Search results for conspiracy

Political science Jun 24, 2024

US military launched a secret anti-vax campaign in the Philippines—here's why one researcher isn't surprised

Reuters recently published the bombshell report that in the spring of 2020, the US military began a social media disinformation campaign in the Philippines that aimed to undermine China's influence in the country by casting ...

Political science Jun 14, 2024

Study shows impact of Russian social media campaigns less pronounced than often assumed

Most people do not believe the disinformation spread by Russia about the war in Ukraine, even if they regularly use social media. Instead, the decisive factor in the efficacy of this propaganda is whether a person is fundamentally ...

Space Exploration Jun 6, 2024

Welcome to the age of space skepticism—and a growing revolt against elites

Over the past decade, a new form of skepticism about human activities in space has emerged. It seems to be based exclusively in the western world, and centered around the idea that increasingly ambitious space plans will ...

Social Sciences Jun 5, 2024

Study shows banning false information traffickers online can improve public discourse

When Twitter banned more than 70,000 traffickers of false information from its platform in the wake of the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the impact went beyond the silencing of those users.

Social Sciences May 29, 2024

Among Gen Z Australians, 38% identify as spiritual and half believe in karma. Why is spirituality so popular?

Spirituality is increasingly popular with young Australians: recent research shows 38% of Gen Z Australians identify as spiritual.

Political science May 21, 2024

Misinformation swirled during Taiwan's 2024 elections, says study

With more than 70 countries hosting national elections, 2024 is the biggest election year in history, according to The Economist. But how misinformation impacts elections, especially with the rise in content generated by ...

Political science May 16, 2024

Detecting influence campaigns on X with AI and network science

In the age of generative-AI and large language models (LLMs), massive amounts of inauthentic content can be rapidly broadcasted on social media platforms. As a result, malicious actors are becoming more sophisticated, hijacking ...

Environment May 11, 2024

Brazil's catastrophic weather spawns spate of conspiracy theories

The climate catastrophe that has struck southern Brazil, killing more than a hundred people and displacing nearly two million, has also spawned a spate of bizarre conspiracy theories, some involving jets' vapor trails and ...

Social Sciences May 8, 2024

How to tell if a conspiracy theory is probably false

Conspiracy theories are everywhere, and they can involve just about anything.

Social Sciences May 7, 2024

'Doing your own research' can make fake news seem believable

While it's healthy to question what we see and hear in the media, those quick internet searches to fact-check news stories can unexpectedly backfire and lead people to believe false stories, according to the director of the ...

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