I do Sea Swab.
Why conspiracies are so popular — and what we can do to stop them
- Thread starter berg80
- Start date
Even in the face of overwhelming evidence, false narratives can be incredibly sticky. Many people insist that the earth is flat, that childhood vaccines cause autism, or that climate change is a hoax, despite ample scientific evidence to the contrary.
“Stories are very powerful,” said Timothy Tangherlini, a UC Berkeley professor in the Department of Scandinavian and the School of Information. “We’re much more comfortable with hearing stories that confirm our beliefs than ones that challenge them.”
Tangherlini sees narratives like these, and the many other conspiracies that are rife in today’s internet culture, as a type of modern-day folklore. As a computational folklorist, he uses AI tools to study how social media networks have accelerated the spread of conspiracies and false beliefs, and what, if anything, we can do to slow them down.
Following an election cycle dominated by conspiracies and hoaxes — from elites controlling the path of hurricanes, to 20 million missing votes for Kamala Harris and immigrants eating people’s pets — Tangherlini’s work is more relevant than ever. Berkeley News spoke with Tangherlini about why conspiratorial thinking has flourished in recent years and how we might spread stories of inclusion and truth that are powerful enough to stem the tide of false belief.
Why conspiracies are so popular — and what we can do to stop them - Berkeley News
UC Berkeley Professor Timothy Tangherlini uses lessons from folklore and AI to understand how social media fuels the spread of conspiracies, and how we can use storytelling tools to stem the tide of misinformation.news.berkeley.edu
How Do You Silence a Conspiracy Theory?
As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump loved a conspiracy theory.
He started his political career by stoking the lie that President Obama was not born in the United States. By 2024, he complained, falsely, that noncitizens would vote in the November election and throw the result to Democrats. He declared on a debate stage that immigrants in Ohio were eating people’s pets. He promised to release government files on Sept. 11 and the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and told Fox News that “I guess I would” release the government’s files on Jeffrey Epstein, too.
As president, though, he’s finding that it’s a whole lot easier to start a conspiracy theory than it is to put one to rest.
I'm not so sure calling the true believers "stupid" is going to do the trick. Chalk that comment up to the frustrations of an irritated older man who has lost control of the narrative he helped start.
They could be forgiven for expecting more details. Trump installed two vocal Epstein conspiracy theorists and right-wing media personalities, Kash Patel and Dan Bongino, to run the F.B.I. after both men spent years telling their audiences there really was a there there. This spring, Attorney General Pam Bondi promised big revelations about the case that have come to nothing.
trump devotees thought, inexplicably, he could be relied on to tell the unvarnished truth when other politicians wouldn't. That their "anti-establishment" hero was one of them. IOW, he pulled off a Herculean feat of deception.
Do you believe that America is a racist nation?
You know I'm talking about the democrats and Biden administration's
Russia Hoax....right?
- Sep 16, 2012
- 75,310
- 72,362
- 3,605
Why conspiracies are so popular — and what we can do to stop them?
The reason the intel agencies and state propaganda conspire against the public, is because they cannot get their agenda done with a well informed endorsement of the public voting for that agenda . . . . . . this, is why they must use covert tactics and deceive the American public. This, then, is the reason for all the conspiracies.
Now, if we don't want these organizations conspiring against the public, the only way to solve it is to completely destroy them, and start over from scratch, with absolute congressional oversight, as the Constitution intended.
CIA Manipulation of Public Opinion w/Jeffrey Sachs
Sep 13, 2023
Operation Mockingbird - Wikispooks
Church Committee - Wikispooks
Lesh
Diamond Member
- Dec 21, 2016
- 90,947
- 45,496
- 2,615
What Russia hoax is that?You know I'm talking about the democrats and Biden administration's
Russia Hoax....right?
sartre play
Gold Member
- May 4, 2015
- 13,269
- 4,423
- 210
Best reply, do not believe everything you read or hear or see on TV.
BECOME OPEN MINDED enough to look at all sides of a situation, then draw a conclusion.
Letting a small group of people run Everything is not healthy for our country.
Just like in real life very few get Everything they want.
BECOME OPEN MINDED enough to look at all sides of a situation, then draw a conclusion.
Letting a small group of people run Everything is not healthy for our country.
Just like in real life very few get Everything they want.
Skylar
Diamond Member
- Jul 5, 2014
- 55,527
- 16,970
- 2,250
That one was especially funny to me. As MAGA latched onto Epstein being murdered by a guy that hadn't been president since 2001. Not the guy who was described by Epstein as his 'best friend' who was President when Epstein was in federal custody.
