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
Could ‘Trump Accounts’ Actually Close the Wealth Gap?
This month, President Trump announced the start of “Trump accounts,” an investment device that could eventually help address the nation’s wealth gap. Claire Cain Miller, who covers families and education for The New York Times, explains how these accounts work and why so many Ame ... Show More
31m 19s
Jul 23
Why Is the U.S. Building the Saudi Nuclear Program While Destroying Iran’s?
The United States signed a landmark deal on Wednesday that allows Saudi Arabia to develop a nuclear program. At the same time, President Trump is escalating the war in Iran, a conflict that the White House says aims to destroy the country’s nuclear capabilities. David E. Sanger, ... Show More
25m 26s
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