Professor Sander van der Linden explores the impact of misinformation and how to prevent its spread within the general public. His work as Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Cambridge and Director of the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab focuses on the origins of "fake news" and its role in societal divisions. 

In this conversation with Will Hutton, he discusses his research into proactive strategies like "pre-bunking" to build defences against manipulation through misinformation. His lab has created a game called Get Bad News aimed at building psychological resistance against online misinformation. You can play his game and learn more about it here (https://www.sdmlab.psychol.cam.ac.uk/research/bad-news-game).  The conversation also addresses the responsibilities of social media companies and the need for stronger regulation when it comes to countering online misinformation. 

In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

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The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

Producer: Emily Uchida Finch

Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert

A Whistledown Production