All posts tagged: Belief

Watching Fox News increases belief in “Great Replacement” hokum

Watching Fox News increases belief in “Great Replacement” hokum

Published by Sam Flores

During a Washington Nationals baseball game on May 17, 2026, three people unfurled a large banner from the upper deck of Nationals Park displaying a link to a white nationalist website. The website, warning of the replacement of whites by people of color, called for the deportation of 100 million people from the United States. The disturbing incident reflects the broader ascendance of the “great replacement theory,” the xenophobic conspiracy theory asserting that shadowy elites are embracing permissive immigration policies to replace native-born white Americans with immigrants of color. Prominent Republicans, including President Donald Trump, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson, have echoed ideas associated with the great replacement theory. And conservative media outlets, such as Fox News, have disseminated them to millions of viewers. But are the xenophobic ideas recently expressed at Nationals Park limited to a small number of extremists, or are they also endorsed by the broader public? If the latter, how do political and media elites contribute to their spread? To answer these questions, our team …

New research challenges the belief that yo-yo dieting ruins your metabolism

New research challenges the belief that yo-yo dieting ruins your metabolism

Published by Jenni Sidey

Losing weight and regaining it has long been blamed for harming metabolism and heart health. But a sweeping new review finds little evidence that weight cycling itself causes lasting damage in people with obesity, raising a more important question about what really drives risk. Losing weight, gaining it back, then trying again can feel exhausting. For many people, the emotional toll is just as heavy as the physical struggle. Over the years, repeated weight loss and regain, often called “yo-yo dieting” or weight cycling, earned a damaging reputation. Some experts warned it could permanently slow metabolism, increase fat gain and raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes. A new scientific review now challenges that belief. After examining decades of research in humans and animals, scientists concluded there is no convincing evidence that weight cycling itself causes lasting harm in people with obesity. Their message was direct and reassuring. Trying to lose weight, even if the weight later returns, appears far less harmful than many people once feared. Weight regain after weight loss (CREDIT: 1The …

What to read this week: the excellent Beyond Belief by Helen Pearson

What to read this week: the excellent Beyond Belief by Helen Pearson

Published by skeptic

Vaccination efforts can stumble, but not for lack of evidence Ezra Acayan/Getty Images Beyond BeliefHelen Pearson,Princeton University Press  Often, when I read a non-fiction book, I think “this could have been an essay”. An argument that could have been made in 10,000 words gets dragged out to 100,000 with filler anecdotes, repetition and, worst-case, bad extrapolations into topics the writer isn’t qualified to discuss. I won’t name names – we’ve all read the books. Beyond Belief: How evidence shows what really works is the rare example of the opposite: I genuinely wanted it to be longer. It is a book about the seemingly dry topic of evidence-based policy, exploring how experiments and trials can be used in fields like international development, policing and management. It talks a lot about systematic reviews. Yet because it is so readable and punchy, I burned through the whole thing in a weekend. Author Helen Pearson is a journalist and a senior editor at the journal Nature. I should say, I know her slightly: she has edited a few of …

New research challenges the idea that logical thinking diminishes religious belief

New research challenges the idea that logical thinking diminishes religious belief

Published by José Betancourt

Activating analytical thinking does not appear to reduce a person’s religious beliefs. This finding provides evidence against the popular idea that leaning on logic directly diminishes faith. The findings were recently published in the journal Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. Luz Acera Martini, a doctoral fellow and doctoral candidate in psychology at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council, and Esteban Freidin, a researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council with a doctorate in philosophy, conducted the research. Both scientists are affiliated with the Universidad Nacional del Sur in Argentina. They sought to examine exactly how cognitive styles influence faith. Previous studies in the cognitive science of religion suggested that engaging in analytical thinking could suppress the basic mental intuitions that make religious beliefs appealing. Many psychologists think that human reasoning relies on two main systems. One system is fast and intuitive, while the other is slow and analytical. Some past experiments indicated that exposing people to tasks that prompt slow, logical thought could lower their reported religious beliefs. This concept assumes that …

Fox News viewership linked to belief in a racist conspiracy theory

Fox News viewership linked to belief in a racist conspiracy theory

Published by José Betancourt

White Americans who regularly get their political news from Fox News show much higher levels of support for the Great Replacement Theory than those who do not watch the network. By tracking individual viewers over time, researchers found that increases in viewing specific television programs on this network corresponded with an elevated belief in this conspiracy theory. These findings were published in the journal PS: Political Science & Politics. The Great Replacement Theory is a xenophobic framework with origins in right-wing French political thought. It proposes that powerful elites are deliberately relaxing immigration policies to flood the United States with foreigners. Adherents believe these undocumented immigrants will serve as an obedient voting block to keep progressive elites in power indefinitely. The theory claims this process will ultimately replace native-born white citizens and strip them of their political, economic, and cultural dominance. Historically, these demographic fears existed isolated on the obscure margins of political discourse, largely confined to extremist websites. In recent years, high-profile conservative figures have brought these concepts out of the shadows and straight …

