Why are we being fooled?

From the spread of disinformation and the operations of troll factories to the deceptive tactics of telephone scammers and the proliferation of scam emails – the digital landscape is rife with various forms of deception, and we have a global industry that affects everything from democratic elections to our everyday consumption of goods, news, and culture.

For an individual, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between what is true and false, what is a cunning seller’s magnet, and what is a genuine message. Are we all becoming victims of extensive deception? Is there a way out?

As algorithms evolve towards greater intelligence and AI sharpens its capabilities, we can take solace in the fact that research is becoming increasingly precise in understanding why we continually fall prey to deception. In the USA, extensive research is underway exploring the interplay between market dynamics and human behavior. A renowned expert of behavioral research will visit Sweden this spring and discuss his latest book, soon to be available in Swedish under the title “Förd bakom ljuset”.

With his bestseller “The Invisible Gorilla” about the famous experiment where you should look at a group of people who suddenly get the company of a person in a gorilla suit, Christopher Chabris has become an icon in behavioral research, often by putting contemporary cultural phenomena under the experimental psychologist’s magnifying glass.

Welcome to an evening about deceptions, frauds, and fake news and how we, with the help of research, can become better at avoiding it.

Isabella Lundgren, award-winning jazz singer and artist, is responsible for the music during the evening.

Participants:
Christopher Chabris, professor of psychology at Geisinger Research Institute and one of the authors of “Förd bakom ljuset”.

Åsa Wikforss, professor of theoretical philosophy at Stockholm University, member of the Swedish Academy, and author of “Filosofiska klarlägganden i en grumlig tid”.

Andreas Olsson, professor of psychology at the Karolinska Institutet and at the helm of a research lab known as the Emotion Lab

Moderator: Christer Sturmark, publisher at Fri Tanke