It is only through a proper understanding of these social effects that one can fully understand how false beliefs with significant, real-world consequences persist, even in the face of evidence of their falsehood. And during an era when fake news can dominate real news and influence elections and policy, this sort of understanding is a necessary step toward crafting a successful response. In part, our argument draws on historical (and recent) examples of false beliefs that have spread through communities of people trying to learn about the world.
