Course Content
Phase 1: The SIFT Protocol (Source Verification)
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Lesson 1.1 The Neurology of the Pause
Lesson 1.2 The Four Moves: SIFT Deep Dive
Lesson 1.3: Domain Forensics & The Wayback Machine
Lesson 1.4: Tracking “Pink Slime” & Syndication Networks
Phase 2: Data Forensics & “Calling Bullshit”
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Lesson 2.1 The Bad Science Audit
Lesson 2.2: The Fermi Estimation Check (Mental Math)
Lesson 2.3 Commercial Bias: The “Bad Pharma” Audit
Lesson 2.5 The Denominator Blindspot (How to Lie with Truth)
Lesson 2.6 Auditing Authority: The “Official Source” Trap
Lesson 2.7 The Autocrat’s Playbook: 20 Signs of Sliding
Lesson 2.8 The “Boring Truth” Doctrine
Lesson 2.9 The “Strategy of Tension”
2.10 The “Drug War” Smoke Screen: Narrative vs. Reality
2.11 The “Free Speech” Shield: Opinion vs. Incitement
Phase 3: Logic & Argument Analysis
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Lesson 3.1: Propositional Logic (Beyond the Syllogism)
Lesson 3.2: The Principle of Charity (Steel-Manning)
Lesson 3.3: Cognitive Biases 2.0 (Motivated Reasoning)
Phase 4: Digital Investigation (The OSINT Toolkit)
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Lesson 4.1: Reverse Image Search 3.0 (Yandex, Baidu, TinEye)
Lesson 4.2: Geolocation Basics (Mapping the Territory)
Lesson 4.3 Deepfake Detection (The Glitch List)
Lesson 4.4 (Part 2) – Video Forensics
Lesson 4.5 Lazy Journalism: The “Quote as Fact” Trap
Lesson 4.6 The Anatomy of a Disinfo Tweet
Lesson 4.7 THINK TANKS & THE “EXPERTISE” INDUSTRY
Phase 5:The Capstone (The Million Dollar Audit)
We tell the story of Sholto David not as a "news story," but as a Case Study in Tradecraft. He used the exact skills we just taught (Visual Forensics, Source Verification, Institutional Audit) to expose a massive lie and get paid for saving the taxpayer money.
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5.1 The $2.6 Million Audit (Case Study: Sholto David)
TRADECRAFT: The Intelligence Analyst’s Guide to the Internet

The Neurology of the Pause

The First Move

The most important move in digital investigation is not “checking sources.” It is stopping.

When you encounter a piece of viral content—especially one that makes you angry, scared, or smug—your brain has been hijacked. This is not a metaphor; it is biology.

The Mechanism: The Amygdala Hijack

Propaganda is designed to bypass your Prefrontal Cortex (the logical, slow-thinking part of your brain) and trigger your Amygdala (the fight-or-flight lizard brain).

  • The Trigger: A headline uses “High Arousal” emotions (Rage, Fear, or even Joy/Vindication).

  • The Reaction: Your brain releases cortisol and adrenaline.

  • The Result: Your field of vision narrows. Your ability to process nuance shuts down. You feel an overwhelming urge to act (Share, Comment, Retweet) immediately.

The Protocol: The 30-Second Circuit Breaker

You cannot “think” your way out of an Amygdala Hijack. You have to wait it out.

The Drill:

  1. Notice the Spike: If you feel your pulse quicken or a sudden flash of heat/anger, FREEZE. Take your hands off the keyboard.

  2. Count to 30: It takes roughly 20-30 seconds for the initial wash of neurochemicals to subside enough for your Prefrontal Cortex to come back online.

  3. Ask the Question: Only after the 30 seconds are up, ask: “Why does this person want me to feel this way?”

Case Study: The “Missing Child” Scam

You see a post on Facebook: “Help! My son is missing in [Your Town]!” It has a heartbreaking photo.

  • Immediate Reaction: Share it! Every second counts! (Amygdala).

  • The Reality: If you paused for 30 seconds, you would notice the comments are turned off (a red flag). You would click the user’s profile and see they are in Zimbabwe, not your town. You would realize it is a ” bait-and-switch” scam designed to steal data.

  • The Lesson: Urgency is the first sign of a trap. If it feels urgent, it is likely fake.

Action Item: The “Hands-Off” Rule

For the next 24 hours, practice this rule: “If a post makes me feel an intense emotion, I will physically remove my hand from the mouse/screen for 10 seconds.”

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