Why do people believe weird things? The Bayesian Brain, Conspiracy Theories, and Intellectual Vices (additional Corona-related funding)

One of the leading hypotheses in cognitive science is the claim that cognitive processes are aimed at optimal results prescribed by the norms of Bayesian decision theory. However, this view faces the problem of explaining how people arrive at irrational beliefs, such as conspiracy theories about cellular 5G networks being the cause of the Covid-19 virus, despite abundant evidence against their plausibility. This challenge to Bayesianism will be addressed by turning to vice epistemology, social epistemology, and situated approaches to cognition. The working hypothesis is that a full understanding of the dynamics of irrational beliefs requires a multifactorial model integrating multiple sources of bias, including personal intellectual traits and societal influence.