Is it an actual conspiracy, or just a theory about one? In episode 81, Tim Tangherlini from the University of California Berkeley’s Folklore Program discusses his research into how conspiracy theorists interpret and use what they believe is “hidden knowledge” to connect multiple human interactions that are otherwise unlinked ... and how when one of these links is cut, they're less able to hold together a coherent story about it. His open access article “An automated pipeline for the discovery of conspiracy and conspiracy theory narrative frameworks: Bridgegate, Pizzagate and storytelling on the web” which he published with Shadi Shahsavari, Behnam Shahbazi, Ehsan Ebrahimzadeh, and Vwani Roychowdhury on June 16, 2020 in the journal PLOS One. 



Picking Apart Conspiracy Theories - Tim TangherliniPicking Apart Conspiracy Theories - Tim TangherliniPicking Apart Conspiracy Theories - Tim Tangherlini Picking Apart Conspiracy Theories - Tim TangherliniPicking Apart Conspiracy Theories - Tim TangherliniPicking Apart Conspiracy Theories - Tim Tangherlini {{svg_share_icon}}Click bottom of waveform to add your commentsSubscribe: iTunes | Google Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | RSS jQuery(document).ready(function ($){var settings_ap7660 = { design_skin: "skin-wave" ,autoplay: "off",disable_volume:"default" ,loop:"off" ,cue: "on" ,embedded: "off" ,preload_method:"metadata" ,design_animateplaypause:"default" ,skinwave_dynamicwaves:"off" ,skinwave_enableSpectrum:"off" ,skinwave_enableReflect:"on",playfrom:"off",default_volume:"default",disable_scrub:"off",soundcloud_apikey:"" ,skinwave_comments_enable:"on",settings_php_handler:window.ajaxurl,skinwave_mode:"alternate",skinwave_wave_mode:"canvas",pcm_data_try_to_generate: "on","pcm_notice": "off","notice_no_media": "on",design_color_bg: "111111",design_color_highlight: "FF4C65",skinwave_wave_mode_canvas_waves_number: "3",skinwave_wave_mode_canvas_waves_padding: "1",skinwave_wave_mode_canvas_reflection_size: "0.25",skinwave_wave_mode_canvas_mode:"normal",preview_on_hover:"off",skinwave_comments_playerid:"7660",embed_code:"<iframe src='https://www.parsingscience.org?action=embed_zoomsounds&type=player&margs=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%3D%3D' style='overflow:hidden; transition: height 0.3s ease-out;' width='100%' height='152' scrolling='no' frameborder='0'></iframe>"

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Websites and other resources







Tim's Twitter profile

The Bridgegate dataset

Network graph: "Dissecting the #PizzaGate conspiracy theories" (New York Times)

Network graph: "Chris Christie and the lane closings: A spectator’s guide" (New York Times)

Archived r/pizzagate subreddit (banned by Reddit on November 12, 2016) and still-active Voat subverse v/pizzagate

Research mentioned: "Conspiracy theorists believe wild ideas because they want to feel special" (Quartz)

Research mentioned: "Why some people are more likely to believe wild conspiracy theories than others" (Business Insider Australia)

Vladimir Propp's theory of narrative structure

"Learning from Lombardi" on Mark Lombardi’s neo-c...