Gell-Mann Amnesia (GMA) is a defense mechanism that occurs when someone reads a news article about a subject they know well and finds it to be inaccurate, but then proceeds to read the rest of the newspaper as if it is more accurate. The term was coined by Michael Crichton and named after Murray Gell-Mann, a physicist with whom Crichton discussed the phenomenon.
Here's an example of GMA: • You read a news article about a subject you know well, like physics, and find it to be full of errors. • You read the article with exasperation or amusement, but then turn the page to read about national or international affairs. • You read the rest of the newspaper as if it is more accurate than the article you just read, even though it is just as likely to be inaccurate. Crichton called these types of stories "wet streets cause rain" stories.
Red River Post
Gell-Mann Amnesia (GMA) is a defense mechanism that occurs when someone reads a news article about a subject they know well and finds it to be inaccurate, but then proceeds to read the rest of the newspaper as if it is more accurate. The term was coined by Michael Crichton and named after Murray Gell-Mann, a physicist with whom Crichton discussed the phenomenon.
Here's an example of GMA:
• You read a news article about a subject you know well, like physics, and find it to be full of errors.
• You read the article with exasperation or amusement, but then turn the page to read about national or international affairs.
• You read the rest of the newspaper as if it is more accurate than the article you just read, even though it is just as likely to be inaccurate.
Crichton called these types of stories "wet streets cause rain" stories.
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