Author Archives: Rob Brotherton

About Rob Brotherton

Rob is a Visiting Research Fellow at Goldsmiths, University of London, and assistant editor of The Skeptic [www.skeptic.org.uk]. Follow Rob on Twitter: @rob_brotherton

Conspiracy distractions

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Rob Brotherton

[I wrote this article two years ago, on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It was originally published in The Skeptic magazine.] On the morning of September 11th, 2011, New York City solemnly remembered the thousands of people who … Continue reading →

Posted in 9/11, World events | Tagged , , , , | 229 Comments

Bilderberg Fringe Festival 2013 special report

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Rob Brotherton

This year, for the first time, the secretive Bilderberg meeting was accompanied by an unofficial Bilderberg Fringe Festival. This consisted of three days of presentations on the alleged evils of Bilderberg, as well as general festivities, all in a field … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, World events | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Measuring belief in conspiracy theories

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Rob Brotherton

On a scale of 1 to 7, do you think JFK was killed by the C.I.A.? The moon landing was faked? The Queen is an alien reptile? That might sound trite, but it’s how most psychological research into conspiracy theories … Continue reading →

Posted in Personality | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Climate change conspiracy theories

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Rob Brotherton

In 2010, politicians from the Utah House of Representatives urged the United States Environmental Protection Agency to immediately suspend policies aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Why? Global climate change, the politicians argued, is a fraud. According to the Utah … Continue reading →

Posted in Personality, What's the harm | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Conspiracy Round-Up 19/01/13

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Rob Brotherton

Links to a few recent conspiracy-oriented stories from around the internet. Unsurprisingly, the major topic of conspiracy theorising over the past few weeks has been the Newtown shooting; conspiracy theories arose immediately after the tragedy and are still gaining strength. … Continue reading →

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Conspiracy theorising in the wake of the Newtown shooting

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Rob Brotherton

On December 14th, 2012, 26 people, most of them young children, were killed in a shooting spree at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. Unconfirmed rumours about the identity and motives of the person responsible immediately began to be … Continue reading →

Posted in World events | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

A day with David Icke: Remember Who You Are, Wembley Arena October 27, 2012 review

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Rob Brotherton

A few Saturdays ago Mike, myself, and around 5,000 other ticket-holders had the opportunity to attend David Icke’s biggest event to date: a sold out 10-hour lecture at London’s Wembley Arena titled ‘Remember Who You Are’. David Icke, for those … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

When the levees break: Hurricane conspiracy theorising

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Rob Brotherton

Hurricane Katrina remains one of the worst natural disasters to occur on U.S. soil. It’s estimated that at least 1,833 people were killed in the hurricane and subsequent floods, and property damage was in the region of $81 billion. Conspiracy … Continue reading →

Posted in Biases & heuristics, Proportionality bias | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Conspiracy Round-Up 19/10

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Rob Brotherton

A few noteworthy conspiracy-oriented stories from around the internet over the past few days and weeks. Martin Sheen, Woody Harrelson, Ed Asner to star in 9/11 Truther film ‘September Morn’ – Poster (left) appears to have been designed by Ed Asner himself … Continue reading →

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How to sell a conspiracy theory

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Rob Brotherton

Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth (A&E9/11 for short), more than any other conspiracist organisation I’ve come across, showcases the psychology of sales techniques, influence, and persuasion. I don’t doubt the sincerity of those who believe the claims made by … Continue reading →

Posted in 9/11, Biases & heuristics, Social psychology | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments