Faking a Trend on Twitter; Women, Oscars and the Bechdel Test; Dinosaurs
The faking of trends on Twitter by 鈥渂ots鈥; Women, the Oscars and the Bechdel Test , and why are we so in love with dinosaurs?
How do you fake a trend on Twitter? 鈥淕rilled Lamb Delivery鈥 was trending recently 鈥 but why would so many people talk about something so routine and mundane?
As it turns out, one of the top trends in Saudi Arabia was being promoted by automated accounts 鈥 or 鈥渂ots鈥. And it wasn鈥檛 an isolated occurrence.This week we find out how companies make it look like lots of real people are talking about a subject online. And what it means for Twitter鈥檚 list of top trends.
Are Hollywood films ignoring women? In the 90th year of the Academy Awards we find out how many 鈥楤est Picture鈥 winners pass the Bechdel Test: are there at least two named female characters in the cast? Do those two women speak to each other? And do they have a conversation about something other than a man? We reveal the answer in collaboration with the 大象传媒鈥檚 100 Women team.
Why are we so fascinated by dinosaurs and will our love affair with them endure? Mary鈥揂nn Ochota finds out why this reptile beast has become part of our popular culture, as well hooking us into science.
(image: Oscar Winners at the 2017 Academy Awards. Credit Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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The Thought Show
Brings together in a single hour The Why Factor; More or Less and Trending.