Fun fact: in the 1100s, most people believed that barnacle geese grew on trees. They never saw bird’s eggs because of migration, which was an unknown concept at the time. The myth persisted for nearly 500 years, when explorers finally found nesting sites.
People Have Always Had Weird Beliefs
A lot of commentators blame politics and social media for the spread of conspiracy theories, but the truth is that humans have always had strange theories about the way the world works. The problem is that it can be hard to change minds, even when people are confronted with the truth. Our latest Instaread examines the science behind our beliefs, how they are formed, and why we hold on to them tightly—and how to make someone change their mind.
