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.

Accessory has no sleep benefits
independent.co.uk

Accessory has no sleep benefits

Researchers reviewing clinical trials have found little evidence that blue‑light filtering glasses provide the sleep or short‑term eye‑comfort benefits often claimed by makers and some retailers. The review pooled data from 17 randomized trials and reported no consistent short‑term reduction in visual fatigue from computer use, and it could not show clear benefits for sleep quality, vision performance, or long‑term retinal health.

Choose this story →
The Dictionary People" Review: Word-Loving Nerds
theguardian.com

The Dictionary People" Review: Word-Loving Nerds

Sarah Ogilvie’s The Dictionary People tells the story of the people who built the Oxford English Dictionary by collecting words, quotations, and regional usages. Ogilvie, a linguist, shows that the OED was not made by a single team in isolation but by thousands of volunteers who sent slips of paper and examples from newspapers, books, and everyday speech. The book explains how this wide network of contributors helped record English across time and place.

Choose this story →
Scottish-Nordic similarity perceived by nationalists
yougov.co.uk

Scottish-Nordic similarity perceived by nationalists

Scottish nationalists argue that Scotland shares more in common with Nordic countries than with the rest of the United Kingdom. A YouGov poll found that between 52% and 61% of prospective SNP voters say Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden are somewhat similar to Scotland, while only 31% of that group say England is similar. Those views are often cited to support calls for closer social and political alignment with Scandinavian models.

Choose this story →
Influential marketing leaders shaping creators
rollingstone.com

Influential marketing leaders shaping creators

Rolling Stone and Captiv8 published a feature identifying twenty marketing leaders they say are shaping the fast-growing creator economy. The article explains how marketers connect creators, brands, and audiences by promoting branded content and designing experiences that reach large online followings. As entertainment shifts from traditional media to creator-driven platforms, marketers are increasingly responsible for deciding which creators gain visibility and how brand partnerships enter cultural conversations.

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