People follow a crowd, no matter its politics
(World News Science)

Amid the clamor of political polarization and mistrust, new Cornell Tech research has found cause for optimism: When it comes to evaluating news, people tend to trust the opinions of a large group whether it`s composed of liberals or conservatives. The study of 1,000 participants found that Democrats were reliably influenced by Republican-majority crowds and vice versa, though the researchers also found that people are inclined to disregard news that contradict their own political views. `In a practical way, we`re showing that people`s minds can be changed through social influence independent of politics,` said Maurice Jakesch, doctoral student in the field...