Foolproof : why misinformation infects our minds and how to build immunity / Sander van der Linden.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 303-342) and index.

Part one Viruses of the mind. -- 1 Illusory truth : how our brains discern fact from fiction -- 2 The motivated brain : what you want to believe -- 3 The conspiracy effect : The truth is out there -- 4 Why the virus won't leave your mind : the continued influence of misinformation -- Part two Infodemic : how the misinformation virus spreads. 5 Misinformation pathogens : from ancient Rome to social media -- 6 Rage against the machine : echo chambers and filter bubbles -- 7 Weapons of mass persuasion -- Part three A psychological vaccine against misinformation. 8 The new science of prebunking -- 9 Bad News : the six degrees of manipulation -- 10 Psychological herd immunity -- 11 How to inoculate your friends and family -- Epilogue -- The future of truth -- 11 Antigens to stop the spread of misinformation.

"From fake news to conspiracy theories, from inflammatory memes to misleading headlines, misinformation has swiftly become the defining problem of our era. The crisis threatens the integrity of our democracies, our ability to cultivate trusting relationships, even our physical and psychological well-being--yet most attempts to combat it have proven insufficient. In Foolproof, one of the world's leading experts on misinformation lays out a crucial new paradigm for understanding and defending ourselves against the worldwide infodemic."-- Provided by publisher.