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, with a debunk on every step.

▸ Start the exercisetakes 3 minutes!!
Built by Marco Meyer & Maarten Boudry  · Etienne Vermeersch Chair of Critical Thinking, Ghent University
Tonight's exclusive
YOU can be a conspiracist*
*for educational purposes only
The four moves you'll learn:
  1. Hunt anomalies — turn coincidence into evidence of a secret plot.
  2. Fabricate connections — draw lines between unrelated dots until they look meaningful.
  3. Dismiss counter-evidence — if a fact disagrees, make the fact part of the cover-up.
  4. Discredit the critics — dismiss people who point out flaws in your theory.
Step 1 of 3Step 1 — Pick a real news story↻ ↻ Refresh

Pick the event.

Choose whichever real-feeling headline your imagination will run wildest with. Don't overthink it.

Jagger: Rock legend turned "Instagram Normie
rollingstone.com

Jagger: Rock legend turned "Instagram Normie

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.

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Many Europeans Want to End Daylight Saving Time
yougov.co.uk

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.

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Australia warns of climate disruptions
theguardian.com

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.

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Meta Closes 9,000 Chinese Accounts
theguardian.com

Meta Closes 9,000 Chinese Accounts

Meta announced it has closed nearly 9,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to a Chinese political influence operation called 'Spamouflage.' The company says the network posted material that praised China while criticizing the United States, Western governments, and outspoken critics of the Chinese government. Meta removed the accounts after an investigation that identified coordinated posting patterns and account connections tied to operators in China, calling the activity inauthentic and aimed at manipulating online discussion.

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Conspiracy Generator — the recipe, written out