The Thought Show

The Thought Show episodes:

• 10.18.2018

  The Men Who Hunt Stolen Motorbikes

  In one city hit by motorbike theft, volunteers are using social media to fight back.

  
• 10.11.2018

  The People Who Remove Facebook Posts

  They decide what you can and cannot see on the world’s biggest social network. Who are Facebook’s content moderators? We speak to a woman who worked in a moderation centre in Germany, often watching violent and pornographic videos and deciding...

  
• 10.04.2018

  Catching The Killers Behind A Viral Murder Video

  In July 2018, a disturbing video began to circulate on social media. In it two women and young children are shown being led at gunpoint by a group of soldiers. The captives are blindfolded, forced to the ground and shot...

  
• 09.20.2018

  Russian Extremism Memes

  Why are some Russians put on extremist watch lists for saving or posting memes online? Maria Motuznaya was investigated by police after saving edgy memes on her account on the social network VKontakte. Hundreds of Russians are being targeted for...

  
• 09.14.2018

  Did Facebook Fuel Hate in Myanmar?

  Facebook’s dream of a more open and connected world has turned into a nightmare in Myanmar. The price of a smartphone SIM card dropped from around $200 to $2, and Facebook quickly became the app of choice, but it failed...

  
• 09.06.2018

  The Influencer Business

  Earlier this year, a baker in Liverpool in north-west England vented her frustration on Twitter over constantly being asked by social media influencers for free cakes. Many other businesses publicly sided with Laura Worthington, but were they being fair? We...

  
• 08.30.2018

  Virtually Making A Fortune?

  Why are people spending real money to buy land that only exists in virtual reality? In the virtual world of Decentraland, users can build whatever they can imagine. Some hope to make a profit by trading goods and services using...

  
• 08.23.2018

  What is #QAnon?

  #QAnon is part of an online conspiracy theory firing up supporters of Donald Trump. We trace how it started on fringe message boards and has moved more mainstream, including to the floor of a President Trump rally. A Twitter...

  
• 08.16.2018

  Sandy Hook Hoaxers Update

  An update on American conspiracy theorists who deny that twenty-six people, mostly young children, died at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. False rumours that the attacks were staged were pushed by media mogul Alex Jones, and his online news...

  
• 08.09.2018

  Life As A YouTube Child Star

  What’s it like to be a young YouTube star? Siblings Jaadin and Arabella Daho's lives have significantly changed since they went viral on YouTube in 2015. At just 10 and 11 years old their videos racked up 17 million views....

  
• 08.02.2018

  #MeToo: Part Two

  The hashtag MeToo swept across social media in 2017 as victims of sexual harassment spoke out to show how prevalent sexual harassment is within society. The trending team are joined by Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle, author Kirsty Allison,...

  
• 07.26.2018

  #MeToo: What's Next?

  What’s the future of #MeToo? In October 2017, the hashtag became a worldwide movement in the wake of allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein – who denies the charges against him. In the first of a two-part series, we host...

  
• 07.20.2018

  World Cup Social Media Extravaganza

  A recap of the social media trends of the 2018 World Cup: how did the “beautiful game” dominate online chatter across the globe. Should we have smaller families to save the planet? We examine the claim that having children is...

  
• 07.12.2018

  The World of Memes

  How can memes be engineered to carry political messages? A team at University College, London, has found that some far-right websites and message boards have a disproportionate impact on the memes that spread on mainstream social networks. The astronomer Carl...

  
• 07.05.2018

  The Silver Snipers

  Five Swedish pensioners, who call themselves the “Silver Snipers”, test their aim at a professional eSports tournament, and try to prove that gaming is for everyone. Not only is gaming a hobby that connects them with their grandchildren’s generation, but...

  
• 06.28.2018

  A Transgender Twitter Fight

  One short message led to a Twitter ban for a controversial activist – and highlighted the complicated world of transgender politics and how philosophical battles within transgender communities are playing out on social media. How many words do you...

  
• 06.21.2018

  The Mysterious Wikipedia Editor

  Philip Cross has made hundreds of thousands of Wikipedia edits. But in the process he's angered anti-war activists and critics of Western foreign policy, who claim he's biased. So who is “Philip Cross”, the name on the account? We try...

  
• 06.14.2018

  A Vegan You Tube Court Drama

  Anna Scanlon, a vegan vlogger, has filed a lawsuit for defamation after she found herself the target of abuse online . She complained to the social media companies but got little response. The forthcoming trial could have major implications for...

