This was during a pandemic. They suddenly started posting daily on Facebook about the dangers of Covid vaccines and masks, warning of an attempt to control us.
As a science and technology journalist, I felt it was my duty to respond. I tried, but all I got was ridicule. Even now, I still wonder: Is there anything I can do differently to dissuade them and help them see sense?
I called Sander van der Linden, professor of community social psychology at the University of Cambridge, and asked what he would advise if family members or friends showed signs that they had fallen down the rabbit hole? Read the full story.
This story is part of MIT Technology Review's “The New Age of Conspiracy” series, which examines how the current boom in conspiracy theories is changing science and technology. Check the rest of the series is here. This is also part of our How to make a seriesgiving you practical advice to help you achieve your goals.
If you're interested in learning more about how to survive the age of conspiracy, join our Features Editor Amanda Silverman and Executive Editor Niall Firth for a subscriber-exclusive roundtable conversation with conspiracy theory expert Mike Rothschild. This will be at 1:00 pm ET on Thursday, November 20th.register now to join us!
Google is still aiming to meet its 'total' energy goals by 2030
—Casey Crownhart
Last week we hosted EmTech MIT, the annual flagship conference of MIT Technology Review in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As you can imagine, some of this climate reporter's favorite moments came during the climate sessions. I particularly listened to my colleague James Temple's conversation with Lucia Tian, ​​head of advanced energy technologies at Google.
