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.
UK spy agencies seek AI data law changes
British intelligence services have asked lawmakers to change surveillance rules so they can use personal data to train artificial intelligence systems. The agencies say current safeguards and legal limits prevent them from applying modern AI tools to very large datasets, which they argue reduces their ability to detect threats and process communications quickly. They are proposing legal adjustments to allow broader automated analysis while keeping some privacy protections in place.
British doctor killed in Cape Town
A 40-year-old British doctor touring South Africa was shot and killed in Cape Town after turning into Ntlangano Crescent during violent street protests, authorities said. The incident occurred last Thursday when the general practitioner took a different route after leaving the airport. Multiple unidentified suspects confronted him and opened fire; he did not survive. South African police confirmed the death and said they were investigating the circumstances and seeking the attackers.
Chairlift malfunction injures three snowboarders
On Saturday at Thredbo Ski Resort in New South Wales, a chair on the Kosciuszko chairlift detached after what the resort described as an unexpected gust of wind. The Kosciuszko is Australia’s longest ski lift. Three snowboarders in their twenties—two women and one man—fell several metres onto the snow near Eagles Nest and suffered facial and back injuries. Resort staff and emergency responders attended the scene; the incident has been described by Thredbo as isolated and unusual.
Populist Support Declines in Europe
An annual YouGov-Cambridge Globalism Project survey, reported by The Guardian, finds that support for populist ideas has fallen across several European countries over the past three years. The survey measures attitudes like distrust of elites, favoring strong national control, and opposition to immigration. In the latest cycle, populist sentiment declined in ten European nations, indicating fewer people now express broad populist beliefs than in earlier years.