Earthquake conspiracy discussion on Twitter

: During the period of performance a program of instrument construction, technique development, data acquisition, and data analysis was carried out in order to characterize the auroral electrojet and the ambient and modified D-region directly above and near the HAARP (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) facility in Alaska. To accomplish this goal, five VLF D-region diagnostic systems were constructed and deployed in five High Schools near the HAARP facility and along the west coast of Alaska. In addition in order to characterize the auroral electrojet on a continental scale and to allow prediction of its location, four VLF D-region diagnostic systems were constructed and deployed in four High Schools on the east coast of the United States and Canada. Data from the complete array of D-region diagnostic systems was acquired during a number of Fall and Spring HAARP campaigns during the period of performance. This data was then used to determine the state of the D-region above HAARP during the campaigns and to provide information on the location of the auroral electrojet. The salient scientific results from the observations were published in the scientific literature and also reported at the annual RF Ionospheric Interactions Workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In addition a portion of this data formed one of the bases of a Ph.D. dissertation completed at Stanford University.

This paper discusses research conducted by The Very Low Frequency (VLF) Group at Stanford University introducing them and a project called the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP). This project utilizes the latest oceanographic and ocean-engineering technologies for exciting applications to space physics and radio science research. Sponsors consist of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The program's facility is a high power transmitter located in Alaska, capable of broadcasting powerful VLF radio waves into the Earth's ionosphere. These waves propagate along the Earth's magnetic field lines to the system's geomagnetic conjugate point situated nominally 600 miles south of New Zealand in the southern Pacific Ocean. By studying the radio signals at this point, the VLF Group seeks to discover how energetic particles in the planet's radiation belts interact with very low frequency electromagnetic waves. This ambitious challenge of operating an autonomous, stationary, floating observation platform is known as the HAARP One-Hop Experiment - South Pacific Buoy.

Use of high frequency (HF) heating experiments has been extended in recent years as a useful methodology for plasma physicists wishing to remotely study the properties and behavior of the ionosphere as well as nonlinear plasma processes. Our recent work using high latitude heating experiments has lead to several important discoveries that have enabled assessment of active geomagnetic conditions, determination of minor ion species and their densities, ion mass spectrometry, electron temperature measurements in the heating ionosphere, as well a deeper understanding of physical processes associated with electron acceleration and formation of field aligned irregularities. All of these diagnostic capabilities have been made possible for the first time by utilizing the narrowband Stimulated Electromagnetic Emission SEE spectrum. Narrowband SEE spectra from the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility are presented with theoretical models to demonstrate these new capabilities along with other supporting diagnostic measurements including, range-time-intensity of FAIs (field aligned irregularities) using SuperDARN HF radar, enhanced ion lines detected by MUIR radar, DMSP satellite observations over HAARP, and coordinated observations of pump induced optical emissions.

Henrik Ibsen and Conspiracy Thinking: The Case of <i>Peer Gynt</i>

Extremely-low-frequency (ELF, 3-3000 Hz) and very-low-frequency (VLF, 3-30 kHz) waves generated by the excitation of the thermal cubic nonlinearity are observed for the first time at the High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program high-frequency transmitter in Gakona, Alaska. The observed ELF and VLF field amplitudes are the strongest generated by any high frequency (HF, 3-30 MHz) heating facility using this mechanism to date. This manner of ELF and VLF generation is independent of naturally forming currents, such as the auroral electrojet current system. Time-of-arrival analysis applied to experimental observations shows that the thermal cubic ELF and VLF source region is located within the collisional D-region ionosphere. Observations are compared with the predictions of a theoretical HF heating model using perturbation theory. For the experiments performed, two X-mode HF waves were transmitted at frequencies ω1 and ω2, with |ω2-2ω1| being in the ELF and VLF frequency range. In contrast with previous work, we determine that the ELF and VLF source is dominantly produced by the interaction between collision frequency oscillations at frequency ω2-ω1 and the polarization current density associated with the lower frequency HF wave at frequency ω1. This specific interaction has been neglected in past cubic thermal nonlinearity work, and it plays a major role in the generation of ELF and VLF waves.

High power radio waves excite electrostatic waves in the ionosphere. Electrostatic waves can be detected either by mode conversion into Stimulated Electromagnetic Emission (SEE) or scatter of radar signals. We present the results of SEE observations conducted through high-power HF heating experiments at the High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program. Multiple receiving instruments have been used to observe many low frequency electrostatic modes from a high power electromagnetic pump. These modes are not well characterized. Our ionospheric heating experiments are attempts to understand the process by which an electromagnetic pump wave is converted into high and low-frequency modes.

