Tag: internet culture
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From Pizzagate to QAnon: how one conspiracy theory spawned a movement
QAnon didn’t appear from nowhere. Tracing the direct line from Pizzagate’s 2016 emergence reveals the architecture that turned a debunked rumor into a movement.
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Where 9/11 conspiracy theories actually came from
A timeline of the first 24 months after 9/11 traces how grief, gaps in official information, and early internet forums produced a durable conspiracy ecosystem.
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The pop culture aftermath: how Epstein became a meme and what that means
‘Epstein didn’t kill himself’ became one of the most pervasive memes online. Examining its cultural function reveals more than its content does.
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Why the FBI’s Most Wanted page became a conspiracy talking point
The FBI’s Most Wanted list shifted in ways that fueled internet conspiracy theories. Here’s what actually changed and what people misread into it.
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People who believe birds aren’t real and are government drones
The Birds Aren’t Real movement looks unhinged at first glance, but the story is stranger and more deliberate than the headlines suggest.
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The bizarre world of extreme ironing
Yes, people iron clothes on cliff faces and underwater. Extreme ironing is a real, occasionally dangerous subculture, and its appeal is stranger than it sounds.