Weapons of Mass Persuasion: Propaganda during war & peace?

Weapons of Mass Persuasion is at The Bullingdon on Monday 26 October, starting at 20:45. It's a talk and discussion that runs for an hour and fifteen minutes, with a Q&A to follow, and it sits within a double-bill of events exploring trust, truth and versions of reality.

Dr Nina Kruglikova leads the session, drawing on her doctoral research into British and American poster campaigns from the First and Second World Wars. She puts those wartime posters side by side with the digital messaging we deal with today, looking at the linguistic tools used to persuade, mobilise and control public sentiment. It's a comparison that stretches across a century: the bold slogans and graphic appeals of the World Wars held up against the algorithms and feeds of the present.

The talk is part of IF Oxford, the university's annual science and ideas festival. This year it's spread across around 30 venues, bringing together Oxford researchers and collections to share the latest research and ideas with the public through hands-on activities, art exhibitions, performances, talks and workshops. This particular session is built as a talk and discussion followed by a Q&A, so there's room to ask questions and get into the details rather than just listening.

It's at The Bullingdon, 162 Cowley Road, OX4 1UE, on Monday 26 October at 20:45. Tickets are Pay What You Decide, with a free option available; the organisers suggest a donation of £7.50 per person.