Last month a bizarre photo circulated apparently depicting a flying city in the clouds. Explanations ranged from mirage to hoax to conspiracy operations; my take on it for Discovery News is HERE. You can find more on me and my work with a search for "Benjamin Radford"...
Conspiracy theories
Interviewed on Internet Hoaxes and Rumors…
I and three other experts including Susan Gerbic are extensively quoted in a new story about internet hoaxes: "In today’s fast-paced news culture, misinformation and disinformation are spread with a click, often before authenticity and credibility are verified....
Obama the Muslim Antichrist?
From the Radford Files archives: A recent poll by Harris interactive found that 14 percent of Americans suspect that President Barack Obama may be the Antichrist. Nearly a quarter of Republicans, and 16 percent of Democrats, responded this way. Forty percent...
Stonehenge Myths and Conspiracies
With the news last month about the discovery of a “super-Stonehenge” circling one of the world’s most famous monuments, attention has once again focused on the Wiltshire marvel. There are thousands of ancient stone circles across Europe, of which Stonehenge is...
Conspiracy-Riddled Jade Helm Operation Ends
The conspiracy-ridden Jade Helm 15 operation that conspiracy theorists said was preparation for Obama's establishing a New World Order ended this week with no guns being taken and, really, nothing happening. Here's my article for Discovery News on the topic, and why...
Why Conspiracy Theorists (Presumably) Don’t Drive Chevys or Volkswagens
I spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with conspiracies and conspiracy theories. Over the years I've written about dozens and dozens of conspiracy theories, including the Obama birthers, the Sandy Hook shootings (for which I still receive hate e-mails), Osama...
Podcast Interview on Conspiracy Theory Psychology
I was recently a guest on the 16Miles2Hell show, talking about conspiracy theories, the history of conspiracy dissemination, and the psychology of conspiracies... Put on your tinfoil hat and check it out! You can find more on me and my work with a search for...
Stonehenge: Myths and Conspiracies
For those who didn't see it last week, here's my article on Stonehenge myths and how restoration efforts sparked conspiracy theories is now out, you can see it HERE. You can find more on me and my work with a search for "Benjamin Radford" (not "Ben Radford")...
Florida Police Accuse Witches (or Satanists) of Triple Murder
Police in Florida suggest that a triple murder in Pensacola late last month is connected to witches, Wiccans, and/or Satanists. My new article on why that's almost certainly false, with a discussion of previous crimes police wrongly attributed to Satanists or witches,...
A History of Anti-Vaccination Fears
My recent Discovery News article examines the history of anti-vaccination campaigns and explains some reasons why they're still with us, and probably always will be; you can find it HERE.