, Columnist
The Delicate Art of Debunking Conspiracy Theories
Presenting believers with facts can make them angrier. But sometimes the evidence does change minds.
Q is for QAnon, a conspiracy theory movement.
Photographer: Rick Loomis/Getty Images
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How do you debunk a conspiracy theory?
Suppose people think that Israel carried out the 9/11 attacks or that the moon landing was faked. Or that Koch money or Hillary Clinton or Pete Buttigieg was behind the Iowa caucus fiasco, or that the coronavirus comes from a fiendish plot by multinational corporations.