The Why Files: Operation Podcast 617: Psyops: From Dead Babies to UFOs - The Same Pattern Every Time
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Nov 17, 2025 A behavioral expert reveals a 20-point test that detects psychological manipulation in media and messaging. From a teenage girl's testimony during the Gulf War to tobacco industry lies, the scoring system uncovers common patterns in corporate and government deception. Discussions highlight social media's role in amplifying harmful narratives and the dangers of pervasive mistrust. Listeners learn how to identify psychological operations and the importance of discerning truth without succumbing to cynicism.
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Narrative Credibility Index Explained
- The Narrative Credibility Index (NCI) uses 20 patterns to score messaging from 0–100.
- Scores above 70 likely indicate a psychological operation while below 40 suggests legitimacy.
Incubator Testimony That Helped Sell The Gulf War
- A 15-year Kuwaiti girl named Nayirah testified that Iraqi soldiers removed babies from incubators.
- Ten years later investigators found she was the ambassador's daughter and her story was fabricated.
Hill & Knowlton's Doubt Campaign
- Hill & Knowlton built a decades-long campaign to manufacture doubt about smoking.
- Internal memos later revealed 'doubt is our product' and the firm delayed regulation for profit.