#misinformation
42 episodes
#4592: When Political Parties Faceplant at the Ballot Box
From yogic flying to 40% poll mirages — why ambitious political parties crash so hard.
#4515: Where Extremist Forums Actually Went After Reddit Bans
Reddit bans didn't push extremists to the dark web. They went to Telegram. Here's why.
#4514: Reddit's Strangest Corners: Bread Stapled to Trees and Beyond
Exploring the weirdest subreddits — from bread stapled to trees to bot-only communities — and why they thrive.
#4465: True Crime Docuseries That Don't Earn Their Runtime
A countdown of docuseries that stretch thin stories across too many episodes — and the padding tricks they use.
#4398: The Machine Behind Andrew Tate
How pickup forums, Red Pill ideology, and looksmaxxing created the infrastructure that produced Andrew Tate.
#4283: The Nightclub Confrontation That Exposed a Toxic Pipeline
How looksmaxxing forums, livestreaming platforms, and algorithmic amplification converge to radicalize teenagers.
#4258: How Spies Know When a Source Is Lying
From dead bodies with forged letters to double agents invented from guidebooks — how intelligence agencies validate sources.
#4240: When Political Disagreement Becomes Mortal Enmity
Two sitting UK MPs were murdered by extremists. What does the respectful response to Ann Widdecombe's death tell us about political discourse?
#3855: How One Trolley Exposed a Broken Review System
A 4.3-star rating hid dozens of identical complaints. Here's how reviews get gamed and what AI could do about it.
#3853: When Your Name Belongs to Someone Famous
What happens when your name is algorithmically hijacked by a famous or infamous stranger?
#3805: How to Read a Poll Like a Pro
A deep dive into polling mechanics, margins of error, and why 3,000 respondents can represent 10 million people.
#3649: When Wikipedia Feels Less Reliable Than AI
One reader explains why he now trusts AI more than Wikipedia on contested topics like Israel and Zionism.
#3625: The Hitler Sitcom and Other TV Disasters
From a Hitler sitcom to Cop Rock, exploring TV’s most spectacular and bizarre failures.
#3593: Is the Far-Right a Movement or a Media Effect?
How a Belfast attack reveals the machinery stitching isolated crimes into a narrative of imported violence.
#3470: How Antisemitism Amplifies Online: Reality vs. Perception
Are we seeing more antisemitism, or just seeing it more? The data says both.
#3385: The Book as Stage Prop: Pay-to-Publish Unpacked
When anyone can buy a publisher's logo, what happens to the signal a book is supposed to send?
#3342: The Half-Billion Dollar Industry of Fake Crowds
How paid attendees, enthusiasm pricing tiers, and AI scoring create the illusion of organic excitement at events worldwide.
#3304: Rumble's Cloud Business: Video Site or Hosting Giant?
Rumble's $2.1B valuation is driven by cloud infrastructure, not conspiracy videos. Here's what it actually is.
#3211: How Press Freedom Erodes Without a Single Censorship Law
No courtroom, no censor — just a terms-of-service update. How press freedom gets hollowed out in plain sight.
#3209: When Algorithms Become Censors
How SLAPP suits, libel tourism, and Google's algorithm chill journalism more effectively than any law.
#3206: The Free Speech Fault Line: UK's Ban on Piker & Uygur
Why free speech absolutists defend letting controversial figures into the UK — and what history says about hate speech and violence.
#3184: The Prank That Fooled Us All
How a sophisticated hoax exploited emotional vulnerability and what it reveals about deception in the AI age.
#3129: Holden Caulfield vs. the War Briefing
What Salinger’s phoniness detector reveals about how the war with Iran is being reported.
#3087: Inside the Conspiracy Mind: History, Belief, and Harm
Why do humans fall for conspiracy theories? History, psychology, and the surprising data on who actually believes.