The Conspiracy Debunk Files

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Two psychiatrists offer advice on distinguishing between belief in conspiracies and outright delusions.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DrWilsonDebunksI rarely read YouTube comments these days, so if you want me to see your comment, here is how you can contact...

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Experts and r/ChangeMyView subreddit moderators offer 10 tips to debunk conspiracy theories convincingly.

False. Trudeau did not post such a tweet. There is no record of the post and a spokesperson from the prime minister’s office also confirmed to the Associated Press that the image of the tweet was fabricated.

You might not believe in QAnon, but you could still fall down the rabbit hole.

The company’s AI algorithms gave it an insatiable habit for lies and hate speech. Now the man who built them can't fix the problem.

Conspiracy theories, which explain events or a set of circumstances as the result of secret plot by usually powerful and malevolent groups, are quite common. Research has provided some understanding about why people are drawn to conspiracy theories and what makes some people more likely to believe than others.

RT America, a network known for sowing disinformation, has a new alarm: the coming ‘5G Apocalypse.’

As with other epidemics, crises and disasters throughout history, the search for scapegoats for the corona crisis has already started.

You may think that something is "just your opinion", but often you're just wrong.

Facts don't do what I want them to. Facts just twist the truth around.

Book review

Continuing my review and exploration of Conspirituality

Conspiracy beliefs have become a topic of increasing interest among behavioural researchers. While holding conspiracy beliefs has been associated with several detrimental social, personal, and health consequences, little research has been dedicated to systematically reviewing the methods that could reduce conspiracy beliefs. We conducted a systematic review to identify and assess interventions that have sought to counter conspiracy beliefs. Out of 25 studies (total N = 7179), we found that while the majority of interventions were ineffective in terms of changing conspiracy beliefs, several interventions were particularly effective. Interventions that fostered an analytical mindset or taught critical thinking skills were found to be the most effective in terms of changing conspiracy beliefs. Our findings are important as we develop future research to combat conspiracy beliefs.

The spread of COVID-19 misinformation in Canada cost at least 2,800 lives and $300 million in hospital expenses over nine months of the pandemic, according to estimates in a new report out Thursday.

Online pregnancy support groups are rife with vaccine misinformation. We asked experts what can be done

Nine large donations make up most of the 2021 budget of the Brownstone Institute, which is led by a man with a neo-Confederate past

Appearing in small stacks at select businesses and handed out at protests, Druthers has gone from a pipedream to the COVID-conspiracy pipeline in only two short years.

Extreme right-wing views and the wellness community are not an obvious pairing, but ‘conspirituality’ is increasingly pervasive. How did it all become so toxic? By Eva Wiseman

Belief that the COVID-19 pandemic was a hoax – that its severity was exaggerated or that the virus was deliberately released for sinister reasons – functions as a “gateway” to believing in conspiracy theories generally, new research has found.In the two-survey study, people who reported greater belief in conspiracy theories about the pan...

In light of widespread falsehoods about Covid-19 and its treatment and prevention, the American Board of Internal Medicine has informed doctors that disseminating misinformation is grounds for ...

The suggestion that increased racial sensitivity by Canada’s public broadcaster is the effect of elite American liberal posturing is flatly bizarre, writes columnist Sandy Garossino.

Items (SSRC) publishes accessible social science essays and collections, plus the monthly Items & Issues newsletter—linking research, policy, and public debate.

In just one year, the Twitter account has helped steer the outrage machine at the center of right-wing messaging and legislation.

Distinguishing excessive doubt from excessive belief can help inform how to bring a conspiracy theorist back to reality.