Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy theories – history, news, commentary, extreme beliefs and the factors that shape them
Off the Edge: Why so many people came to (wrongly) believe the world is flat
“Off the Edge” by Kelly Weill is an entertaining, informative, and deeply human look at the history of the flat earth movement, and its key figures
MegaAnon vs QAnon: Conflict between Mega and Q
The MegaAnon and QAnon conspiracy theories arose at the same time, in the same place - with proponents of both theories interacting, and even clashing.
Fears of creeping transhumanism give space for overt conspiracism in Gender Critical communities
In their rush to decry the 'transhumanist agenda', parts of the Gender Critical movement continue to inadvertently launder antisemitic conspiracy theories
The Overton window of conspiracy theories has shifted toward the extreme – we need to drag it back
When politicians and leaders flirt with conspiracy theories for political gain without suffering political consequences, it shifts the window of acceptable ideas to more extreme positions.
David Icke and Brian Rose’s four-hour anti-vaxx misinformation marathon
Failed mayoral candidate Brian Rose invited David Icke back to spend four hours spreading dangerous Covid misinformation, enabled by YouTube
There’s nothing to claims that Covid vaccines cause HIV – but that won’t stop them spreading
The latest viral conspiracy theory about COVID-19 vaccines are that they cause HIV infection - based on misreading scientific articles from two years ago
Medical mistrust: what to do when the evidence isn’t enough
Evidence alone isn't enough to persuade people that their healthcare professionals have their best interests at heart - we also need to actively listen to people's concerns
Could any one of us become a conspiracy theorist?
As humans, we are all susceptible to the biases that lead some to believe in conspiracy theories, to varying degrees