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.
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.
Fitbit App Redesigned for Fall
Google plans to release a redesigned Fitbit app this fall that reorganizes the interface into three main tabs: "Today," "Coach," and "You." The refreshed app will display daily health statistics, offer motivational and coaching content, and present goal overviews and trends. Google says the update will improve how fitness data is presented and protected, and it appears visually aligned with leaked looks of the upcoming Pixel Watch 2 and possibly the Pixel 8 phones.
China's decline, America's reputation rises
The YouGov–Cambridge Globalism Project survey finds growing public willingness to support Taiwan if China used force. That backing is strongest in anglophone countries and visible in some other regions too. Respondents make distinctions between hard military assistance, like weapons and troops, and softer forms of support such as sanctions or humanitarian aid, so public readiness varies depending on the type of help and the perceived risks of intervention.
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.