An artifact of cognition
The QI Index is an independent, episode-by-episode analysis of the BBC panel show QI (Quite Interesting). It processes every episode from Series A through to the show's conclusion, auditing every factual claim, extracting rich linguistic and behavioral data, and building a growing dataset that supports genuine academic research alongside accessible, visually rich content.
Not affiliated with QI. This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to QI, the QI Elves, the BBC, or any entity associated with the show. It is an independent analytical and research project.
Why this exists
QI is an extraordinary dataset hiding in plain sight. ~300 episodes spanning 20+ years, thousands of discrete factual claims, a rotating panel of comedians and experts with known demographics, two distinct hosts with different styles, and a scoring system — all situated against massive changes in how information is produced and consumed.
Treating this as a research corpus yields genuine insights about epistemology, knowledge decay, media effects, expertise, group dynamics, and more. The show's comedy is vibrant and should be honored, not flattened.
How it works
Design principles
The audit is the backbone
Clean, useful, satisfying claim-by-claim assessment is the primary experience.
Depth is earned, not imposed
Rabbit holes appear when the material warrants them. Their rarity makes them valuable.
The site is alive
Statistics evolve, visualizations update, the self-audit runs recursively.
Honor the show
The comedy comes from rigorous treatment of delightful material, not from trying to write jokes.
Maximum extraction, deferred interpretation
Capture everything from every transcript. Research questions draw on combinations that can't be predicted in advance.
The research is real
The analytical dimensions are designed to produce publishable, peer-review-grade insights.
Who made this
The QI Index is a section of PublicOS— Conor Slattery's personal website. It exists as an artifact of cognition: it demonstrates how Conor thinks by showing the thinking itself, applied to something he loves.
It is not a claim of competence. It is the competence, made visible.