The episode explores mathematical models of opinion dynamics, focusing on how individual opinions and social influences interact. One study examines the impact of periodic propaganda in the Continuous Opinions with Threshold (COT) model, revealing that strategic timing can be more effective than constant propaganda. Another study adds a “death/birth” process to the COT model, showing how the influx of new opinions can alter the system’s behavior, even when consensus would naturally be reached without external influence. The episode highlights the complex dynamics of opinion formation and the significant role of external factors.

https://journals.aps.org/pre/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevE.76.066105

https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/9789814287456_0019?srsltid=AfmBOop5FcvosoxRC1XlJmqDKavYRb81IO6iFn18YqMQ4P8Qi5ypUqHs

https://hal.univ-reunion.fr/hal-02059365/document