- Sep 16, 2012
- 75,310
- 72,362
- 3,605
Skylar
Diamond Member
- Jul 5, 2014
- 55,527
- 16,970
- 2,250
Its not the questions that make a conspiracy theory. Its the reliance on stories without evidence and the rejection of evidence to cling to the story that does.
If your conclusion is overwhelmingly contradicted by evidence, its likely not a great conclusion.
Skylar
Diamond Member
- Jul 5, 2014
- 55,527
- 16,970
- 2,250
You know I'm talking about the democrats and Biden administration's
Russia Hoax....right?
Didn't y'all attack the capitol in deference to an absurd '2020 election was stolen' conspiracy? A conspiracy MAGA pushes to this day?
And didn't Trump push the birther conspiracy for half a decade, up to and including making up fake 'investigators in Hawaii'?
And I'm still waiting for Comer's 'judgment day' about Joe Biden making money off of Hunter's business deals.
Didn't y'all push the conspiracy that Bill Ayers wrote Obama's autobiography?
And how many people did y'all accuse the Clintons of killing?
And didn't y'all push absurd conspiracies about Seth Rich, including that he was murdered by Hillary Clinton?
Didn't y'all push the idea that Clinton killed Epstein?
Didn't y'all push the conspiracy that the cocaine found at the White House belonged to Hunter Biden?
Didn't y'all push the conspiracy that the BLS stats were 'rigged'?
Didn't y'all push a conspiracy that Beyonce was paid 11 million for performances related to Harris?
Didn't y'all push some bizarre 'gay escort' nonsense conspiracies about Paul Pelosi's being brutally attacked with a hammer?
Last edited:
Lesh
Diamond Member
- Dec 21, 2016
- 90,947
- 45,496
- 2,615
A **** load moreNot anymore than Britain, Canada or Israel did.
In the end, it amounted to ****-all.
Billiejeens
Diamond Member
- Jun 27, 2019
- 52,479
- 38,550
- 3,545
That report was based on false information.
Skylar
Diamond Member
- Jul 5, 2014
- 55,527
- 16,970
- 2,250
Trump, the president of the United States and undisputed leader of the GOP and MAGA certainly did.
MAGA loves conspiracy theories.
And how many people did y'all accuse the Clintons of killing?
And didn't y'all push absurd conspiracies about Seth Rich, including that he was murdered by Hillary Clinton?
Didn't y'all push the idea that Clinton killed Epstein?
Didn't y'all push the conspiracy that the cocaine found at the White House belonged to Hunter Biden?
Didn't y'all push the conspiracy that the BLS stats were 'rigged'?
Didn't y'all push a conspiracy that Beyonce was paid 11 million for performances related to Harris?
Didn't y'all push some bizarre 'gay escort' nonsense conspiracies about Paul Pelosi's being brutally attacked with a hammer?
Didn't y'all offer up the conspiracy that Trump won the popular vote in 2016?
Didn't y'all offer us the conspiracy that "three and five million non-citizens" voted in 2016?
Skylar
Diamond Member
- Jul 5, 2014
- 55,527
- 16,970
- 2,250
What false information? Specifically?
This would be another staple of conspiracy theories: blanket dismissal of vast quantities of information based on vague accusations.
Billiejeens
Diamond Member
- Jun 27, 2019
- 52,479
- 38,550
- 3,545
Who's y'all?
Skylar
Diamond Member
- Jul 5, 2014
- 55,527
- 16,970
- 2,250
Who's y'all?
Conspiracy gobbling MAGA, of course. Trump, of course, the leader of MAGA and the GOP.
Y'all love conspiracies.
Skylar
Diamond Member
- Jul 5, 2014
- 55,527
- 16,970
- 2,250
A coma may be the only thing that could keep you from posting here. But the rest of us have a life.
Though thank you for demonstrating another staple of the conspiracy mindset: blanket dismissal of vast information based on vague accusations.
In this case, you dismissing the Mueller Report because it was supposedly based on 'false information'. What false information, you can't say.
Deplorable Yankee
Diamond Member
Similar threads
New Topics
-
-
So the FCC chair is threatening networks that broadcast unfavorable news- Started by Crepitus
- Replies: 5
-
Global warming alert: historic heat wave coming to the South West- Started by Conservative from Georgia
- Replies: 1
-
-
Zone1 DOGE Used ChatGPT to Cancel a Holocaust Documentary about Women's Forced Labor — Calling it "Inherently Discriminatory" to Men- Started by NewsVine_Mariyam
- Replies: 1