In a recent study, a process for the generation of Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) waves in the range of 1–12 Hz produced by diamagnetic currents generated by heat in ionosphere by high frequency (HF) waves has been proposed. HF waves that reach the ionosphere can be generated, for example, on the Earth's surface by the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) instruments or solar processes. Using a EMF low frequency spectrum analyzer with high sensitivity (1 μΥ) operating in the range of 1–12 Hz and using a low sampling time (5 ms), it was possible to measure HF waves. A series of measurements were carried out in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, from September, 2016 to March, 2017, under dry conditions and with the analyzer isolated from electrical discharges to detect and record these waves. The positive results of the experimental observations suggest a possible confirmation of the occurrence of diamagnetic currents in ionosphere.

Abstract. Artificial ionospheric plasmas descending from the background F-region have been observed on multiple occasions at the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) facility since it reached full 3.6 MW power. Proximity of the transmitter frequency to the 2nd harmonic of the electron gyrofrequency (2fce) has been noted as a requirement for their occurrence, and their disappearance after only a few minutes has been attributed to the increasing frequency mismatch at lower altitudes. We report new experiments employing frequency sweeps to match 2fce in the artificial plasmas as they descend. In addition to revealing the dependence on the 2fce resonance, this technique reliably produces descending plasmas in multiple transmitter beam positions and appears to increase their stability and lifetime. High-speed ionosonde measurements are used to monitor the altitude and density of the artificial plasmas during both the formation and decay stages.

Artificial E region field‐aligned plasma density irregularities (AFAIs) have been generated using the High‐frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) ionospheric modification facility in Gakona and observed with a 30 MHz coherent scatter radar imager in Homer, Alaska. The AFAIs were generated using a distinctive, twisted‐beam antenna pattern that illuminated a particularly broad volume overhead. The broad beam facilitates studies of natural sporadic E layer patches when they are present. The center of the pattern was pointed at different angles between zenith and magnetic zenith to examine the effects on the AFAI morphology. Radar images of AFAIs generally resemble the radiation pattern of the high‐frequency source, but the irregularities are strongest within a narrow range of zenith angles bounded approximately by the Spitze angle. A number of factors which might influence AFAI generation and detection are examined. The most important is most likely the requirement for the pump mode to have a standing‐wave component for thermal parametric instability to operate.

Experiments at the ionospheric heating facility of the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) are performed employing dual HF beams amplitude modulated at ELF/VLF with a phase offset between the two modulation waveforms. The amplitude of the observed ELF/VLF waves is strongly dependent on the imposed ELF/VLF phase offset, the modulation waveform, and the orientation of the HF beams. Data from two ground stations are interpreted using simulations of modulated heating power envelopes as well as a comprehensive model of ionospheric ELF/VLF generation. It is found that two colocated vertical beams HF beams excite a single ionospheric ELF/VLF source, but independent ELF/VLF sources can be induced in the ionospheric region above the heater if the HF beams are offset from zenith to intersect at their 3 dB points. Furthermore, the use of two vertical HF beams with ELF phase offset is found to be a potential diagnostic method for the ionospheric D region.

We compare observations of Stimulated Brillouin scattering produced during ionospheric modification experiments using ground-based high-power high frequency HF radio waves at both the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) and the European Incoherent scatter (EISCAT).

The coronavirus pandemic, though primarily a health issue, has had significant social, economic and political implications across the world. There are reasons to believe that some of the changes occurring are likely to be permanent even in a post-pandemic world, and there are even suggestions that the world may be entering a phase in which pandemics become recurrent. Making sense of all that the pandemic has brought has by no means been easy, even for scientists who have had to review and revise their claims as new discoveries about the virus are made. One of the fallouts of the pandemic has been a proliferation of conspiracy theories about the origin of the virus, as well as efforts to contain it. Summed up, these theories of various shades allege that certain powerful forces are behind the pandemic, in pursuit of some narrow ends that range from the political to the religious. In this paper, I analyse conspiracy theories and the motivations behind them. Situating conspiracy theories within the pandemic, I argue that they are best understood not within the framework of a single theory but by an understanding of how diverse motivations generate different, even contradictory conspiratorial accounts. I argue that whereas conspiracy theories have become a feature of modern society, and have been amplified in the age of technology, they have low credibility value in explaining the pandemic, while having significant implications. I also argue that if left unchecked, conspiracy theories have the capacity to further undermine governments’ capacity to respond to big crises in Africa in the future. I conclude that conspiracy theories are best managed in a pandemic through consistent, transparent engagement rooted in trust-building between the people and governments, especially in Africa.

