It seems like these days literally ANYTHING is up for debate. The overwhelming amount of information we have access to hasn't made it easier to find the truth. In fact, it's made debate on subjects more divisive than ever. There's even a group called the Flat Earth Society, that argues that the earth is flat, the moon landing was a fake, and the edges of the Earth are still out there, undiscovered. Why is this the case?

A lot of this is based on the problem of...

Confirmation bias is a psychological phenomenon.  It describes how people, when confronted with facts that oppose their existing beliefs, disregard those facts and seek out sources that confirm their existing beliefs.

To fight confirmation bias:

Often bias is can be detected by looking at the words an article uses. Take a look at these words:

Download the handout linked below. Complete the reading and find an article to evaluate for bias.