Enlarge / This “quantum pendant” purports to protect the wearer from 5G signals. The anti-5G hysteria is a groundless conspiracy theory, but the pendants aren’t just useless trinkets. They emit low levels of ionizing radiation that can cause adverse health effects over time. (credit: Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu) Worried that 5G cell phone towers […]
[Warning: Disturbing Content] Earlier this month, we told you the story of one of the most shocking crimes we’ve ever heard — and that is saying something. A 40-year-old surf instructor, a man whom other parents trusted to watch over and protect their kids in the ocean during lessons, allegedly murdered his own children after […]
The owner of a popular southern California surf school is in custody after allegedly stabbing his young children to death with a spearfishing gun. Worse still, the alleged assailant — 40-year-old Matthew Taylor Coleman (pictured above) — claims that he believed his kids were “ just going to grow into monsters” after having been enlightened […]
Enlarge / Sensitive BIOS passwords leaked by QAnon figure Ron Watkins have been linked to a Colorado County office run by a clerk who promotes “Stop the Steal” messaging. (credit: JJ Gouin / Getty Images) Last week, Ron Watkins—conspiracy theorist, QAnon enthusiast, and former 8chan site admin—released photocopies of an installation manual for Dominion voting […]
We’ve got more con-Spears-acy theories for you, Perezcious readers. On Tuesday, Britney Spears‘ very active Instagram account uploaded a strange slideshow slamming paparazzi for following her while on vacation and reportedly photoshopping her bikini body in pictures! But the unusual clip has sparked questions among the dancer’s biggest fans — who don’t think the celeb […]
Enlarge / Brendan Hunt frequently posted videos about conspiracy theories to sites including YouTube and BitChute. (credit: Brendan Hunt/YouTube) Over the past 20 years, Brendan Hunt increasingly bought into conspiracy theories. But unlike many others like him, he wasn’t just falling down the rabbit hole—he was the one digging it. In posts made to YouTube […]
Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson / Getty Images) As Facebook scrambles to deal with its most problematic groups in the wake of January’s assault on the US Capitol, a new report finds that leaders inside the company knew as long ago as August that 70 percent of its top “civic” groups had too much hate speech, […]
Conspiracy theories were a major driver behind the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building. They have also been a growing part of the political right’s internal struggles since at least 2008. But why do people believe in crackpot conspiracy theories like QAnon, Pizzagate, or the narrative that the 2020 election was stolen? Why do they act […]
Enlarge (credit: Aurich Lawson / Ars Technica) In less than three days, social networking service Parler has gone from darling of the right wing to a has-been service that can no longer be accessed online. In response, the company is now suing its former Web host, Amazon, alleging the hosting giant intentionally colluded with rival […]
Enlarge / Researchers produced a graphic representation of the Pizzagate conspiracy theory narrative, with layers for major subplots of each story, and lines connecting the key people, places and institutions within and among those layers. (credit: UCLA) There’s rarely time to write about every cool science-y story that comes our way. So this year, we’re […]