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What to Believe Now: Applying Epistemology to Contemporary Issues applies the concerns and techniques of epistemology to a wide variety of contemporary issues. * Defends several widely despised forms of communication, such as rumors, conspiracy theories, and blogs * Presents an accessible approach to a philosophical field of increasing importance * Features original research and insights that are on the cutting edge of the topics it addresses

What can we know and what should we believe about today's world? What to Believe Now: Applying Epistemology to Contemporary Issues applies the concerns and techniques of epistemology to a wide variety of contemporary issues. Coady calls for an "applied turn" in epistemology, a process he likens to the applied turn that transformed the study of ethics in the early 1970s. Subjects dealt with include: * Experts: how can we recognize them and when should we trust them? * Rumors: should they ever be believed, and can they, in fact, be a source of knowledge? * Conspiracy theories: when, if ever, should they be believed, and can they be known to be true? * The blogosphere: how does it compare with traditional media as a source of knowledge and justified belief? * Wikipedia: how does it compare with traditional encyclopedias as a source of knowledge and justified belief? Timely, thought-provoking, and controversial, What to Believe Now offers a wealth of insights into applied epistemology, a branch of philosophy of growing importance - and increasing relevance - in the twenty-first century.