#303 How to Fight BS on the Web | Avi Tuschman, PhD

Feb 17, 2026

49:11

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Dr. Adam Dorsay introduces SuperPsyched and frames the growing misinformation problem, citing low trust in traditional media , the rise of influencer-based news consumption among 18–29 year olds, research that false news spreads faster than truth on Twitter, and the World Economic Forum ranking misinformation/disinformation as the most severe global risk in 2024 and 2025. He interviews Dr. Avi Tuschman (Stanford StartX serial entrepreneur; Stanford doctorate in anthropological science; expert on human political bias) about Crickit.ai (C-R-I-C-K-I-T), an AI tool that provides real-time in-stream fact checks for social media videos, starting with YouTube on desktop. The discussion covers why misinformation spreads (high-arousal content, negativity bias, suggestibility, and attention scarcity), why it affects everyone (including errors/omissions/exaggerations in reputable content), and the relationship between media ecosystems, polarization, and a global democratic recession. Avi raises concerns about TikTok’s influence, urging people over 30 to review its “society” content, citing examples of high-production disinformation, alleged foreign influence efforts, elevated WWII revisionism compared with Instagram (UNESCO figure of 5.7x), and medical misinformation (e.g., a study finding ~25% of asthma content has significant misrepresentations and is overrepresented in viewing). He describes Crickit’s user experience as subtitle-like overlays with a pause expansion panel summarizing evidence in ~40–50 words, and positions it as a tool to build media literacy and critical thinking—like a flight simulator for evaluating persuasion and uncertainty. Plans include mobile support and additional platforms, potentially later in the year, though TikTok is not supported yet. Avi offers listeners a discount via promo code/URL “SUPERPSYCHED" for monthly subscription savings for up to three years.

00:00 Welcome to SuperPsyched + Why Misinformation Is Surging

00:55 The Numbers: Trust in Media, Influencer News & Falsehoods Spreading Faster

01:45 Meet Dr. Avi Tuschman & Crickit.ai—Real-Time Fact-Checks for YouTube

03:59 Why Avi Built Crickit: Science, Truth, and the 2018 Wake-Up Call

05:31 How Crickit Works (and Why It’s Not ‘Just a Chatbot’)

07:49 Inside the Engine: Claim Extraction, Source Cross-Checks & Reliability Ratings

10:05 Accuracy, Benchmarks & Why ‘Good Enough’ Beats the Status Quo

12:22 Misinformation’s Sneakiest Trick + Even ‘Trusted’ Videos Get Things Wrong16:09 Why BS Goes Viral: Attention Economics, High-Arousal Content & ‘The Medium Is the Message’

19:06 Pinocchio, Crypto Scams & ‘The Conscience of Content’ Origin Story

21:53 Human Suggestibility, Hypnosis, and the Social Media Influence Gap

25:02 The Paradox: We Need Influence to Survive—But Negativity Bias Warps It

25:37 Fear, Negativity Bias, and the Cost of Believing Bad Info

26:19 TikTok’s Mental Health Misinformation Problem

27:47 Why TikTok Is More Than ‘Dance Videos’—A Civic-Duty Reality Check

29:08 Propaganda, Fake Viral Videos, and WWII/Holocaust Revisionism

31:35 Can ‘Crickit’ Fact-Check TikTok? Roadmap and Timeline

32:31 How Crickit Works: Real-Time Overlays, Categories, and Rationale Panels

34:14 Training Critical Thinking: Ambiguity Tolerance, System 1 vs System 2

39:05 BS Is Omnipresent: Humility, Corrections, and Learning You’re Wrong

40:40 Media Literacy Gap + Crickit as a ‘Flight Simulator’ for Critical Thinking