Buying into conspiracies doesn’t just result in a newfound affinity for tin foil hats—subscribing to these beliefs can have much wider societal effects. Distrust of data-backed vaccine efficacy lowers a society’s overall resilience against infectious diseases like measles, COVID-19, and tuberculosis. Misinformation surrounding climate change has for decades hampered ongoing efforts to combat its risks to humanity and our planet. Meanwhile, the embrace of stolen election conspiracies and fears about secret, nonexistent international cabals has given way to multiple deadly and tragic outcomes.

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