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Idea

Open database of conspiracy theories

Image credit: Sara Moser

Darko Savic

Darko Savic Jul 15, 2021

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Necessity

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Conciseness

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The idea is to create an open database/website of conspiracy theories. Each conspiracy should be well researched to find:
its origin
the author
the reason it spread
circles where it spreads
link it to evidence-based explainers that prove it wrong
explain the fears, logical fallacies, and biases that are at play in people that are drawn to it
link it to a group of similar conspiracies
who and how they benefit by creating/spreading it
anything else?
Anyone should be able to add new conspiracy theories but each should be researched and worked on before it goes public on the database website. The system would function similarly to Wikipedia.

The ultimate goal of such a database is to help teach people how to better filter information they consume.

conspiracy theories

2

Creative contributions

An objective perspective

Povilas S

Povilas S Jul 17, 2021

The database should be truth-oriented. By that I mean it should not be solely seeking to debunk the conspiracies, but rather to objectively evaluate their truthfulness vs. fiction. Some theories which had a status of being conspiracies in the past turned out to be true (e.g. mass surveillance of personal data practiced by the US intelligence agencies, publicized by E. Snowden) and some present conspiracy theories are in a very grey area between truth and fiction (e.g. theories concerning 911 attacks). Just because the theory is officially still considered to be a conspiracy, doesn't mean that it is. The fact that the version of "truth" convenient for the most powerful is often pushed through mass media should not be underestimated.

A good ted talk on the matter.

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Shubhankar Kulkarni

Shubhankar Kulkarni3 years ago

Right! Also, the theories should be continuously updated in light of new evidence. The evidence may surface years after the incidence.

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Darko Savic

Darko Savic3 years ago

Shubhankar Kulkarni There could be a graphical scale tilting each theory between conspiracy and truth. Then nothing has to be black or white - it can be shown on a spectrum based on current evidence.

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Darko Savic

Darko Savic3 years ago

Agreed. The could be a place for supporting and opposing evidence to be listed

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History Database instead.

Samuel Bello

Samuel Bello Jul 22, 2021

It might be more efficient to create a database of historical accounts that accommodates conspiracy theories and plausible alternatives to the most accepted versions of history. That way it is easier to make cross-connections between truths and myths within the database. A history database will attract a larger and more objective audience than a conspiracy theory database.

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Darko Savic

Darko Savic3 years ago

Yes, also a good idea but it addresses a slightly different problem. An up to date conspiracy theory database would ideally be used by people who would otherwise fall prey to missinformation 

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General comments

Darko Savic

Darko Savic3 years ago

I found this effort in a similar direction that uses wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_topics_characterized_as_pseudoscience

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