The Social Chemist

Send us a textOn today's episode, DeMario Phipps-Smith, a Senior Manager of Community Learning at the News Literacy Project, joins me to discuss news media literacy. As AI technology evolves at a fast pace, scholars on misinformation wonder how this will change our understanding of false narratives. What role do educators have in this social problem, and what tools can be used? The discussion will help us better understand this complex issue and offer resources to help combat disinformation. FacebookThe Social Chemist | FacebookInstagramThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videosTwitterThe Social Chemist | TwitterThreadThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on ThreadsSubstackThe Social Chemist | Substack Educator ResourcesNews Literacy ProjectDeMario Phipps-Smith DeMario Phipps-Smith | LinkedInRecommended Social Chemist EpisodeA New Era in Disinformation: AI Generated Imagery w/ Todd C. Helmus (buzzsprout.com)

Send us a textOn today's episode, Matthew Facciani a sociologist at the University of Notre Dame in the Computer Science and Engineering department joins me to discuss how negative vaccine attitudes don't necessarily tell us about public health behaviors. We touch upon whether government regulations of social media to mitigate misinformation are effective and other strategies in reducing conspiracy theory consumption. Lastly, we talk about his first book "Misguided: Where Misinformation starts, how it spreads, and what to do about it" and the central theme of his work. FacebookThe Social Chemist | FacebookInstagramThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videosTwitterThe Social Chemist | TwitterThreadThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) on ThreadsSubstackThe Social Chemist | Substack Matthew Facciani Profile/Literature Review Matthew FaccianiMatthew Facciani (@matthewfacciani) on ThreadsPolitical network composition predicts vaccination attitudes - ScienceDirectRecommended Social Chemist EpisodesDo Liberal Conspiracy Theories Exist in Contemporary Politics? w/ Ph.D. Benjamin Dow (buzzsprout.com)

Send us a textOn today's episode, Todd C. Helmus, a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation, joins me to talk about how AI-generated imagery will change how mis and disinformation is created and disseminated. We discussed how effective regulating this technology will be in mitigating propaganda and political extremism and whether it will alter how researchers in fake news understand this issue.   Facebook The Social Chemist | Facebook Instagram The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter The Social Chemist | Twitter Substack The Social Chemist | Substack Todd C. Helmus Profiles Todd C. Helmus - Profile | RAND  Todd Helmus (@Helmus) / X (twitter.com) Todd C. Helmus Article Artificial Intelligence, Deepfakes, and Disinformation: A Primer | RAND Recommend Social Chemist Episode  How Susceptible are you to Misinformation? w/ Dr Rakoen Maertens (buzzsprout.com) 

Send us a textOn today's episode, I am joined by conspiracy theory researcher and QAnon expert, Mike Rothschild. We explore the origins of QAnon, whether mental health practitioners have a role in addressing far-right conspiracy theories and assess the conspiratorial framework of the Q movement based on his 2021 book "The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became A Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything." We conclude our discussion by speaking about his third book, which will be released on September 19th, titled “Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories”. A book that explores how one Jewish family --the Rothschilds--became a lightning rod for conspiracy theories in the last two centuries. Facebook The Social Chemist | Facebook Instagram The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter The Social Chemist | Twitter SubstackThe Social Chemist | Substack Mike Rothchild Website/Twitter Select Media Appearances, 2020-2023 – Mike Rothschild (themikerothschild.com)  Mike Rothschild (no relation) (@rothschildmd) / X (twitter.com) Mike Rothchild Books  Amazon.com: The World's Worst Conspiracies: 9781789509328: Rothschild, Mike: Books  Amazon.com: The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything: 9781612199290: Rothschild, Mike: Books  Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories: Rothschild, Mike: 9781685890643: Amazon.com: Books Recommended Social Chemist Episodes QAnon: A Psychiatric Assessment of a Delusion Like Belief w/ Dr. Brian Holoyda (buzzsprout.com) How the Far-Right hijacked the Wellness Movement w/ Dr. Stephanie Alice Baker (buzzsprout.com)The Conspiratorial State Of The Republican Party w/ Sam Faldraga (buzzsprout.com) Antisemitism: The Conspiracy Theory of the Enemy Above (buzzsprout.com) 

Send us a textOn today's episode, I am joined by Dr. Stephanie Alice Baker, a Senior Lecturer in Sociology from the University of London. We explore the origins of the Wellness Movement in the U.S. and the people who helped develop its foundations. Then explore whether inaccessibility to healthcare puts more people at risk of medical misinformation or whether other factors are at play. Lastly, we look into the types of influencers that have profited off the spread of misinformation and offer some suggestions to differentiate between reliable information and misinformation, at a time when institutional trust is at an all-time low.  Facebook The Social Chemist | Facebook Instagram The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter The Social Chemist | Twitter Substack The Social Chemist | Substack Dr. Stephanie Alice Baker Twitter Dr Stephanie Alice Baker (@DrSABaker) / X (twitter.com) Dr. Stephanie Alice Baker book  Wellness Culture: How the Wellness Movement has been used to Empower, Profit and Misinform (SocietyNow): Alice Baker, Stephanie: 9781802624687: Amazon.com: Books Dr. Stephanie Alice Baker Google Scholar ‪Stephanie Alice Baker‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬ Recommended Social Chemist Episodes Social Work's Relationship with Pseudoscience Practices w/ Bruce Thyer (buzzsprout.com) 

