Next After Hours on election rumors: How Do You Know What to Believe? Oct. 5 at Lonely Siren in Pike Place

Rumors are a common way for people to make sense of uncertainty. Emerging technologies from social media to AI have been a boon to misinformation, however, and have sown not just rumors but confusion and distrust. These days, how do we know what to believe?

At our next S+T at UW After Hours, we’ll host the Center for an Informed Public’s Mert Can Bayar, who works on the Election Rapid Research team, in conversation with Monika Sengul-Jones, to talk about rumors, conspiracies, technology, and democracy. CIP’s research on election rumors has shown that misleading stories rarely rely on entirely fabricated evidence. More often, real events are misinterpreted, exaggerated, stripped of context, or assigned false intent.

Learn more about CIP’s work on election rumors as we approach the midterms and discuss over a drink. Free and open to the public (21+).

Monday, October 5, 2026
Lonely Siren | Sunroom
1501 Pike Pl Level 2 #200
Seattle, WA 98101
5:30 p.m.

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Bio

Mert Can Bayar is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Data Visualization in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences at UW Bothell and a researcher with the Center for an Informed Public in the Information School at the University of Washington, Seattle. His work focuses on public opinion, democracy, and conspiracy theories in a range of geopolitical settings, including Turkiye and the United States. Bayar earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Binghamton University in 2023.

Reach new audiences with Op-eds for Academics workshops on March 3 and 5, 2026 (same workshop offered twice!)

Register now for Op-Eds for Academics!

Society + Technology at UW and the Center for an Informed Public are co-hosting Op-Eds for Academics, a hands-on workshop focused on building public writing skills, taking place twice: on Tues., March 3, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM at the School of Law, William H. Gates Hall, 115 ABC – Perkins Coie Room (Register | In-Person Workshop) and online on Thurs., March 5, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Register | Online Workshop).

Link to: Op-Eds for Academics Workshop Resources

The identical workshops are designed to provide the UW’s cross-disciplinary community of experts focused on the social, societial, and justice dimensions of technology with the opportunity to gain skills in translating academic work into public commentary.

Both workshops will kick off with a brief panel discussion from members of the UW community who have written op-eds, then participants will get to work doing the same—from identifying a timely hook, drafting a persuasive short piece, and navigating the submissions process.

The ambitious may leave with a draft op-ed and a concrete plan for submitting it. Everyone will gain a clearer understanding of how to write for new audiences and the opportunity to connect with other participants.

*This workshop is for members of the UW tri-campus community working on topics in tech and society, specifically those involved in the Society + Technology at UW initiative and the Center for an Informed Public.*

Co-hosts and co-facilitators: Monika Sengul-Jones; mmjones@uw.edu (Society + Technology at UW) and Ali Durran; adurran@uw.edu (Center for an Informed Public), University of Washington, Seattle

Co-sponsors: Center for an Informed Public and Society + Technology at UW