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In 2022, Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion, and renamed it X. When asked why he wanted to own the social media network, Musk talked a lot about something he called the “woke mind virus.” “The woke mind virus is communism rebranded”, he claimed, and he vowed to defeat it - “or nothing else matters”. Where does this idea come from? Jill Lepore says the story starts back in the 1950s, when science fiction films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers captured a new feverish mood in the public imagination. The Cold War had begun, and suddenly everyone was panicking about a strange new weapon: brainwashing. Meanwhile, in South Africa, Musk’s grandfather became obsessed with the idea that “mind control” lay behind efforts to end apartheid. Jill Lepore is the Kemper Professor of American History at Harvard University and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She’s also a staff writer at The New Yorker and an acclaimed author. Series Producer: Viv Jones Researchers: Simon Leek Editors: Richard Vadon Sound design and mix: James Beard Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke Original music by Corntuth Production Coordinators: Jack Young, Maria Ogundele CREDITS ABC News, Lex Fridman Podcast, Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)