  
• 06.07.2018

  Weapons of Mass Deception

  It is almost a year since Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain and their allies cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar. BBC Arabic journalist Owen Pinnell reveals how allegations of hacked websites, bot armies and other online dirty tricks have...

  
• 05.24.2018

  Life After Life for US Ex-Prisoners

  Ex-prisoners in the US are struggling to cope with the online world after years in jail. We hear from recently released so-called juvenile lifers who find themselves grappling with social media and other aspects of life online. The prison authorities...

  
• 05.17.2018

  Inside The Dark World Of “Incels”

  Last month, ten people were killed in Toronto after a man drove a van into pedestrians. In a Facebook status before the attack, the suspect referred to an "Incel Rebellion”. "Incel" is short for "involuntarily celibate" and refers to groups...

  
• 05.10.2018

  The YouTube Stars Selling Cheating

  An exclusive investigation by BBC Trending looks at the YouTubers who are promoting academic cheating online. More than 250 popular YouTube channels have been paid to advertise Edubirdie, an essay-writing company. Many of the adverts, which collectively have had hundreds...

  
• 05.03.2018

  When a Democrat Met a Republican

  When a Democrat Met a Republican: how an innovative project called Better Angels facilitates conversations between people from the left and the right at a time when the ideological divide in America is said to be at its greatest. Anisa...

  
• 04.26.2018

  Who’s Pushing Syria Conspiracies?

  As reporting on the ground in Syria becomes increasingly difficult, a disinformation war rages. We reveal a network of influential Twitter accounts, some with tens or hundreds of thousands of followers, which push conspiracy theories. Plus, against a backdrop of...

  
• 04.19.2018

  Blocking Hate Speech on Social Media

  Is a tough new law in Germany aimed at blocking hate speech in danger of limiting free speech? We hear how comedians are having their jokes taken down in a “culture of deletion”. The World Health Organisation says 95%...

  
• 04.12.2018

  Murder Rates in London and New York

  London’s murder rate is on the rise – and for the first time ever it has just overtaken New York’s, according to a number of media outlets. But is it true, and is it appropriate to compare between the two...

  
• 04.05.2018

  How Deadly Was 1920s Melbourne?

  Fact and fiction: how does the murder rate within popular crime series Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, set in 1920’s Melbourne, compare with the real life murder rate at that time? We delve into the archives. After revelations about Facebook...

  
• 03.29.2018

  #NeverAgain: a Turning Point for the US?

  A special report from Washington, where thousands of students are marching in favour of stricter gun control laws. BBC Trending has been following three student activists affected by gun violence. The students are demanding bans on powerful semi-automatic rifles and...

  
• 03.22.2018

  Neo-Nazi Hate Music

  A BBC Trending investigation has found huge inconsistencies in how YouTube deals with neo-Nazi hate music. These are songs - many from punk and hardcore bands active in the 80s and 90s – which have found a new life in...

  
• 03.15.2018

  Did Sir Roger Bannister Make The ‘Impossible’ Possible?

  Tim Harford pays tribute to a sporting legend - Sir Roger Bannister, the first person to run one mile in less than 4 minutes, who has died at the age of 88. After his record broke the ‘impossible’ psychological barrier,...

  
• 03.08.2018

  Faking a Trend on Twitter; Women, Oscars and the Bechdel Test; Dinosaurs

  How do you fake a trend on Twitter? “Grilled Lamb Delivery” was trending recently – but why would so many people talk about something so routine and mundane? As it turns out, one of the top trends in Saudi...

  
• 03.01.2018

  Students vs Gun Laws; Winter Olympic Winners

  After a shooting at a high school in Florida killed 17 people student’s across the United States of America have mobilised on social media. They’re calling for change using online organising tools and taking to the streets. The gun control...

  
• 02.22.2018

  Undercover with the Alt-Right; Debunking Dubious Statistics and Job Interviews

  Patrik Hermansson, a Swedish researcher for the British anti-racist group Hope Not Hate, infiltrated far right groups and spent months undercover. His operation now over, he tells his story, including seeing violence and death in Charlottesville, Virginia - the...

  
• 02.15.2018

  Rise of Extreme Pranking, the Fall in Drinking in Russia, Learning About Pain

  Why has there been a disturbing rise in internet pranks that simulate real life attacks? In an exclusive interview, we hear from YouTuber Arya Mosallah, who had his channel terminated after some of his videos - which some thought...

