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To obtain that evidence, we would need to investigate changes in knowledge over time and to control for the effects of factors other than Web 2.0 – a daunting empirical challenge.

Suppose that you start with a strong but baseless conviction – say, that a widely shared scientific belief is poppycock, or that a familiar household product is dangerous, or that nefarious people are conspiring against your kind, or that the best medicine is no medicine.

Few false beliefs are that harmful, but extremists and dupes of all kinds can find apparently plausible support for unjustified claims in a heartbeat (not least in the context of a heated presidential contest).

Few false beliefs are that harmful, but extremists and dupes of all kinds can find apparently plausible support for unjustified claims in a heartbeat (not least in the context of a heated presidential contest).