​How conspiracy theories are born and spread

How conspiracy theories arise and spread

The fact that conspiracy ideas are taken by scientists as seriously as possible, in the sense that their mechanisms and sources are analyzed, is also confirmed by a recent study published in the journal Science Advances and signed by an Anglo-Swiss group of experts.

The researchers analyzed thousands of sites and online articles devoted to such topics. And their conclusion was that it is extremely difficult to counter the arguments of conspiracy theorists with coherent and logical arguments. Conspiracy theorists tend to reject from the outset, the vast majority, any idea that contradicts the ones they already have. Then they refuse to use reliable sources and prefer to build scenarios based on other conspiracy theories.

This results in an extremely confusing and difficult to understand network. For example, the covid vaccine conspiracies have been linked to the assassination of JFK, the death of Princess Diana, pharmaceutical companies and interest groups’ plans for world domination.

Why should scientists worry about such scenarios? Because, they say, only an understanding of such mechanisms of the spread of conspiracy ideas can help fight them. Now that at the end of the study they have given the example of the COVID vaccines and how to convince the world to get them, frankly, it will only add grist to the conspiracists’ mill. Well, didn’t they say they reject any scientific information from the very beginning?

Pickles and ryazhanka relieve stress

When it comes to stress, doctors and all relevant publications tell us that we need to exercise, meditate, take time for ourselves and the things we enjoy. Very nice, encouraging even, only they left out one aspect… diet.

In this regard, several researchers joined their efforts, conducted several tests and published the results in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. And accordingly, 45 subjects aged 18 to 59 were recruited, more than half of whom were women. The group was divided into two, and each new group was given a specific type of diet.

As expected, the participants who felt least affected by daily stress were those who consumed fruits and vegetables, foods high in fiber, but especially fermented foods: sauerkraut, kefir, whipped milk, etc. People who consumed pickles also reported a significant improvement in sleep quality, which again can help reduce stress levels.

It is clear that diet has an important effect on a person’s mental state. So far, it has been found that the aforementioned diet causes the gut flora to produce certain chemicals associated with a sense of calm. But in this sense, research is still needed to clearly clarify the relationship between cause and effect.

Nightmares can be chased away with just one sound of the piano

After getting rid of stress with diet earlier, it’s time to get rid of nightmares too, if you’ve had them. To this end, a group of Swiss researchers from the University of Geneva published a study in Current Biology that identified a simple and effective method of reducing bad dreams.

As you know, nightmares, which periodically signal, can indicate serious diseases. The problem is that this cause-and-effect relationship is still poorly understood. But experts say there are ways to reduce nightmares and get better, more restful sleep.

To do this, the older therapy had participants write down in a diary the recurring nightmares that had the most impact on them. At the end, the patients had to add a happy ending and repeat the new story in their mind until they remembered it. The therapy in question was called imagery rehearsal therapy, or IRT. Another, called “targeted memory reactivation,” or TMR, required listening to sounds during sleep, such as the simple strumming of a piano string, sounds that were associated with certain positive stimuli.

Overall, when used together, the two therapies appeared to have an unexpectedly good effect, namely a reduction from an average weekly nightmare of 2.94 to 0.19. Not that they fully understand the mechanisms that cause nightmares, but it’s a step toward creating new treatments, experts say.

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