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, with a debunk on every step.
Choose whichever real-feeling headline your imagination will run wildest with. Don't overthink it.

Mick Jagger, the longtime frontman of the Rolling Stones, has been sharing unexpectedly ordinary moments from his tour life on Instagram. Instead of the usual glamorous or staged celebrity photos, his feed shows mundane outings—visits to local attractions, bars, strip malls and well‑known landmarks. He told The Washington Post that these images are less about spectacle and more about getting a feel for places, and he treats the account like a simple visual diary.

For decades the music industry relied on A&R scouts—talent spotters who traveled to clubs, small venues and local gigs looking for acts with hit potential. In recent years that search has moved online as social media and streaming platforms such as TikTok and Spotify let artists reach large audiences without labels. Record companies now monitor streams, follower growth and viral trends to decide where to invest, changing how new talent is discovered and promoted.

South Korea's flag carrier Korean Air will begin weighing passengers and their carry-on luggage at Gimpo and Incheon airports. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation has required the checks to collect actual passenger weights for aircraft weight-and-balance calculations. Airline officials say measuring passengers helps crews calculate load distribution, takeoff performance, and fuel needs more accurately than relying on assumed average weights. Officials emphasize it is about technical calculations, not personal data collection.

Archaeologists in Poland have uncovered the skeleton of a child from the 17th century in a graveyard near Dąbrowa Chełmińska. The body was interred face down, and a small triangular padlock was placed beneath the foot bones. Researchers interpret the unusual position and the lock as deliberate measures connected to local burial customs intended to prevent the deceased from returning to harm the living.