Send us a textOn today's episode, I am joined by board-certified forensic psychiatrist Dr. Brian Holoyda, whose work involves paraphilic disorders and cult-like behaviors. In our conversation we discuss the concepts of Delusion Like Beliefs (DLBs) and whether QAnon fits the criteria of being a cult movement. We also cover the diagnostic and ethical dilemmas in pathologizing conspiracy theories as an addiction disorder. FacebookThe Social Chemist | FacebookInstagramThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videosTwitterThe Social Chemist | TwitterSubstackThe Social Chemist | SubstackDr. Brian Holoyda Literature ReviewQAnon: A Modern Conspiracy Theory and the Assessment of Its Believers | Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (jaapl.org)Dr. Brian Holoyda websiteBrian Holoyda, MD, MPH, MBA | Forensic PsychiatryOther Social Chemist EpisodesWhat Is A Conspiracy Theorist? w/ Aoife Gallagher (buzzsprout.com)Do Liberal Conspiracy Theories Exist in Contemporary Politics? w/ Ph.D. Benjamin Dow (buzzsprout.com)

Send us a textOn today's episode, renowned behavioral scientist Dr. Rakoen Maertens from Cambridge University joins me to discuss the development of the Misinformation Susceptibility Test (MIST) and the importance of creating metric tools that have high validity in measuring false narratives. We cover what the mainstream media needs to do to regain the trust of a society that has expressed skepticism about their reporting. I also attempt to pitch a game show about misinformation with Dr. Maertens to sell to Netflix.  Misinformation Susceptibility Testhttps://yourmist.streamlit.app/FacebookThe Social Chemist | FacebookInstagramThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videosSubstackThe Social Chemist | SubstackTwitterThe Social Chemist | TwitterDr. Rakoen Maertens Social Media/Literature ReviewsRakoen Maertens | TwitterRakoen Maertens | InstagramThe Misinformation Susceptibility Test (MIST): A psychometrically validated measure of news veracity discernmentOnline ReferencesHow well can Americans distinguish real news headlines from fake ones?Americans' Trust In Media Remains Near Record LowOther Social Chemist EpisodesInterventions for Conspiratorial Thinking and their Limitations w/ Cian O'MahonyDo Liberal Conspiracy Theories Exist in Contemporary Politics? w/ Ph.D. Benjamin Dow

Send us a textOn today's episode, Cian O'Mahony, a Ph.D. candidate at the University College Cork, joins me to talk about the most effective interventions in reducing conspiratorial inclinations and how video games can help us develop the cognitive tools to prevent becoming victims of false narratives. We end our discussion by talking about Jeffrey Epstein and whether or not he truly did kill himself. FacebookThe Social Chemist | FacebookInstagramThe Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videosSubstackThe Social Chemist | Substack TwitterThe Social Chemist | Twitter Cian O'Mahony Research ArticleThe efficacy of interventions in reducing beliefs in conspiracy theories: A systematic reviewCian O'Mahony Blogs and Social MediaCian O'MahonyCian O'Mahony | Twitter Recommended Social Chemist EpisodesThe Conspiratorial Mindset Behind Sandy Hook Elementary School (buzzsprout.com) 

Send us a textOn today's episode, Daniel Berman, a postdoctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Historian of Education & Curriculum, joins me to discuss his research on 9/11 conspiracy theories and how they have influenced classroom discussions.  We tell our memories of September 11 and briefly talk about conspiracy theories about Pearl Harbor. Throughout the podcast, we attempt to find solutions to the complex issue of conspiratorial ideations and assess some of their limitations. FacebookThe Social Chemist | Facebook Instagram The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videos Substack The Social Chemist | Substack Daniel Berman Research Article/Resources “It’s a Growing and Serious Problem:” Teaching 9/11 to Combat Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories: The Social Studies: Vol 112, No 6 (tandfonline.com)  Teaching 9/11 and the War on Terror Beyond the Twentieth Anniversary – A Resource Guide for Teachers and Educators – UW–Madison (wisc.edu) Recommended Social Chemist Episodes Librarians vs Conspiracy Theories: The Battle for Knowledge, Truth, and Ethics w/ Bradley Wiles (buzzsprout.com)  Do Liberal Conspiracy Theories Exist in Contemporary Politics? w/ Ph.D. Benjamin Dow (buzzsprout.com)  9/11 Conspiracy Theories: Flight 93 - The Day the Sky Attacked (buzzsprout.com) 

Send us a textAs the negative impact of COVID-19 dies down, many influencers in the conspiracy theory community are searching for the next existential threat to boost their popularity and financial gains. Recently, the trans community has become the new outgroup to attack with conspiracy theories. The trend was further exacerbated when on March 27, 2023, 28-year-old Audrey Hale, who identified as trans, entered Covenant Presbyterian Church, a private Christian school, and murdered three 9-year-old children and three adults before being shot down by two police officers. In the aftermath of this event, the conspiracy theories about the transgender invasion evolved from the LGBTIA+ recruitment agenda to the transgender insurrection. In this episode, we take a road trip to Tucker Carlson's Tonight and assess what makes a conspiracy theory a conspiracy theory and how far-right conspiracy theorists developed their conspiracy narrative against the transgender community. Facebook The Social Chemist | Facebook Instagram The Social Chemist (@socialchemistig) • Instagram photos and videos References Tucker Carlson: Transgenderism is America's fastest-growing religion - YouTube  Transgender Pastor compares the Nashville shooter to Jesus - YouTube  Ontario NDP calls for public safety zones for drag performances, LGBTQ+ community - YouTube News Articles Tennessee Republicans call for release of Audrey Hale's manifesto (nypost.com) Recommended Social Chemist Episodes Dr. Jordan Peterson & The Moral Panic of Transgenderism (buzzsprout.com)  The HIV/AIDs Denialism Movement & the Implications on the LGBTQ+ (buzzsprout.com)  The Gay Agenda & Pedophilia Scare Conspiracy Theory (buzzsprout.com)