GossipINT

In this final episode of GossipINT, our hosts talk about their favorite structured analytic techniques, what they hope listeners have learned from this podcast...and the Jonas brothers!

Did someone have it out for actors Anne Hathaway and Richard Gere? What's the relationship between Ray-Ban sunglasses and the movie ”Top Gun”? In this episode, we talk about how covert influence is used in Hollywood and in marketing to sway us.

Is Stevie Wonder faking being blind? Was Walt Disney cryogenically frozen? Does Mattress Firm act as a front for money laundering? In this episode, we talk about about our favorite crazy conspiracy theories.

Why did the short-form streaming platform Quibi fail within six months? Do viewers prefer white, male superheroes? Has Mark Zuckerberg misread demand for the Metaverse? In this episode, we talk about how mirror image bias can have major economic consequences.

Why would someone knowingly torture someone else? How did Sam Bankman-Fried dupe investors? In this episode, we talk about how authority bias tricks us into trusting untrustworthy people.

Why do people believe in conspiracy theories like QAnon and chemtrails? Did President Putin release 500 lions in Moscow to keep people at home during the start of the COVID pandemic? In this episode, we talk about how the third-person effect gives us false confidence in our ability to distinguish fact from fiction.

Why do people forget about the female action heroes of yesteryear? Why are Google search results so skewed to recent events? In this episode, we talk about how the recency bias causes people to over-value the present over the past.

How do celebrities get away with terrible crimes? Why are some people acolytes of the cult of Apple? In this episode, we talk about how the halo effect dazzles us into ignoring common sense.

Was the haunting in Amityville real or a big con for money? Is Elon Musk Twitter's biggest problem? In this episode, we talk about how anchor bias distorts our ability to process new information.

Why did people in Salem, Massachusetts believe there was a witch infestation? What caused the Challenger shuttle to explode? In this episode, we talk about how the groupthink bias leads groups of people to make bad decisions.

Should you trust Gweneth Paltrow for medical advice? Why do terrible singers audition for American Idol? In this episode, we talk about how the Dunning-Kruger effect causes people in certain situations to overestimate their abilities.

Are all serial killers white men who are between the age of 20 and 30? Why do I agree with all the news I see on social media? In this episode, we talk about how confirmation bias blinds us to new information.

How did thieves know when and where to go to steal Kim Kardashian's jewels during Paris Fashion week? How can cybercriminals remotely access the private and personal information of regular people? In this episode, we explore the Red Teaming structured analytic technique to understand the mindset and techniques of criminals.

Could Marilyn Monroe one day have more Instagram followers than Kim Kardashian? Is ”Ready Player One” fiction...or prophecy? In this episode, we use the ”scenarios” structured analytic technique to think through how the future of celebrity--and our daily lives--could look.

Was Jeffrey Epstein murdered? Can we trust gene editing? In this episode, we use the ”Devil's Advocacy” structured analytic technique to explore some of the most controversial issues on the internet.

Which is better, the Marvel Comic Universe or the Star Wars franchise? Is cryptocurrency a massive Ponzi scheme? In this episode, we use the ”Team A/Team B” structured analytic technique to argue about these pertinent pop culture issues.

How could something unexpected happen? In this episode, we use the rumor that Beyonce faked her first pregnancy, Puerto Rico's pursuit of statehood, and the idea of ”pre-crime” to explain the ”What If?” structured analytic technique.

Could a foreign adversary cause all US nuclear plants to melt down? In this episode, we explore what would happen if a singer was faking her vocals or if a rival country launched a catastrophic attack on industrial control systems using a structured analytic technique called ”High Impact/Low Probability.”

Can you lie about your entire life history? Or hack both Elon Musk and Bill Gates? In this episode, we look at a few recent pop culture events to explain the ”Key Assumptions Check” structured analytic technique.

How would we know if Bigfoot is real? Or if an artificially intelligent machine was sentient? In this episode, we use the ”Signposts and Indicators” structured analytic technique to understand how predictive evidence might help us re-conceptualize key issues.

Why are humans so terrible at figuring out when someone is lying? In this episode, we use Jussie Smollett's hoaxed hate crime and the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes to explain the ”Deception Detection” structured analytic technique.

What if Taylor Swift had a secret, female lover? Is Elon Musk serious about colonizing Mars? In this episode, we use the ”Analysis of Competing Hypotheses” structured analytic technique to examine evidence and challenge mainline assumptions.

Can a simple timeline reveal hidden secrets? In this episode, we explore the idea that two celebrities might have fabricated a relationship and the implications of the largest computer hack using a structured analytic technique called ”Chronologies and Timelines.”

For many people, ”gossip” is a bad word. But is it really? In this episode, we talk about the nexus between gossip, critical thinking, and hot news stories as an introduction to the GossipINT podcast.