Misinformation really does spread like a virus, suggest mathematical models drawn from epidemiology

By Sander van der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology in Society, University of Cambridge
David Robert Grimes, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics, Public Health & Primary Care, Trinity College Dublin

We’re increasingly aware of how misinformation can influence elections. About 73% of Americans report seeing misleading election news, and about half struggle to discern what is true or false.

When it comes to misinformation, “going viral” appears to be more than a simple catchphrase. Scientists have found a close analogy between the spread of misinformation and the spread of viruses. In fact, how misinformation gets around can be effectively…

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