Busting conspiracy theories

+ who identifies as an atheist? US Edition - Today's top story: How to tell if a conspiracy theory is probably false [View in browser]( US Edition | 12 May 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation U.S. Here are a few of our recently published stories: - [I’ve spent decades overseeing relief operations around the world, and here’s what’s going wrong in Gaza]( - [US is way stingier with maternity leave and child care than the rest of the world]( My first encounter with a conspiracy theory came when I was a kid and was told that the Freemasons controlled the world – and that most of the Founding Fathers were members of the all-powerful group. I’ve learned about many more over the years, from those swirling around the JFK assassination to the Sandy Hook school shooting, all of which have captured the imaginations of people I know and love. While it may be easy to raise an eyebrow or two at some of the more outlandish conspiracy theories, the rub of the matter is that there are, in fact, actual conspiracies involving powerful people, companies or organizations trying to game the system. So how do you tell which are real and which are total bunk? In one of the clearest answers to that question I’ve read, social psychologist H. Colleen Sinclair [describes seven steps you can take]( to vet a conspiracy theory making the rounds on the internet or among your friends and family. “Real conspiracies have been confirmed because there was evidence,” Sinclair writes in Step 1. “But unfounded conspiracy theories reveal their lack of evidence and substitute instead several elements that should be red flags for skeptics.” She goes on to explore the other red flags you can look for in a conspiracy theory that may be more nonsense than sense. It’s definitely worth a read. Bryan Keogh Managing Editor Readers' picks [How to tell if a conspiracy theory is probably false]( H. Colleen Sinclair, Louisiana State University Conspiracy theories abound. What should you believe − and how can you tell? - [Could Biden stop Netanyahu’s plans? A national security expert looks at Israel’s attack on Rafah]( Gregory F. Treverton, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences The US put a pause on an arms shipment to Israel as it launched a Rafah offensive. This is not the first time the US and Israel have publicly disagreed, despite their strong diplomatic relationship. - [The number of religious ‘nones’ has soared, but not the number of atheists – and as social scientists, we wanted to know why]( Christopher P. Scheitle, West Virginia University; Katie Corcoran, West Virginia University Social factors, from wealth to politics, may shape whether people who do not believe in God identify as an atheist. - [Everyday life and its variability influenced human evolution at least as much as rare activities like big-game hunting]( Cara Wall-Scheffler, University of Washington Some anthropologists question how much rare activities like big-game hunting could have affected how our species evolved. Instead they’re looking at daily activities like carrying water or firewood. - [Future pandemics will have the same human causes as ancient outbreaks − lessons from anthropology can help prevent them]( Ron Barrett, Macalester College Human factors − such as how people produce food and how they organize themselves and live together − influence disease outbreaks. Editors' picks [Divesting university endowments: Easier demanded than done]( Todd L. Ely, University of Colorado Denver Divestment from Israel may violate state laws – at least for public institutions. Private universities with large endowments may face other obstacles. - [La Niña is coming, raising the chances of a dangerous Atlantic hurricane season – an atmospheric scientist explains this climate phenomenon]( Pedro DiNezio, University of Colorado Boulder After a year of record-breaking global heat with El Niño, will La Niña bring a reprieve? That depends on where you live and how you feel about hurricanes. - [Arizona’s now-repealed abortion ban serves as a cautionary tale for reproductive health care across the US]( Swapna Reddy, Arizona State University; Mary Saxon, Arizona State University The implications of restrictive laws or near-total bans go well beyond abortions, reducing overall access to prenatal care, birthing services, routine reproductive health care and more. - [Lung cancer is the deadliest of all cancers, and screening could save many lives − if more people could access it]( Nina Thomas, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Stigma, fear and cost prevent many patients from getting screened for lung cancer. This can prove deadly for the most vulnerable. - [Trump promises to deport all undocumented immigrants, resurrecting a 1950s strategy − but it didn’t work then and is less likely to do so now]( Katrina Burgess, Tufts University Donald Trump says he will authorize a roundup of all 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country. A 1950s program with similar goals, called Operation Wetback, offers lessons. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. Questions this week on China, cars, cancer and hell - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? 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