The Church of the Algorithm: when conspiracy theory becomes faith online
45 seats. Close enough to ask a question.
What this talk is about
The Hang Theory. A lecture series by Hang Dallas.
One speaker. One big idea. One good room.
Where · Times Ten Cellars.
When does a conspiracy theory stop being a theory and start functioning as a religion? Steven Monacelli has spent years tracking the mechanics of extremism and disinformation in Dallas and beyond, watching fringe beliefs harden into something closer to faith. This talk examines that shift, the online spaces where it happens, and what it looks like when algorithmic feeds become the scripture.
How the night goes
Doors at 6:30 PM. Claim a seat, settle in.
We kick things off around 6:55 PM.
Steven Monacelli takes the floor at 7:00 PM.
Questions from the room near 7:45 PM.
Then we linger. Meet the speaker, meet each other, around 8:00 PM.
Out by 8:30 PM.
Who's speaking
Steven Monacelli
Steven Monacelli is an investigative journalist in Dallas who covers extremism and disinformation as Special Investigative Correspondent for the Texas Observer. His reporting has appeared in Rolling Stone, WIRED, and The Daily Beast. In 2025 he won the Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award and was named Best Reporter of the year by D Magazine. He has covered QAnon gatherings in Dallas firsthand and has spent years tracking how disinformation hardens into belief.
Good to know
A seat, the talk, and the Q&A after. Times Ten Cellars is a wine bar, so grab a glass before we start.
Doors at 6:30. We start at 7:00, questions around 7:45, and you are out by 8:30. Come early if you want a good seat.
You do not need to know anything about QAnon to follow this. Steven starts at the beginning.
Times Ten Cellars · Dallas, TX