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“The Knowledge Illusion” explains how facts don’t necessarily change our minds

A new book, "The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone" explains why people are so stubborn about their beliefs, even when they lack the most basic information.

The Trump administration, and the political coverage surrounding it, has made facts more elusive, and more contested, than ever. And yet, the lack of concrete information doesn’t seem to stop people from forming an opinion.

A new book, “The Knowledge Illusion: Why We Never Think Alone,” written by cognitive scientists Steven Sloman and Philip Fernbach, explains why people are so stubborn about their beliefs, even when they lack the most basic information.

VICE News sits down Sloman to talk about the book. He explains what makes people confuse opinions for facts and why we all think we know more than we actually do.