New research challenges belief new plug-in hybrids cost more to buy than EVs

New research challenges belief new plug-in hybrids cost more to buy than EVs

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get our weekly Drive Smart newsletter for motoring news, reviews and advice from EV editor Steve Fowler Get motoring news, reviews and advice from EV editor Steve Fowler Get our EV editor’s weekly Drive Smart newsletter New research has found that most new plug-in hybrid vehicles (Phevs) cost more to buy than their fully electric equivalents. The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) think tank said its analysis found the UK’s 10 best-selling new Phevs were, on average, £4,150 higher than an equivalent EV. Phevs, which combine an electric motor with a petrol or diesel engine, are often believed to be cheaper than pure electric vehicles because they utilise smaller batteries. However, this analysis suggests the opposite is true for the most sought-after models. They included: The VW Tiguan Phev being £5,780 more expensive than the VW ID.4 EV. The Ford Kuga Phev being £4,035 more expensive than the Ford Explorer EV. The MG HS Phev being £3,400 more expensive than the MG S5 EV. The ECIU said the fuel consumption of Phevs is nearly …

Triggering memories of lost freedom sparks anger and belief in bogus conspiracies

Triggering memories of lost freedom sparks anger and belief in bogus conspiracies

Published by José Betancourt

Two studies conducted in Canada found that subliminally priming memories of a frustrated need for autonomy increases the likelihood that people will endorse a bogus conspiracy theory, be angered by it, and express willingness to disseminate it. The research was published in the Journal of Personality. Conspiracy beliefs are beliefs that important events or situations are secretly controlled by powerful groups acting in hidden and harmful ways. They usually assume that official explanations are false or incomplete and that the real truth is being deliberately concealed. People may develop conspiracy beliefs when they feel uncertain, threatened, powerless, or unable to make sense of confusing events. Such beliefs can also be strengthened by distrust in governments, institutions, science, or the media. A strong need for certainty, control, and simple explanations can make conspiracy theories especially appealing. Social influences also matter, because people are more likely to adopt these beliefs when they are common in their social group or repeatedly encountered online. Emotional factors such as fear, anger, loneliness, and resentment can further increase receptivity to conspiracy …

Politics Home | Keir Starmer Says It “Beggars Belief” Officials Withheld Information Over Peter Mandelson

Politics Home | Keir Starmer Says It “Beggars Belief” Officials Withheld Information Over Peter Mandelson

Published by Sam Flores

(Alamy) 2 min read13 min Keir Starmer has said it “beggars belief” the Foreign Office withheld information over Peter Mandelson’s vetting failure. The Prime Minister addressed MPs in the House of Commons on Monday after it came to light that Mandelson was appointed as US ambassador despite serious security concerns and failing vetting checks.  It has also emerged that the single biggest client of Mandelson’s ex-lobbying firm Global Counsel was linked to the Chinese army. Downing Street has said security concerns and vetting failures were not raised with them after Mandelson was appointed.  Starmer told MPs it was “astonishing” neither he nor his cabinet were informed about Mandelson prior to securing the job. Starmer told the Commons: “I know many members across the House will find these facts to be incredible.” “To that, I can only say they are right. It beggars belief that throughout the whole timeline of events, officials in the Foreign Office saw fit to withhold this information from the most senior ministers in our system in government. “That is …

‘It beggars belief’: UK military reveal locations inside sensitive bases through exercise app | UK News

‘It beggars belief’: UK military reveal locations inside sensitive bases through exercise app | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

A Conservative MP has said it “beggars belief” that UK military personnel have revealed their locations inside sensitive military bases via the Strava exercise app. Ben Obese-Jecty, a former army officer, has criticised what he regards as the potential threat from Britain’s adversaries, who might discover personal details via the tracking platform. It is reported nearly 520 people working at some of the UK’s most sensitive sites have shared their activity publicly on the app, according to The i Paper. Mr Obese-Jecty, who represents Huntingdon, wrote on X: “I stopped using Strava when I became an MP and I locked down my profile long before that. The app has numerous features to enable you to keep your data private. “It beggars belief that our armed forces don’t have a grip of this given the current, and very real, threat posed by sub-threshold activity from our adversaries.” Using GPS, the Strava app tracks certain activities, like running and cycling, and allows users to share the routes they have taken. The newspaper found that, since January, 110 …

Humanism After Belief: What Responsibility Requires

Humanism After Belief: What Responsibility Requires

Published by Sam Flores

Secular humanism has been remarkably effective at dismantling religious metaphysics. It has been far less willing to ask what it owes the people who must live without them. For many secular humanists, this omission feels reasonable. If a belief is false, arbitrary or harmful, then exposing it should be enough. Truth, after all, is a moral good which respects the dignity and rationality of human beings. But this confidence rests on an assumption that deserves closer scrutiny: that removing belief is ethically sufficient, regardless of the psychological and moral weight that belief had been carrying. It is here that humanism encounters an unresolved moral responsibility—one that critique alone cannot discharge. Dignity, Purpose, and the Human Condition Human dignity is inherent. It does not depend on status, achievement, belief or obedience. But lived dignity—the experience of oneself as a moral agent—does not exist in abstraction. It must be enacted. And enactment requires orientation. Human beings cannot live a dignified life without a sense of purpose that renders their actions meaningfully directed—not because their worth must be …