According to a December 2020 NPR/IPSOS national poll, 47% of Americans surveyed say QAnon’s core claims are false, with 17% admitting to believing outright, and 37% saying they’re unsure.
This raises the question: how has an easily discredited, outlandish conspiracy theory that began on the online messaging 4chan so deeply entered our collective discourse with millions of people claiming to believe it to be true?
We explore this growing phenomenon of believing online conspiracy theories, and ways to possibly overcome it, with Guy P. Harrison, he’s a journalist and author of eight books on science, skeptical, and philosophical issues. His article “How to Repair the American Mind: Solving America’s Cognitive Crisis” was published in a recent issue of Skeptical Inquirer Magazine. He’s also a self-described public advocate for science and reason.
We’re also joined by Dr. Glenn Whitehouse, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University.