Quickies: The Illusory Truth Effect, Randall Munroe Interviews Chris Hadfield, and Alien Runways

• You Are More Than 7 Times As Likely To Be Killed By A Right-Wing Extremist Than By Muslim Terrorists – “Though terrorism perpetrated by Muslims receives a disproportionate amount of attention from politicians and reporters, the reality is that right-wing extremists pose a much greater threat to people in the United States than terrorists connected to ISIS or similar organizations.” From Amy.
• Even People Who Know Better Fall for Lies If They Hear Them Enough – “The researchers found that repeated falsehoods were more likely to be accepted as accurate, ‘regardless of whether stored knowledge could have been used to direct a contradiction.’ “
• The Feminist Asylum That Redefined Women’s Mental-Health Treatment – “A place like Rockhaven—one run by and for women—was especially significant at a time when new and dangerous ideas about women’s sanity were taking hold. During Prohibition, as many young women were drawn to the danger of speakeasies, alcoholism among females rose dramatically. But nobody knew what to do with female alcoholics, and many were involuntarily committed.”
• It’s Time to Reclaim Trolling – ” […] calling this behavior “trolling” minimizes its real-world effects. It’s targeted harassment that seeks to create genuine misery. It is abuse, it is dangerous, and it is revolting. As Anita Sarkeesian has said of Gamergate, trolling is too “childish” a term — it makes it sound like a fun game.”
• Chris Hadfield meets Randall Munroe: ‘Are we alone in the universe?’ – A must-read interview with two of my favorite guys!
• Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport – “Realizing that there would be nowhere for homeless aliens to land, the city officially renamed their 5,000-foot landing strip the “Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport.” Of course this change was not without opposition by residents, who noted the already existing housing shortage and extant issue of terrestrial immigration. Luckily the city planners won out and the spaceport was made official, even getting approval from the FAA, who either have a hidden sense of humor, or know more than they are letting on.”
• Can We Trust the Hacker Philanthropists? – “As much as we might appreciate the generosity of our software billionaires, their raining of money over good causes also highlights the direness of a world in which a handful of individuals, through a combination of skill and luck, end up with monetary resources beyond that of most small nations. There but for the grace of Zuckerberg go we.”

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