A great pitfall in scientific research – and in everyday life – is the very human penchant to see what we want to see rather what is actually there. In psychology and cognitive science, this tendency to filter reality to bolster our own views, theories or explanations is called confirmation bias. It’s deadly in scientific research because it drives well-meaning and quite dedicated researchers to interpret evidence in a way that’s unwittingly partial to existing beliefs or theories, which skews results, blocks valid conclusions and often points in the wrong direction. Confirmation bias also explains why we think our political views, for example, are self-evident to all rational people, and why those holding opposing views must be mistaken. In the extreme, political punditry in the U.S. owes its entire existence to confirmation bias. People seek out news, entertainment and commentary…