratic, Mike Pence

At least 11 positive coronavirus tests can be linked back to the presidential debate, Cleveland officials say

U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participate in their first 2020 presidential campaign debate in Cleveland Brian Snyder/Reuters Images At least 11 people involved in setup and organizing for last week's presidential debate have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to an announcement from Cleveland officials.  The announcement specifies that the positive tests did not come from people who actually participated in or attended the debate. Nei...
Tags: Politics, Science, News, Washington, White House, Nbc News, Trends, Joe Biden, Debate, Biden, Cleveland, Donald Trump, Clinic, Trump, Melania Trump, Cleveland City Hall

If Trump's symptoms started before Friday, he may have been highly infectious during the debate

President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden speak during the first presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, September 29, 2020. Morry Gash-Pool/Getty Images President Trump tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday. People who have COVID-19 are generally most infectious the day they start showing symptoms and the day prior. So if Trump started showing symptoms before Friday, that means he might have been highly infectious when he deb...
Tags: Health, Science, News, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Trends, Joe Biden, New Jersey, Debate, Biden, Donald Trump, University Of California, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Trump, Bloomberg News, Duluth Minnesota

Here’s Why It’s Unlikely That Trump Infected Biden

Former Vice President Joe Biden tested negative for COVID-19 on Friday, a moment of relief for those panicked that he’d been infected by President Donald Trump at Tuesday’s debate.  While one negative test does not mean Biden is entirely out of the woods due to the virus’ long incubation period, the relatively low exposure from debate night puts Biden in a fairly safe spot.  “The negative test in itself should not be reassuring,” Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting profess...
Tags: News, Cdc, Nbc News, Joe Biden, Cnn, New York Times, Michigan, Debate, Biden, Donald Trump, Republican National Committee, Trump, Mike Pence, George Washington University, Hope Hicks, Wen