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Faking a Trend on Twitter; Women, Oscars and the Bechdel Test; Dinosaurs

The faking of trends on Twitter by β€œbots”; Women, the Oscars and the Bechdel Test , and why are we so in love with dinosaurs?

How do you fake a trend on Twitter? β€œGrilled Lamb Delivery” was trending recently – 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 – or β€œbots”. And it wasn’t 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’s list of top trends.

Are Hollywood films ignoring women? In the 90th year of the Academy Awards we find out how many β€˜Best Picture’ 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 ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ’s 100 Women team.

Why are we so fascinated by dinosaurs and will our love affair with them endure? Mary–Ann 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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49 minutes

Last on

Thu 8 Mar 2018 23:06GMT

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  • Thu 8 Mar 2018 00:06GMT
  • Thu 8 Mar 2018 09:06GMT
  • Thu 8 Mar 2018 18:06GMT
  • Thu 8 Mar 2018 23:06GMT

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