EPISODE 100 | Conspirasphere Rising - A Talk w/Derek Arnold (Because Reasons 9)
Guest: Derek Arnold, Senior Instructor at Villanova University, where he teaches a course on The Rhetoric of Conspiracy Theories
The modern conspirasphere sort of starts with the assassination of JFK, and events in the two decades that follow help shape a growing trend toward conspiracy thinking in the United States. Mr. Arnold teaches his students all about this, and also offers guidance in how to construct a toolkit for analyzing conspiracy theories that they can take with them out into the world.
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SECTIONS
03:14 - 2012: A Beginning - Apocalyptic thinking creates some good stories, an overview of some motivations for belief
11:24 - JFK Kicks It Off - Liberals have deep distrust, conservatives hate Communism, both are fighting what they think is the "good fight", Flower Power on one side and Nixon on the other
21:17 - Post-Watergate - Conservatives search for a new Wallace, Reagan invents the soundbite
28:01 - Pop Culture Gets Weird - Woo rising, fantasy films succeed, things are getting better or worse (depending on your perspective)
29:58 - The New Age Movement Comes of Age - Faith replaces proof for some, volume becomes authority
33:05 - Four Tools for the Conspiracy Toolkit - Cui Bono, Occam's Razor, How Many People, Falsifiability
Music by Fanette Ronjat

More Info: 
Derek Arnold at Villanova University
Villanova University Offers Course On Conspiracy Theories on CBS News Philadelphia
From Bigfoot to JFK, Villanova Students Study Conspiracy Theories on Delco Today
Villanova professor discusses conspiracies theories linked to the moon landing 
Why Princess Diana conspiracies refuse to die by Derek Arnold in The Conversation
How Donald Trump Changed the Way College Students Learn About Conspiracy Theories in Time Magazine
Conspiracy theory mentality on WHYY PBS radio
“We sometimes just want to believe” - the theory behind conspiracy theories on KYW Newsradio
Five Hidden Benefits of Gossip in Fast Company

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