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Misinformation Matrix

“The dumbing down of America is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content…”
— Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World

Overview

An interactive educational platform designed to make the spread of misinformation visible and emotionally resonant. The project combines network graph analysis with generative art to reach audiences that data alone can’t move.

Features

Misinformation Network Map

An interactive network diagram where:

Clicking a node expands its connections and reveals sharing patterns, making the structural anatomy of a misinformation campaign tangible.

Generative Art — “Knowledge to Darkness”

Built with p5.js, this piece evolves through three states in response to user interaction:

  1. Initial state: A vivid cityscape — progress, knowledge, science
  2. Transformation: Gradual distortion, desaturation, introduction of pseudoscience imagery
  3. Final state: An abstract landscape of distorted forms and superstition symbols

Interacting with high-influence misinformation nodes in the network map accelerates the art piece’s transformation — making the causal relationship visible.

“Reality vs. Perception” Decision Tree

An interactive fact-checking guide that walks users through critical evaluation questions for any piece of information they encounter. Designed to be a practical tool, not just a visualization.

Technology Stack

Category Tools
Generative Art p5.js
Network Visualization D3.js, force-directed graphs
Frontend HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript
Audio Layer Web Audio API

Design Philosophy

The dual-display approach (network map + generative art side-by-side) addresses two different audience responses to misinformation: the analytical (who responds to data and evidence) and the emotional (who responds to narrative and imagery). Cross-linking the two displays makes the abstract structural problem of misinformation personally felt.

Target audience: Students, young adults, educators, and researchers studying media literacy.


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