Fintan O’Toole Paradise Lost In spreading lies about the risks of vaccines, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long played on anxieties about purity and pollution. September 7, 2023
Fintan O’Toole Invasion of the Democracy Snatchers This week’s indictment details how Trump and his co-conspirators tried to destroy American democracy by creating empty replicas of its procedures and values. August 4, 2023
Sasha Frere-Jones The Paranoid Style in Adam Curtis His films choreograph archive footage, charismatic pop, and portentous commentary in pursuit of a dark, totalizing narrative—all the seduction of conspiracy theory without the substance. May 8, 2021
Richard A. Friedman Why Conspiracy Theories Are So Alluring The human preference for plausible meaning over stubborn facts makes us especially susceptible in a world constantly flooded with information. February 12, 2021