Cult Deprogrammer Rick Alan Ross On NXIVM, QAnon, and What Makes Us Vulnerable
Big Technology Podcast
12/23/20
•52m
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Community as we know it is in a state of decline. People today have fewer friendships than ever, they are lonelier than ever, and religious participation is at an all-time low, with 23% of people in the US declaring themselves as having no religion. Technology has played a big role in this decline in community, with most people preferring to sink into the internet instead of strengthening physical bonds. And with such a gaping hole in our lives, cults are filling the void.
Joining us to discuss what's happening is Rick Alan Ross, the world's preeminent authority on cults and head of the Cult Education Institute. He recently appeared on HBO's The Vow, which examined NXIVM, a self-help organization-turned-sex cult.
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Peloton Instructor Emma Lovewell on At-Home Fitness and Stadium-Sized Rides
December 16, 2020
•51m
With the pandemic forcing people to stay home for nearly 10 months now, many have turned to interactive fitness companies, such as Peloton, to stay active and perhaps fill a social void. Peloton has more than 3 million users, members are averaging 24 workouts per month, and this past September, the company announced its first profitable quarter. This week, it became more valuable than Ford Motor Company. Emma Lovewell, a full-time fitness instructor for Peloton, joins the Big Technology Podcast to discuss her experience working with the company, its explosive rise, and, yes, that Peloton ad.
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In June 2019, New York Times reporter Kevin Roose wrote The Making of a YouTube Radical, a story about how a 26-year-old man, Caleb Cain, was radicalized through YouTube. For the story, Roose examined Cain’s entire YouTube history, and plotted the path he took toward radicalization. Software engineer and researcher Mark Ledwich took issue with the story, citing his own research and claiming the notion that YouTube could radicalize was a myth.
Instead of yelling at — and past — each other, Ledwich and Roose came together for a moderated debate on the Big Technology Podcast, where both stated their points of view, got a chance to respond to each other’s points, and ask each other questions.
Further reading:
Kevin's story:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/06/08/technology/youtube-radical.html
Rabbit Hole podcast:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/22/podcasts/rabbit-hole-prologue.html
Ledwich's story:
https://mark-ledwich.medium.com/youtube-radicalization-an-authoritative-saucy-story-28f73953ed17
Ledwich's research visualization:
https://recfluence.net/
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