"Why Facts don't Change our Minds" by Elizabeth KolbertBy Elizabeth Kolbert, a staff writer for The New Yorker: "In a study, graduate students were asked to rate their understanding of everyday devices, including toilets, zippers, and cylinder locks. They were then asked to write detailed, step-by-step explanations of how the devices work, and to rate their understanding again. Apparently, the effort revealed to the students their own ignorance, because their self-assessments dropped. (Toilets, it turns out, are more complicated than they appear.) [This is called] the 'illusion of explanatory depth.' People believe that they know way more than they actually do. Where it gets us into trouble is in the political domain. It’s one thing for me to flush a toilet without knowing how it operates, and another for me to favor (or oppose) an immigration ban without knowing what I’m talking about.” (Caveat: This article about the perils of superficial thinking ironically includes a superficial dismissal of the entire Trump Administration. I regret that this is the case and hope that you will appreciate the bulk of the piece nonetheless.)