For anyone looking to boost their influence, this article might prove interesting.

Have you ever, against your better judgement, nurtured a belief in the paranormal? Or do you believe that gifted rock singers are more likely to die at the age of 27? Maybe you just have the sneaking suspicion that you are smarter, funnier and more attractive than the next person.

If you buy into any of these beliefs, you are probably suffering from confirmation bias - the mind's tendency to pick and choose information to support our preconceptions, while ignoring a wealth of evidence to the contrary. Consider the idea that rock stars die at 27 - a fallacy that crops up time and again in the media. Once you have heard of the 27 club, it is easy to cite a handful of examples that fit the bill - Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse - while forgetting the countless other musicians who survived their excesses past ...

                                                                    - Dan Jones, 28 May 2012 for New Scientist, issue 2866