This is TED Health, a podcast from TED, and I'm your host, Dr. Shoshana Ungerleiter.

Today, we're talking about something that's at the heart of essentially every debate that we have,

about science, society, and what's true.

And that's why do we believe what we believe?

And why is it so hard to change those beliefs?

My guest today, Dr. Matthew Facciiani, is a researcher at the University of Notre Dame

in the Computer Science and Engineering Department.

He's an interdisciplinary social scientist who studies political polarization and moral

reasoning across neuroscience, psychology, and sociology.

His new book, Misguided, digs into the psychology behind

our most deeply held views, why they feel so personal, and why evidence often isn't enough

to shift our perspectives, especially in an age when misinformation spreads faster and farther

than ever. I find it so valuable to understand how

our beliefs shape how we interpret information. And what I love about Matthew's work is that it

doesn't stop at diagnosing the problem. He offers a practical and research-driven framework for how

we can communicate science more clearly, listen more generously, and engage across

lines of difference with curiosity instead of combat. After my interview with Matthew, stick

around for a TEDx talk by Karen Daw, who explains why so many scientific findings we encounter

in the media can be misleading, and how anyone, not just doctors and scientists, can learn to

judge the reliability of health research more confidently. But before we dive in, a quick break to hear from our sponsors. And now here's my conversation with Dr. Matthew Fatjiani.

Matthew, you study why our brains latch on to certain stories and then reject other ones.

What do you think is the human side of

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