“The broader question behind all this is why do we believe certain stories and not others,” says Paul Slovic, professor of psychology at the University of Oregon. Slovic, who studies the way we assess risk and apply empathy, says the fear of erroneous sexual assault allegations mirrors the way we choose to believe (or not believe) things like climate change data, or reports of genocide. “Our basic way of responding is through our feelings,” he says. “In ancient times, people didn’t have statistics to guide them. They went on their gut feelings. And that kind of reaction in our brain to let ourselves be guided by our feelings is still with us today. It’s a very sophisticated mechanism, but we can be misled by it.”