Birds Aren’t Real, a conspiracy theory with an apparently absurd premise, has become surprisingly popular in the past few years.
But its followers were in on the joke: The movement’s aim was to poke fun at misinformation … by creating misinformation.
Has it been successful?
Guest: Taylor Lorenz, a former technology reporter for The New York Times.
Yesterday
What Safeguarding Nukes Can Teach Us About Safeguarding A.I.
Last night, President Trump welcomed Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, in a lavish ceremony as he arrived for two days of closely watched negotiations.Artificial intelligence — and what, if any, role the countries should play in regulating it as concerns mount about its risks — is ... Show More
36m 34s
Sep 22
Trump Banned the Media. This Time, the Media Struck Back.
For every day of Donald J. Trump’s presidency, there has been a camera from a major television network pointed at him. But on Monday, that all changed.Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Michael M. Grynbaum discuss the face-off between the president and the press. Guest:Zolan Kanno-Youngs, a ... Show More
27m 39s
Dec 2023
Once A Satirical Conspiracy, Bird Drones Could Soon Be A Reality
Millions of people in the U.S. are bird watchers. But a couple of years ago a satirical conspiracy theory gained popularity because of an absurd claim: That those birds were also watching people. Now, rather than being the stuff of internet memes, some engineers are, in fact, try ... Show More
14m 25s
Apr 2023
Ghouling: The trolls targeting bereaved people
Since the Covid vaccines were rolled out, a trend has sprung up – of accounts online linking virtually any death or illness, of a celebrity, athlete or ordinary person, to the shots without any evidence. A conspiracy theory film called Died Suddenly released last year appears to ... Show More
19m 54s
Jul 2023
Do we have something to learn from conspiracy theories? (w/ Peter McIndoe)
There was a time when Peter McIndoe might see you on the street and ask: have you ever seen a baby pigeon? If you said no, he’d probably grin and say, of course you haven’t, because birds are actually spy drones created by the US government – and they emerge “fully adult” from “t ... Show More
33m 30s