Search Wisely

"The internet may be creating an army of overconfident pseudoexperts. There are a number of fixes to this problem on the individual level:

"- Be humble. Do not think a little knowledge makes you an expert. Respect the opinions of actual experts. (You don’t have to agree, but at least take them very seriously.)

"- Understand the inherent advantage of a consensus of expert opinion over the opinions of any individual.

"- When searching online, go out of your way to search for information which goes against your current belief or conclusion. Try to find what both or all sides are saying, and reserve your personal judgement until you think you have heard all sides.

"- Understand how online searching is a setup for confirmation bias. Google itself can bias the results of your search. You can turn this feature off.

"- Understand that, in addition to confirmation bias, there is organized bias on the internet – echochambers, astroturf campaigns, and deliberately biased ideological information. Be on the lookout for false information, and carefully vet a source before you rely upon it.

"- As always, there is no substitute for skepticism and critical thinking."

http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-google-university-effect/