60 Old Woolwich Road
Greenwich – SE10 9NY
The “Brexit” vote, as well as the election of Donald Trump, led many to speculate that we are now living in a “Post-Truth” world, a world in which our information environments are polluted with misinformation and conspiracy theories, and in which facts no longer matter to people. While this narrative helped make sense of our tumultuous politics, the evidence in its favor has been less than systematic. In this talk, Uscinski will showcase more than 60 years’ worth of survey data measuring the public’s beliefs in misinformation, conspiracy theories, and other questionable ideas from both the UK and US. He will detail what has changed over time and what has not. Are we in fact living in a post-truth world, and if so, who, or what, is to blame for the public’s epistemically questionable beliefs? What should be done about it? In providing surprising answers to these questions, Uscinski will discuss the role of the internet, social media, traditional media, and politicians in affecting the public’s beliefs.
Joseph Uscinski is Professor of Political Science at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, and is one of the foremost experts on conspiracy theories and the people who believe them. For more than a decade, he has been polling Americans about their beliefs in conspiracy theories and other dubious ideas. His research has helped to uncover why people believe in conspiracy theories, when, and to what effect. His work is currently funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Uscinski has authored more than 70 published scientific articles and chapters, many of which are highly influential and have appeared in top scientific outlets. He is the author of Conspiracy Theories: A Primer, the first textbook on conspiracy theories, now in second edition, and co-author of American Conspiracy Theories, widely considered the foundational study of modern conspiracy theories. Uscinski’s research and views have been covered extensively in the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Newsweek, and Politico. He has appeared as a guest on NPR, CBS, Fox News Channel, BBC, and numerous other national and international outlets. Most recently, he appeared in HBO’s “Q: Into the Storm” documentary about QAnon. Growing up in New England, he earned his BA at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, NH, his MA at University of New Hampshire, and his PhD at the University of Arizona.
NB: Not our usual second Wednesday of the month.
