Halting Misinformation is Crucial in Battling Conspiracies
Was the moon landing faked? Is the Earth flat? Does Bill Gates inject microchips in Americans? There are many popular conspiracy theories held amongst the American population. With very little to no evidence backing up conspiracies, why do so many people believe in them? A recent study from the Philipps-University emphasizes the importance of limiting the spread of misinformation.
At a QAnon rally in Los Angeles (2020). Photo by Joel Muniz. Was the moon landing faked? Is the Earth flat? Does Bill Gates inject microchips in Americans? (The answer to all of these is no.) There are many popular conspiracy theories held amongst the American population. With very little to no evidence backing up conspiracies, why do so many people believe in them? A recent study from the Philipps-University emphasizes the importance of limiting the spread of misinformation. A conspiracy theory is a belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for a circumstance or event. Conspiracy theories...