I’ve been running a social experiment before party games. I give everyone at the table a stack of post-its and slap one in the middle of the table with the numbers 2, 4, 6 written on it. I explain that the numbers follow a rule, and they need to find out what the rule is. They may pass me any set of three numbers and I will mark YES or NO if their set follows the rule. They may submit as many sets as they like, and when everyone’s done we go around the table and hear their rules.

The rule is: ANY ASCENDING SERIES. No one has ever gotten it right. Dozens of people of varying degrees of professional education all failed to deduce the simple rule. Not only has no one ever inferred the correct answer, no one has ever submitted a NO series. I then explain their failure is due to Cognitive Bias, or more specifically, Confirmation Bias. No one challenged their theory, they just looked for confirmation.

Then comes the part of the evening where I am attacked and ridiculed for misrepresentation, poor presentation and bad hygiene. I have been increasingly cautious with my production and laundering to avoid this stage (to no avail). Every person on every point on every spectrum denies their cog bias.

I have succeeded in uniting Atheist, Christians, Darwinists, Creationists, Heathens, Pagans and Drunks under a common cause; Universal Denial