24 FALL 2019 • POPSCI.COM by Jessica Boddy/ illustration by Giacomo Gambineri
FLOWED EVERY CONSPIRACY THEORY STARTS AS A NOTION NESTLED
safely in someone’s head, just waiting for a chance to spread. Some are
harmless fun (Keanu Reeves is immortal), while others are deadly (vac-
cines cause autism). But all run on the same psychological tricks: They
make believers feel more in control of a chaotic world. Folks cling to stories
that affirm their beliefs, explain away mysteries, and provide scapegoats for
their troubles. But there are many paths to infamy. Which will you choose?how to
become the
next area 51
AN IDEA
IS BORN! resonate Does it
with the
masses?NONONOYES YESBut experts say
threads of your
brainchild might be
recycled and reused.
BACK
TO START... ...
BECAUSE IT
“EXPLAINS”
A PHENOMENON that
science is still unsure
about. (Are those
high-pitched sounds in
Cuba a sonic attack,
or lovesick crickets?)BECAUSE THERE IS
POLITICAL UNREST.
Disgruntled citizens
find easy solace in
your dogma.POST IN A PRIVATE
FACEBOOK GROUP—
the perfect echo
chamber. Your idea
thrives with no one
there to counter it,
creating a legion of
devoted followers.TWEET AT ANTI-VAX
THOUGHT LEADERS.
Research shows fol-
lowers of one theory
are more likely to find
and share others.It’s snuffed out
by other theories.WRITE A POST IN A
PUBLIC FORUM, just
as the Pizzagate theory
A niche podcast invites
you to share yourCREATE A YOUTUBE
SERIES EXPLAINING
YOUR THESIS. The
algorithm circulates
your videos with others
related to conspiracies,
tapping those already
primed to believe.How
do you
share it?Is it
the top
story that
week?How will
you enter
the zeit-
geist?Does it
spark global
conversa-
tions?How
much
coverage
is there?BACK
TO
STARTBACK
TO STARTYES
It goes viral and hits
the mainstream.A CONVENTION
on your theory,
like the Flat
Earth Interna-
tional Confer-
ence, deepens
followers’ beliefs
and winds up in a
couple of national
publications.PROMINENT
FIGURES USE IT TO
SUIT THEIR OWN
AGENDA—just
as some demanded
to see President
certificate.A CELEBRITY
SHARES IT, inducing
the Halo Effect. Fans
of those skilled in one
sphere (like sports)
often take them
seriously in others
(like moon landings).YOU SELF-PUBLISH
A BOOK ON YOUR
THEORY, and it
ends up a bestseller
on Amazon.THE EVENING
NEWS COVERS
A PROTEST
RELATED TO
exposing more
people to it.It’s relevant
only to a local
audience.A NEW CRAZE
QUICKLY
STEALS THE
SPOTLIGHT.
Don’t worry:
Failed conspir-
acies often
find new life.
DEBATE OVER WHETHER
THE THEORY IS DANGER-
NEWS STAPLE.
The more often
folks see it, the
more familiar
(and believable)
it becomes.YESINFAMY!BACK
TO START