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The Thought Show: Faking a Trend on Twitter; Women, Oscars and the Bechdel Test; Dinosaurs

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Women, the Oscars and the Bechdel Test

08/03/2018 GMT

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

BBC World Service - The Thought Show, Faking a Trend on Twitter; Women, Oscars and the Bechdel Test; Dinosaurs

Faking a trend on Twitter; women, the Oscars and the Bechdel Test and a love of dinosaurs

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

How do you fake a trend on Twitter? “Grilled 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 “bots”. 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 ‘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 BBC’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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