The Misinformation Trap and Changing Minds: My Journey from Creationist to BiologistThe Misinformati

Name: The Misinformation Trap and Changing Minds: My Journey from Creationist to BiologistThe Misinformati
Start: 2025-03-29T19:00:00-05:00
Location: Ethical Society of St. Louis

Schedule

Sat, 29 Mar, 2025 at 07:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Ethical Society of St. Louis | Clayton, MO

Why do intelligent people fall for science denial, pseudoscience, or conspiracy theories? In this talk, Melanie Trecek-King explores how cognitive biases, social influences, and deeply held beliefs can trap us in misinformation. Drawing on my own experience, I’ll explain why facts alone often fail to change minds, and how curiosity, skepticism, and empathy can help us navigate today’s complex information landscape—and connect with those who disagree with us.
Join Melanie again for a Platform talk, "A Guide to Practical Thinking: The Power of Questioning Our Beliefs," Sunday, March 30, at 11 a.m.
Our speaker Melanie Trecek-King is the creator of Thinking Is Power—whose name is a riff on the old adage “knowledge is power”—which emphasizes learning the ability to find and use reliable information to make wiser decisions. Thinking Is Power uses accessible language and engaging graphics to demonstrate how to think, not what to think, and empowers learners to protect themselves from misinformation. Trecek-King is an associate professor of biology at Massasoit Community College, where she teaches an award-winning science course designed to equip general-education students with essential critical thinking, information literacy, and science literacy skills. An active writer and speaker, Trecek-King loves to share her “teach skills, not facts” approach with other science educators and help schools and organizations meet their goals through better thinking.