![](http://www7.bbk.ac.uk/hiddenpersuaders/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/vlcsnap-2015-11-17-15h36m39s437-780x300.png)
Artificial Intelligence, Orientalism, totalitarianism, brainwashing, and the counter-culture: all these themes, and more, were deftly woven together by the historian of science, Simon Schaffer in a memorable lecture delivered at an engaging conference on cinema, Cold War and mind control which took place earlier this year. This event was organised by the Hidden Persuaders Project in partnership with the Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image, and held on 3-4 July 2015.