Are we only seeing the kind of news we want to see on social media? What effects do personalized algorithms have on our perception of news quality? Do algorithms help us serendipitously encounter ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Imagine a town with two widget merchants. Customers prefer cheaper widgets, so the merchants must compete to set the lowest price.

Last year, fashion publications wrote extensively about the impact of the algorithm on personal style. (Vogue Business included.) In last year’s fashion conversation, ‘the algorithm’ surpassed its ...