10 Things (I Think) I Think About the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)

Untested Hypothesis #9: Search ruts are a thing.

Factoid: What you search for (including past searches) influences what you “find.”

This one might not classify as “untested,” actually, because there’s a wealth of study on this topic. Search engines very often amplify⁴¹ confirmation bias,⁴² and it’s challenging to counteract this effect on your own. These folks⁴³ convincingly argue that responsible algorithm construction is vital; that is, on the front end, designers have to make search engines broader, thereby “promot[ing] belief updating.” But I think it’s possible for the responsible user to go into the query process with a bias toward “belief updating,” particularly if you know that standard search engines are going to promote the opposite. In other words: be a seeker, not (simply) a searcher, and lean into “making meaning and mystery” out of the liminal space.

I also think a little understanding of the mechanics of search engines⁴⁴ (hat tip: Dr. Bonnici) can help alter behavior on the user’s end (and therefore mitigate the bias effect somewhat). A good vocabulary helps, as does knowing a little bit about a lot of things (i.e., the dabbler’s mindset). It’s also advantageous to have a basic understanding of the modes of classical rhetoric: namely Logos, Pathos, and Ethos⁴⁵ — which, of course, implies that most of what we find in a search engine is either an argument in itself or it presents data and information that can be used to make an argument. (Pro-tip: search-world is long on pathos, and it’s short on the other two, ethos in particular.)

NEXT: Untested Hypothesis #10: Michael Stipe (et al) = Poet(s) + Prophet(s).