America in the Age of Conspiracy: Q-Anon, JFK, Aliens, and More

America in the Age of Conspiracy: Q-Anon, JFK, Aliens, and More

Americans are unusually conspiratorial as a nation. But in the last week, we have really outdone ourselves. The beating of Paul Pelosi—husband of the Speaker of the House—by a Q-Anon conspiracy theorist led to even more unhinged conspiracies about the media. Kanye West has been all over the news spreading nonsense theories about Jewish control of the world, and in basketball Kyrie Irving published a social media post about a book and movie that featured antisemitic tropes and questioned the Holocaust. What makes certain conspiracy theories so successful? Why do conspiracy theories thrive in 21st century America? And aren't some conspiracy theories ... actually true? Like, what's the deal with aliens, and 1950s UFOs, and the assassination of JFK, and government projects on astral projection and military psychic powers? It's all here in today's episode, featuring the hosts of the popular podcast Stuff They Don't Want You to Know. Host: Derek Thompson Guests: Noel Brown, Ben Bowlin and Matt Frederick Producer: Devon Manze Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episoder(363)

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Michael Lewis on How the Global Financial Crisis Explains Trump, Crypto, and Everything Else

Bestselling author Michael Lewis joins the show to talk about how bubbles happen, the legacy of 'The Big Short' and the global financial crisis, 'Moneyball' and how the data analytics revolution conqu...

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What Happens When AI Learns to Do Our Jobs

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Today’s guest is Ethan Mollick. Ethan is a professor of management at Wharton, where he specializes in entrepreneurship and innovation. He is the author of the book 'Co-Intelligence: Living and Workin...

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Can "Touch-Grass Populism" Save America?

Can "Touch-Grass Populism" Save America?

By some measures, the Democratic Party has never been so unpopular as a political brand. While this fact obviously reflects some difficult realities for the party, it also creates an opportunity for D...

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Everybody Thinks AI Is a Bubble. What If They’re Wrong?

Everybody Thinks AI Is a Bubble. What If They’re Wrong?

Two weeks ago, in one of our most popular podcasts of the year, the investor and author Paul Kedrosky explained why he thinks AI is a bubble. In the last few days, practically everybody seems to agree...

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The Future of Entertainment, Part 2: What’s the Matter With Broadway?

The Future of Entertainment, Part 2: What’s the Matter With Broadway?

In the second episode of our two-part miniseries on the future of entertainment, Derek goes from Hollywood to NYC to understand why Broadway musicals are in trouble. "With the cost of staging song-and...

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The Future of Entertainment, Part 1: Is Hollywood's Business Model Broken?

The Future of Entertainment, Part 1: Is Hollywood's Business Model Broken?

The film and TV business has quietly—or, if you work in the industry, not so quietly—been in a depression for the past few years. Original TV work has plummeted. In 2024, Americans bought about 40 per...

10 Okt 202546min

Why Money Doesn't Buy Happiness in America

Why Money Doesn't Buy Happiness in America

America is rich—richer than ever. Yet Americans are more anxious, lonelier, and less satisfied than people in many poorer nations. The 2025 World Happiness Report ranked the U.S. 24th in life satisfac...

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