#misinformation
46 episodes
#5471: Your News Feed Is Filtering for Failure
40% of people now avoid the news. Here's why the feed distorts reality — and what to read instead.
#5306: The Trump Interview Playbook: A Filing Job, Five Rhetorical Patterns
What happens when a rally-style rhetorical machine gets aimed at a beige cubicle and a filing job? A touchpoint-by-touchpoint playbook.
#5179: Covert Ops That Weaponize Division—What's Real
From KGB active measures to Taiwan's elections: which covert influence operations are documented, and which dramatic claims don't hold up.
#5103: Getting Quoted Without Regret: Source Tips
A listener's dictated email became a published quote he regrets. Here's how to handle being on the record.
#4960: How Clickbait Hijacks Your Brain
The 1835 moon bison hoax, 1920s piano ads, and why you still click on pillow articles.
#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.