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.

Video games aid paralyzed speech
independent.co.uk

Video games aid paralyzed speech

Researchers at Speech Graphics, UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley report a brain–computer interface that helped a woman who lost speech after a stroke communicate again. Tiny electrodes were placed on the surface of her brain to record neural activity while she attempted to speak. That recorded activity was decoded into written text, a synthetic voice and real-time facial animation using software originally developed for video-game characters such as those in The Last of Us Part II and Hogwarts Legacy.

Choose this story → →
Fish sees with skin posthumously
independent.co.uk

Fish sees with skin posthumously

Researchers report that reef-dwelling hogfish have light-sensitive cells embedded in their skin, allowing the animals to sense brightness and adjust their colour without relying solely on eyes. The study, published in Nature, shows this skin-based photoreception can continue to influence colour change even after death. Hogfish live in Atlantic reefs and can shift hues in milliseconds. Those rapid changes aid camouflage, social signalling and may help with temperature regulation and attracting mates.

Choose this story → →
Boost Content Production in 2023
forbes.com

Boost Content Production in 2023

In 2023, businesses and creators faced a crowded online environment where standing out required more content without losing quality. A Forbes article outlines practical tactics to increase output: use AI tools for image creation, conduct batch keyword research, write concise pieces, repurpose existing material, and publish across multiple channels. The aim is to publish more consistently while keeping useful information and audience needs central to each piece.

Choose this story → →
West's Voters Divided by Identity
theguardian.com

West's Voters Divided by Identity

A recent YouGov–Cambridge Globalism Project survey finds that voters in Western democracies are more divided by identity and partisan loyalty than by specific policy positions. Researchers describe strong "affective polarization": people feel intense dislike for opposing groups even when those groups often share similar views on key debates such as sexism, racism, and economic policy. The findings challenge the idea that culture wars are mainly about conflicting opinions; instead, much conflict appears driven by who people see as "us" versus "them."

Choose this story → →
Conspiracy Generator — the recipe, written out