Conspiracy Theories
Is the truth out there?
Are they a new phenomenon fuelled by the internet and social media or have they been around much longer than that? In this Pod, we track the origins of conspiracy theories, see why they work and why certain groups of people are more susceptible to them and, if all else fails, how to resist them! We also hear a powerful piece from the victims of conspiracy theories.
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PODCASTS
Conspiracy Theories
(28 mins)
Laurie Taylor looks at the history and changing nature of conspiracy theories, their origins and evolutions. Why have such wild theories overrun America? BBC Sounds Thinking Allowed.
Play
Is Facebook spying on you?
(30 mins)
It is one of the most widely held conspiracy theories in tech: could Facebook be listening to its users in order to target ads at them? It isn’t, says the Guardian’s UK tech editor, Alex Hern, but the company has plenty of other ways to monitor you.
Play
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How and why people come up with Conspiracy Theories
(3 mins)
The unexplained suicide of Jeffrey Epstein has given rise to conspiracy theories. People sometimes seek simplistic answers when confronted by complex, coincidental or otherwise confusing phenomena. All Things Considered NPR
Play
VIDEOS
Just because its a Conspiracy Theory doesn’t mean it isn’t true
(13mins)
Matthew Dentith is the world’s foremost conspiracy theory theorist. Here he explores our instinctive aversion to these theories and suggests that, sometimes, they may hold some elements of the truth.
Watch
The Real Reason Conspiracy Theories Work
(9 mins)
Here is why we are evolved to fall for conspiracy theories. By AsapScience
Watch
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How to Resist Conspiracy Theories
(5mins)
It can be easy, in certain moods, to suspect that we can trust no one and to feel the temptation of conspiracy theories. But we’d be wiser learning the art of an intelligent form of scepticism. By School Of Life.
Watch
ARTICLES
How False Claims About 5G Health Risks Spread into the Mainstream
+Jim Waterson and Alex Hearn of The Guardian write about why, despite lacking any scientific evidence, these theories have taken off, and how they have managed to spread so quickly.
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Why so many people believe Conspiracy Theories
+Why do some people believe in Conspiracy Theories and what do they tell us about the way we see the world? By James Tilley for BBC
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Why we are addicted to conspiracy theories
+Are the conspiracy mongers now in charge?Anna Merlan, The Guardian
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Trapped in a hoax
+What happens to those caught up in the toxic lies of conspiracy theories? This article examines 5 victims whose lives were wrecked. By Ed Pilkington, The Guardian
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