EPISODE 38: UNBUILDING A REALITY
Episode 38: Unbuilding A Reality | 11 August 2026
In the much-anticipated sequel to their conversation about mis- and disinformation (Episode 33: Building An Unreality), Stephen and Trent examine the complex structure of our modern information ecosystem and how different people, organizations, and institutions are incentivized to create and propagate divergent narratives about the world. The duo interrogates media saturation, ubiquitous “infotainment,” and the intense competition for our attention, as well as:
Whether democracy can survive in a media environment flooded with bad information;
How modern technology leads people to believe objectively false “facts”;
Bots, deepfakes, and the dizzying difficulty of discerning source credibility;
Aldous Huxley and the dangers of chasing emotional satisfaction over hard truth;
Crafting persuasive political messages in an era of hyper-partisan information filtering;
Ideology, bias, and gauging the (un)trustworthiness of historical data sets;
A case for academic, “anti-speed” problem-solving over mindlessly rushing to “efficient” answers;
The myth of “digital natives” and the challenges of teaching digital information literacy;
The role of reality television, true crime podcasts, and influencer culture;
Whether the wisdom of crowds can overcome algorithmic interference;
Reactionary populism as an epistemological problem;
Parasocial relationships, the “manosphere,” and semi-permeable Community of Practice “bubbles”;
Trust hierarchies and what it takes to change someone’s mind;
How political, religious, and corporate leaders use storytelling to get preferred outcomes;
Choosing collective action rather than the couch;
GenAI, social media, and the negative consequences of putting profit over accuracy; and
How worldbuilding encourages exploration of systemic forces and biases that shape our perception of reality.
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