W. BRUCE CAMERON - The Misinformation Diet

The Internet has turned the world into one gigantic linked community, capable of instantly sharing vast amounts of incorrect information. Anyone can create a “fact,” such as, “If you do nothing but watch sports all weekend, the lack of physical activity will convince your body it is slipping into a coma, so to stave off unconsciousness it will start burning calories like crazy.”

Post this new fact to a blog, and the search engines will dutifully pick it up so you can win an argument with your spouse. (Searching on “lack of physical activity” will also result in “Michael Moore.”)

I discovered t...