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.
Exercise Prevents Heart Rhythm Disorder
Researchers studying more than 15,000 people report that higher physical fitness is linked to a lower chance of developing atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that raises the risk of stroke fivefold. The study, presented at the ESC Congress 2023, used treadmill exercise tests to estimate fitness in metabolic equivalents (METs) and followed participants over time to see who developed heart rhythm problems or strokes.
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.
Fixing the British Museum's Anachronism
The British Museum is dealing with a major internal crisis after allegations that a senior curator removed and sold roughly 2,000 items from its collection via eBay. Reports say the revelations prompted the museum director to resign and have led to calls for an independent review. The case has drawn attention to weaknesses in oversight and controls at one of the world’s largest museums, raising questions about how objects are tracked and safeguarded.
Footballer stole Munch's Scream painting
In 1994 Pål Enger, a former Norwegian footballer, carried out a high-profile theft of Edvard Munch's famous painting The Scream from the National Gallery in Oslo. Enger entered the museum and removed the canvas in a theft that quickly made international headlines. The painting is one of Munch's best-known works, and its disappearance drew intense media and police attention because of its cultural significance and the bold manner in which it was taken.