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, with a debunk on every step.
- Hunt anomalies — turn coincidence into evidence of a secret plot.
- Fabricate connections — draw lines between unrelated dots until they look meaningful.
- Dismiss counter-evidence — if a fact disagrees, make the fact part of the cover-up.
- Discredit the critics — dismiss people who point out flaws in your theory.
Pick the event.
Choose whichever real-feeling headline your imagination will run wildest with. Don't overthink it.
Australia warns of climate disruptions
An Australian thinktank, the Breakthrough National Centre for Climate Restoration, has warned federal politicians that climate change could cause widespread disruption across the Asia‑Pacific by mid‑century. Its briefing sketches scenarios including failed states, large movements of people fleeing uninhabitable areas, and growing competition for scarce resources such as fresh water. The group says these shifts could trigger regional instability, economic shocks and damage to critical infrastructure, underlining the scale of the risk.
Brazil Amazon deforestation drops 60 percent
Brazil reported a major fall in Amazon deforestation in July: official figures say tree-clearing and burning dropped about 60 percent compared with the same month last year. The government and the environment minister attribute the decline to political changes and new administration policies, based on national monitoring systems. Scientists caution this reflects a single month and that short-term figures can be influenced by seasonal and reporting factors.
British doctor killed in Cape Town
A 40-year-old British doctor touring South Africa was shot and killed in Cape Town after turning into Ntlangano Crescent during violent street protests, authorities said. The incident occurred last Thursday when the general practitioner took a different route after leaving the airport. Multiple unidentified suspects confronted him and opened fire; he did not survive. South African police confirmed the death and said they were investigating the circumstances and seeking the attackers.
Many Europeans Want to End Daylight Saving Time
As clocks move forward each spring across the northern hemisphere, debates over daylight saving time continue in several Western European countries. YouGov's Eurotrack survey asked people in Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Sweden whether their country should stop switching clocks twice a year. Responses vary widely: 75% of Germans want to end the practice, while Italy is the only country where a majority (56%) prefers to keep changing the clocks. Britain and Spain were narrowly divided on the question.