Edition 64 - Bullshit Archives

The Impact of Unsubstantiated Rumors on Markets and Economies

By Jai Ramlakhan Illustration by Taylor Brunnschweiler Why do some people believe anything they hear? Why do some people act on information without evidence? How can mere rumors and speculation affect financial markets? Something rooted in psychological bias creates ripple effects that not only affect individuals, but entire markets. Financial markets especially are based on information.…

Countering the Bullshit: Civil Disobedience in an Age of Compliance

By Pieter Vergouw Illustration by Hannah Brunnschweiler Civil disobedience has long been used by marginalized groups to address systemic inequalities in society and bring about change. But what exactly is civil disobedience? Civil disobedience is not legally defined, making it difficult to determine when someone is engaging in it. Roger Hallam, founder of Extinction Rebellion, poses…

Was 70% of your last conversation bullshit? You’ll prove me wrong.

By Maitri Illustration by Anya Shah As a hearing person, do you converse with your hands or with your mouth – your voice? I think you’re likely to say: ‘with my voice’ but even as you reply to me, I’ll see your face change, you’ll look at me in surprise, you might have leaned a little…

Just to Get Published: An Insight Into the Scientific Lying

Article and illustration by Norbert Borski Scientific journals exist for one reason – sharing knowledge. The core idea is that major discoveries are published so the world and other researchers can stay updated on recent advancements. But what if something published is not true? What if our research turns out to be based on false…

Peddling Lies: Why We Fall for Fake News

By Laura Cadamuro Illustration by Marlon Let’s face it: bullshit is everywhere. Especially when it comes to what people say, it is not that rare to hear people blabbing about things they do not know. Sometimes, it could also be us. Sometimes, we hear someone backing up their words with such good arguments that we don’t…

Cancel Culture: Calling Out or Bullshitting?

By Vendi Havlucu Levi Illustration by Hannah Brunnschweiler With the growing online sphere, it has never been easier to call out someone on their behaviour or even summon groups to help you on your ‘call out’. This action of ‘calling out’ has been labelled as the word cancel-culture which refers to the act of calling out…

More Than Meets the Eye: The Role of Bluffing in Communication and Success

By Yanely Lopez Illustration by Yeji Hong Imagine standing in court, a defense attorney confidently presenting their case while leaving certain details out to protect their client. Is this lying—or is it bluffing? In high-stakes environments like this, the line between deception and strategy blurs, often depending on whether the audience expects full transparency or…

The Musical Food Chain: The Tragedy of the Small

By Bartosz Skitał Illustration by Zofia Jankowska The music industry is part of the lives of, let us face it, almost every one of us. Whether we attend concerts, listen to our favourite artist on repeat, put on some background music to relax and study to, or simply go to any shop – we are exposed to…