On The Gist, Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker rounds up the holiday season’s most tedious myths for a game we call “Is That Bulls—t?” Her new book, The Confidence Game, is now available for preorder. For the Spiel, all the things we don’t know but tend to report in wake of another mass shooting.

Today’s sponsors:

Stamps.com, where you can buy and print official U.S. postage right from your desk using your own computer and printer. Use the promo code THEGIST to get a no-risk trial and a $110 bonus offer. 

The Message, a new podcast series from GE Podcast Theater. The entire season is available now on iTunes.

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