  
• 02.08.2018

  The Far Right and Sweden

  Why is the far right so obsessed with Sweden? Despite seeming to be unlikely territory with its reputation for progressive social policies, reports about crime and immigration in Sweden routinely go viral on internet chat forums, Facebook and Twitter. And...

  
• 02.01.2018

  Is the US Census Under Threat?

  Is the US census under threat? The United States are due to run their next nationwide census in 2020, but already critics are warning that under funding and a proposed question about citizenship could affect the accuracy of its results....

  
• 01.25.2018

  The Past and Future of Fake News

  The past and future of fake news – what can be done about social media misinformation and what impact does it have around the world? Mike Wendling asks a panel of experts from Buzzfeed, the Poynter Institute, and First...

  
• 01.18.2018

  History of ‘Fake News', Louis Bachelier and Noise

  The meaning of the term “fake news” has been completely transformed – so what does it mean now, and is the phrase even useful at all? How Louis Bachelier scooped economists by half a century. A forgotten French mathematician’s unusual...

  
• 01.11.2018

  Just How Rare is a Hole-in-One?

  There are golfers who could go an entire lifetime without getting a hole-in-one. Recently the BBC reported a pair of amateur players who each scored one - one after the other. It was reported widely that there was a 1...

  
• 12.28.2017

  Kilobyte to Brontobyte, Social Media Review and Habits

  The numbers we need to describe the world around us are getting bigger. Maths author Rob Eastaway explains the names for successive sizes of computer storage space and makes the case for a new giant unit of measurement: the Brontobyte....

  
• 12.21.2017

  Diet Coke Habit, 'Milkshake Duck' and Witches

  The New York Times claims that Donald Trump drinks ‘a dozen’ Diet Cokes a day. At 42mg of caffeine per 330ml, what impact, if any, could this have on the President’s health? Jordan Dunbar speaks to experts about the effect...

  
• 12.14.2017

  Does Eating Chocolate Make Your Brain Younger? Twitter Bot and Crowd Power

  Headlines claim that eating chocolate can protect you from developing Alzheimer’s disease. The theory is that bioactives within chocolate called flavanols can help reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and even make your brain 30 years younger! But isn’t...

  
• 12.07.2017

  How Lucky are Regular Lottery Winners

  Over the last decade journalists in the US have been suspicious of the number of people who seem to have won multiple prizes on scratch cards and the lottery. We hear from a reporter and statistician who poured over data...

  
• 11.30.2017

  Mr Darcy’s Wealth

  Mr Darcy, the male love interest in Jane Austen’s 19th Century English novel Pride and Prejudice is supposed to be fabulously wealthy on an income of £10,000 a year, but two hundred years later, it’s not clear how rich he...

  
• 11.23.2017

  Italy's Football Failure, Russia's Blogger for President

  Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years will damage more than national pride. It will also carry a big financial cost – one estimate says Fifa stands to lose $100m. Is...

  
• 11.16.2017

  Pop Albums, the Russian Web and Dubbing Movies

  We discover how a numerical change in the way the pop music album charts are measured is causing artists to make ever longer albums. The first of two special reports into the Russian internet. For years it provided an open...

  
• 11.09.2017

  Nigerian Lawmakers, 'Calexit' Hashtag, Dark Tourism

  Two statistics from Nigeria: do lawmakers really get paid $1.7 m – much more than the American President and does eating yams give Yoruba communities a record number of twins? We talk to the fact checkers at Africa Check. ...

  
• 11.02.2017

  Novelists in Numbers

  Stephen King once said that wannabe authors should avoid using adverbs which end with ‘ly’ but does he follow his own advice? Data journalist Ben Blatt decided to find out. He also analysed texts written by some of the best...

  
• 10.26.2017

  US Millennials’ Political Engagement, Clashes in America and Serial Killers

  Did the 2016 US election galvanise young people to become more engaged in politics? Millennial statistician Kevin Lin designed a research project to see if there was evidence to prove this on the website Reddit. Kevin explains his findings...

  
• 10.19.2017

  Economists, Selfies and Holding Your Breath

  Richard Thaler is this year’s recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize for Economic Sciences. Charlotte McDonald speaks to Tim Harford to get an insight into Thaler’s work and explore the psychological realism of behavioural economics. The Russian military wants...