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.
Meta Closes 9,000 Chinese Accounts
Meta announced it has closed nearly 9,000 Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to a Chinese political influence operation called 'Spamouflage.' The company says the network posted material that praised China while criticizing the United States, Western governments, and outspoken critics of the Chinese government. Meta removed the accounts after an investigation that identified coordinated posting patterns and account connections tied to operators in China, calling the activity inauthentic and aimed at manipulating online discussion.
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.
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.
LHC Conspiracy Theories and Fears
In 2009 the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a giant particle accelerator near Geneva run by CERN, was preparing to restart after upgrades. Scientists said the machine would smash protons together at very high energies to study fundamental particles and forces, potentially revealing phenomena such as the Higgs boson or signs of new physics. However, some members of the public expressed fear that the machine could produce catastrophic effects, including miniature black holes or other unknown dangers.