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Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller
Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

Kelly Weill on why conspiracy theories are spreading faster than ever

Kelly Weill and her latest book, "Off the Edge"
Kelly Weill is a journalist at the “Daily Beast,” where she covers extremism, disinformation and the internet. Her new book is “Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything.”
Author photo by Scott Heins | Book cover courtesy of Workman Publishing

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It feels like the COVID-19 pandemic launched a thousand conspiracies. From microchips in the vaccines, to using bleach to treat the virus, to a shadowy cabal controlling it all, vast swaths of America fell prey to false thinking.

But it has also enflamed a conspiracy theory that has nothing to do with viruses and vaccines.

Journalist Kelly Weill has covered flat-Earthers for years. In her new book, “Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything,” she says the flat Earth movement is a microcosm of how and why conspiracy theories thrive and spread.

On this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas, Weill and MPR News host Kerri Miller had a fascinating discussion about the culture of conspiracy, why flat-Earthers believe what they do, and why presenting the facts to true believers doesn’t usually change their minds.

Guest:

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above. 

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