Belief in conspiracy theories (CTs) is associated with numerous societal harms, including violence, vaccine refusal, and political extremism. Given the speed and intensity with which information spread through the internet, there is a pressing need to understand what CTs are and how they circulate. Across four studies, This PhD thesis works towards this goal: understanding the content and spread of CTs. In Study 1, we developed the largest corpus of CTs available today, LOCO, that allows to explore the content and spread of CTs. An analysis of linguistic content showed that conspiracy texts are focused on deception, power, and dominance. Conspiracy webpages that rely on prototypical conspiratorial language are more shared on Facebook. In Study 2, we found that conspiracy texts are more interconnected, more topically heterogeneous, and more similar to one another. These results provided strong empirical support for an overarching conspiracy worldview in conspiracy narratives. In Study 3, we developed measures to assess elements of divergent and convergent thinking in texts. We show that conspiracy texts were more original, semantically divergent, and sophisticated, but less appropriate to their context and less variable compared to those in non-conspiracy texts. Results point to an imbalance between divergent and convergent thinking and may explain the accumulation of CTs within people’s belief systems. In Study 4, we devised a field study to compare the impact of social media and individual cognitive biases on online browsing behavior towards websites classified on ideological types and strength. We found that as the websites’ conspiratorial ideology increases, the contribution from individual cognitive biases increases at the expense of traffic from social media. In sum, results obtained from this thesis have practical implications. As for the content of CTs, the presence of conspiracy mentality that emerges from texts represents a foreseeable possibility to develop algorithms for the automatic detection of CTs online. In regard to the spread of CTs, knowing that individual cognitive biases drive access to conspiracy websites suggests that individual-level interventions, such as improving critical thinking, should be prioritized in the fight against the spread of CTs.

The article delves into the intricate dynamics between online conspiracy theories, Facebook engagement, and perceptions of the pandemic. Examining three hypotheses, the study unveils the interplay between Facebook users' doubts regarding the pandemic, the formulation of conspiracy theories by online groups, and the impact of inadequate government communication on the spread of fake news. Through a meticulous survey-based approach, the researcher collected and analyzed data from a diverse group of participants, including medical professionals, media personnel, religious leaders, recovered patients, and the general public. The study's results highlight a discernible connection between conspiracy theories and public doubts about the pandemic, while underscoring Facebook groups' role in amplifying and perpetuating unfounded claims. It stresses the crucial role of effective governmental communication in curbing misinformation dissemination. The research's theoretical implications shed light on the interplay between digital spaces, public perceptions, and the diffusion of conspiracy-driven narratives. From a practical standpoint, the study accentuates the necessity of targeted interventions to promote accurate information and mitigate the harmful effects of conspiracy theories on public beliefs and behaviors. It highlights the importance of fostering responsible digital citizenship and enhancing information dissemination strategies, particularly in times of crisis.

T O CONSPIRE MEANS literally to breathe together. And usually it's about bad breath. The word conspiracy tends to be used pejoratively to designate a subversive kinship of others, an imagined community based on exclusion more than on affection. Conspiracy theory is a conspiracy against conspiracy; it does not oppose conspiratorial world view as such but doubly affirms it. Because conspiratorial thinking, whether based on facts or on fictions, produces vicious circles of analogy and paranoiac overdetermination, conspiracy theory can become a cause of violence, not merely its effect. How, then, can one produce a critical reflection on conspiracy that will not turn into a conspiracy theory? If conspiracy can be fictional, can fiction conspire to undo it? The terms of conspiracy and of narrative overlap: in both cases one speaks about plots and plotting. Although we might all be complicit in desire for a plot, in what Roland Barthes called the passion for making sense, ideally our plots exist in plural, not in singular. In contrast, conspiracy theory that will be discussed here relates everything to a single subterranean Plot, promising a comfortingly totalizing allegory that leaves nothing to chance. In this case narrative passion turns into paranoiac obsession. For a paranoiac-conspirator other is seen as anothermore or less successful-paranoiac. The whole world appears as a kind of global village or new international of double agents and conspirators, a secret society of those who are not with us but against