58. Why the Worst, Most Deceptive People Are Also the Most Politically Savvy w/ Michael Bang Peterson

Spreading rumors and misinformation about enemies for political gain has deep roots in humanity’s affinity for tribal behavior, says political scientist and evolutionary psychologist Michael Bang Petersen of Aarhus University in Denmark. His latest work shows that the biggest super-spreaders of misinformation and hatred on social media are actually the most politically savvy and well-connected. 

In this interview we talk about his latest work and about how both the US and Denmark recently ended many pandemic restrictions. But in his country it went smoothly and here people are either outraged that restrictions are ending or outraged they were ever imposed. We talk about Dr. Bang Petersen’s New York Times piece, “The End of the Pandemic May Tear Us Apart.” Why isn’t it tearing Denmark apart? They have trust and shared, realistic goals. 

“Follow the Science" is produced, written, and hosted by Faye Flam. Today’s episode was edited by Seth Gliksman with music by Kyle Imperatore. If you’d like to hear more "Follow the Science," please like, follow, and subscribe!