Harvesting Happiness is proud to partner with the researchers and scholars at the Mental Immunity Project (MIP) and Cognitive Immunology Research Collaborative (CIRCE).

Listen to two separate 9-part Harvesting Happiness podcast productions that explore the emerging science of cognitive immunology. Both unique series examine how and why disinformation, conspiracy theories, and media propaganda are used to undermine critical thinking and common sense. This impacts how we think and behave as well as our collective well-being.

This episode is #8 of 9 on our flagship podcast. Find nine More Mental Fitness by Harvesting Happiness bonus sessions available exclusively on Substack and Medium.

As the 2024 election cycle begins, the amount of memes for and against political candidates in social media feeds will increase exponentially. Most of which will have been created by AI and will contain subtle influences designed to create polarization within the American voting public. Can you discern between a meme created for entertainment purposes and one created by a disinformation campaign? To discover how to recognize the truth from fiction, Harvesting Happiness Podcast Host Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with a Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and an Instructor in Ethics at Harvard Extension School, Dr. Lee McIntyre. Lee talks about the inspiration for his book, On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy, and shares common practices and dissemination techniques of disinformation campaigns.

Lee McIntyre — Protecting Precious Democracy:

• The Capitol Attack of January 6th, 2021 was the inspiration behind Lee’s writing On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy.  {2:41}
• The origin of misinformation, disinformation, and denial and how they’ve been used to influence public opinion. {3:50}
• Lee’s work with CIRCE assists people in gaining mental immunity and to fight back against disinformation. {17:21}
• How disinformation spreads through the American public without being recognized. {22:20} 
• The connection between polarization and partisanism. {24:52} 
• Acceptance and belonging are important drivers for solidifying a belief. {29:31}
• How disinformation campaigns attempt to create science deniers. {32:55}

This episode of Harvesting Happiness Talk Radio is sponsored by: 

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About Lisa’s guest:

Lee McIntyre is a Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and History of Science at Boston University and an Instructor in Ethics at Harvard Extension School. He holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Michigan. Formerly Executive Director of the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University, he has also served as a policy advisor to the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard and as Associate Editor in the Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

This episode is #8 of 9 on our flagship podcast. Find nine More Mental Fitness by Harvesting Happiness bonus sessions available exclusively on Substack and Medium.

“As a citizen of the world, we don't often recognize the signs of materials when they infiltrate our social media feeds or even mass media." - Lisa Cypers Kamen 

For more inspiration visit www.harvestinghappiness.com!