Conspiracy Generator

Build a conspiracy theory from scratch.

The best way to learn to spot a conspiracy theory is to make one yourself.

Pick a real news story. On the next step you'll choose who's behind it and why. Then walk through the four moves real conspiracists use — one move per screen — with a debunk on every step.

Move 01

Hunt anomalies

Turn coincidence into evidence of a secret plot.

Move 02

Fabricate connections

Draw lines between unrelated dots until they look meaningful.

Move 03

Dismiss counter-evidence

If a fact disagrees, make the fact part of the cover-up.

Move 04

Discredit the critics

Dismiss people who point out flaws in your theory.

Step 1 — Pick a real news story

↻ Refresh

CPAC Europe embraces right-wing authoritarians

CPAC Hungary, the Budapest edition of the Conservative Political Action Conference, gathered American and European conservative activists, politicians, and commentators to discuss what organizers called the decline of Western civilization. Sessions focused on immigration, resistance to progressive social policies, and critiques of liberal democracy. Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán was a prominent speaker, and some remarks echoed the “great replacement” language while emphasizing national sovereignty and cultural preservation.

rollingstone.comChoose this story →

Populist Support Declines in Europe

An annual YouGov-Cambridge Globalism Project survey, reported by The Guardian, finds that support for populist ideas has fallen across several European countries over the past three years. The survey measures attitudes like distrust of elites, favoring strong national control, and opposition to immigration. In the latest cycle, populist sentiment declined in ten European nations, indicating fewer people now express broad populist beliefs than in earlier years.

theguardian.comChoose this story →

Email from Russia

Garry Kasparov, the Russian-born former world chess champion, has publicly endorsed Anatoly Fomenko’s “New Chronology,” a radical revision of world history. Fomenko’s thesis argues that much of what we call ancient history is misdated or duplicated and that the actual historical timeline is far shorter than commonly believed. Kasparov says he finds the questions it raises important and plans to spend more time promoting these ideas as he moves away from professional chess.

telegraph.co.ukChoose this story →

British adults prioritize celebrity knowledge

A recent poll of 2,000 British adults found many people follow celebrity news more closely than the lives of family and friends. Forty-four percent said they cared about trivial celebrity matters, and 80% admitted they knew more about celebrities than their own parents. Nearly half reported knowing more about famous people than about their friends. Sixty-one percent believe the media spends too much time on celebrity coverage.

independent.co.ukChoose this story →
Conspiracy Generator — the recipe, written out