The science of Trump and Brexit: Researchers reveal how our brains take sides and make people far more entrenched in their views

Finally a new year is here after the most politically divisive 12 months in a very long time. In the UK, Brexit shattered dreams and friendships. In the US, the polarisation was already huge, but a bitter election campaign made the divisions even deeper. A researcher from King's College London explains how we start with fairly small opinions about an issue to being fully entrenched, as many may not have been for one side during Brexit but were completely sure their opinions were in fact right How is it possible that people come to hold such widely different views of reality? And what can we do (if anything) to break out of the cycle of increasingly hostile feelings towards people who seem to be on'the other side' from us?