1211: Conspiracy Theories | Skeptical Sunday

Former conspiracy believer turned skeptic Michael Regilio decodes why people fall for QAnon and flat Earth here on Skeptical Sunday!

Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by skeptic, comedian, and podcaster Michael Regilio!

On This Week’s Skeptical Sunday:

• From medieval blood libel to modern QAnon, conspiracy theories follow the same template: blaming “others” for society’s problems through fear and tribalism.
• Brain chemistry drives beliefs. Higher dopamine levels and hyperactive pattern recognition make some people more susceptible to seeing conspiracies where none exist.
• Conspiracy theories destroy families, enable harassment (like Sandy Hook parents), and inspire violence — they’re not harmless entertainment.
• Social needs fuel conspiracies. People believe because theories offer community, make them feel special/heroic, and provide simple answers to complex problems.
• Critical thinking is the antidote. Question sources, demand evidence, and remember — real truth doesn’t need secret codes or special knowledge, just logic and humility.
• Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you’d like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know!
• Connect with Michael Regilio at Twitter, Instagram, Threads, and YouTube.

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Resources from This Skeptical Sunday:

• What Are Conspiracy Theories? A Definitional Approach to Their Correlates, Consequences, and Communication | Annual Review of Psychology
• Which Conspiracy Theories Do Americans Believe? | YouGov
• 72-Year-Old Buzz Aldrin Punches a Moon Landing Conspiracy Theorist in the Face | History
• Loose Change | Wikipedia
• Questions and Answers about the NIST WTC 7 Investigation | National Institute of Standards and Technology
• Final Report on the Collapse of World Trade Center Building 7 | National Institute of Standards and Technology
• Blood Libel | Britannica
• William of Norwich | Britannica
• The Black Death | Jewish Virtual Library
• Antisemitism | Skeptical Sunday | The Jordan Harbinger Show
• Gay Frogs (Alex Jones REMIX) | Placeboing
• Blood Libel | Holocaust Encyclopedia
• Trent 1475: Stories of a Ritual Murder Trial by R. Po-chia Hsia | Yale University Press
• Popish Plot | Britannica
• An Antisemitic Conspiracy: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion | Holocaust Encyclopedia
• Antisemitism and Henry Ford’s “The International Jew” | Holocaust Encyclopedia
• What Happened to Nikola Tesla’s Files? | PBS American Experience
• Nikola Tesla | FBI Vault
• Examining Extremism: QAnon | Center for Strategic and International Studies
• The QAnon Conspiracy Theory: A Security Threat in the Making? | Combating Terrorism Center at West Point
• Adrenochrome | PubChem
• QAnon-Believing Couple Kidnaps Children in Arizona | Associated Press
• Colorado Man Influenced by QAnon Charged in Child Kidnapping Case | Associated Press
• QAnon Kidnapping Attempt in Utah | Business Insider
• Alex Jones and Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theories | Associated Press
• Alex Jones Ordered to Pay $965 Million in Sandy Hook Lawsuit | Associated Press
• North Carolina Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Armed Assault in Northwest Washington | U.S. Department of Justice
• The Role of Paranoid and Suspicious Thinking in Conspiracy Theory Beliefs | PLOS ONE
• The Corona Conspiracy by Dr. Jan-Willem van Prooijen |Studium Generale TU/ee
• Individual Differences in Conspiracy Thinking | European Journal of Social Psychology
• Dead and Alive: Beliefs in Contradictory Conspiracy Theories | Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
• A Major Event Has a Major Cause: Evidence for the Role of Heuristics in Reasoning About Conspiracy Theories | Royal Holloway University of London
• How Do We Know the Earth Isn’t Flat? | We Asked a NASA Expert
• Conspiracy Craze: Why 12 Million Americans Believe Alien Lizards Rule Us | The Guardian
• Julian Walker | How Conspiracy Theories Make Society Sick | The Jordan Harbinger Show
• Cindy Otis | Spotting Fake News Like a CIA Analyst | The Jordan Harbinger Show
• Dave Farina | Debunking Junk Science Myths | The Jordan Harbinger Show
• Mick West | How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories | The Jordan Harbinger Show
• Renée DiResta | Dismantling the Disinformation Machine | The Jordan Harbinger Show