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.
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.
Laughter benefits heart health significantly
Researchers presented new findings at the European Society of Cardiology meeting showing that laughter therapy can improve some measures of heart health in people with coronary artery disease. In the study, patients took part in guided laughter sessions while researchers measured inflammation markers and cardiovascular performance before and after. The reported results included lower inflammation and improved indicators of heart function after the laughter interventions.
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.
British adults prioritize celebrity knowledge
A recent poll of 2,000 British adults found many people follow celebrity news more closely than the lives of family and friends. Forty-four percent said they cared about trivial celebrity matters, and 80% admitted they knew more about celebrities than their own parents. Nearly half reported knowing more about famous people than about their friends. Sixty-one percent believe the media spends too much time on celebrity coverage.