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7 Feb, 7 tweets, 2 min read
Thanks to confirmation bias and powerful algorithms, social platforms often amplify the voices we agree with most. Over time, this creates echo chambers, which can deepen societal divisions to a dangerous degree.

Here’s how to break out of yours 1/ wired.trib.al/xxZNC22
“Like” everything.

Algorithms can’t categorize you if they can’t determine what you really like. Be generous and you’ll be rewarded with something beyond grateful friends who are glad you noticed their posts 2/
Actively cultivate prestige media on all sides.

To avoid trolls, follow prestige publications across the political spectrum. A profile searching for ‘The National Review’ and ‘The New Yorker’ means you’ll keep your newsfeed clear of the most polarizing stories 3/
Pay attention to the amount of followers the people you follow have.

Research shows that individuals who have a large disparity in their follower/ following ratio tend to acquire outsized influence. Be cognizant of these accounts, and don’t be afraid to mute them 4/
Change feeds to focus on recency rather than personalization.

Platforms tend to bury this feature in the settings, but changing it is worth the effort. Doing so takes back some power from the algorithm and might show you posts from accounts you haven’t seen in years 5/
Create space for new voices.

To really start to see changes in your feed, consider temporarily muting celebrities whose accounts share your perspectives to make room for different voices to appear 6/
Research has shown that “balanced” feeds can cause a positive effect that cascades through social media. By breaking out of your echo chamber, you're also building an environment that makes it possible for others to achieve the same result 7/ wired.trib.al/xxZNC22

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16 Jan
Spurred by the pandemic and protests against racial injustice, the United States now has an estimated 8.4 million more gun owners than it did at the start of 2020. As guns have risen in popularity, so too have tactical firearms courses 1/wired.trib.al/NBJ8VIB
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Here are the five steps Nelson Dellis, a four-time USA Memory Champion, uses and the science of how they work 1/ (via @WiredUK) wired.trib.al/M8lPItR
Start With Strong Images
Turn whatever you're memorizing into images. Use pics that you can almost feel, smell, and see. You want to create big, multisensory memories.

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He made it to Florida, where, in 2018, he was found dead in his tent. No one’s been able to figure out who he was. 1/ wired.trib.al/4s2CpNg
Mostly Harmless’ fingerprints didn’t show up in any law enforcement database; his DNA didn’t match any in the Department of Justice’s missing person database; a picture of his face didn’t turn up anything in a facial recognition database. Investigators couldn’t find a thing. 2/
They don’t even understand how or why he died. There were no indications of foul play and, despite the fact that he had food nearby, he weighed just 83 pounds at the time of his death. The only substances Mostly Harmless tested positive for were ibuprofen and an antihistamine. 3/
Read 9 tweets

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