Skip to main content

I watched hundreds of flat-Earth videos to learn how conspiracy theories spread


Around the world, and against all scientific evidence, a segment of the population believes that Earth’s round shape is either an unproven theory or an elaborate hoax. Polls by YouGov America in 2018 and FDU in 2022 found that as many as 11% of Americans believe the Earth might be flat. While it is tempting to dismiss “flat Earthers” as mildly amusing, we ignore their arguments at our peril. Polling shows that there is an overlap between conspiracy theories, some of which can act as gateways for radicalization. QAnon and the great replacement theory, for example, have proved deadly more…

This story continues at The Next Web

from The Next Web https://ift.tt/xOf3JcU
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TNW Podcast: Oscar Kneppers on academic startups; ESA wants to detect space-time ripples

Welcome to the new episode of the TNW Podcast — the show where we discuss the latest developments in the European technology ecosystem and feature interviews with some of the most interesting people in the industry. In today’s episode, Andrii and Linnea talk about a new European space mission, AI-generated podcasts, antiquated tech in German trains, and much more. In the interview section, we’re featuring a conversation with Oscar Kneppers, CEO of the Amsterdam Centre for Entrepreneurship, or ACE. He’s also founded several well-known local publications and one of the country’s major startup accelerators, Rockstart. Here are the stories and… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/a6AlDsr
Post a Comment
Read more

Swiss startup believes this forgotten element is the key to safe nuclear energy

Nuclear energy is undergoing a renaissance. Across Europe, governments are pouring huge amounts of money into new power plants while startups are busily working on smaller, modular alternatives.  Most of these plants rely on uranium, the radioactive metal that fuelled the atomic age (and contributed to a couple of catastrophic meltdowns). However, Swiss startup Transmutex wants to reinvent nuclear energy using a lesser-known element called thorium.  Uranium’s forgotten cousin Thorium is a lead-like metal that is mildly reactive, but four times more abundant than uranium and a lot safer to handle. However, thorium is a fissionable material but not a… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/ideQqVM
Post a Comment
Read more

Insta mules and crypto mixers: How tech is transforming money laundering

On the shallow surface of Instagram, Ramon “Hushpuppi” Abbas was a quintessential influencer. The flamboyant Nigerian portrayed a lavish lifestyle of private jets, luxury cars, and designer clothes. His glamorous adventures had earned him over 2 million followers and millions of dollars. But his posts concealed a darker reality. The 41-year-old was “one of the most prolific money launderers in the world,” according to the FBI. By his own admission, Hushpuppi conspired to launder over $300mn in just 18 months. One of his alleged clients was a certain Kim Jong Un — the supreme leader of North Korea. With his… This story continues at The Next Web from The Next Web https://ift.tt/rd549ui
Post a Comment
Read more