Nature abhors a vacuum, but conspiracy theorists love one.  While we wait for scientists to nail down the how and why of the coronavirus, opportunists have jumped into the void, peddling DIY testing kits and fake COVID cures like colloidal silver.  They’ve even cooked up full-blown conspiracy theories about a lab-grown virus.  Find out why this crisis has dished up more than the usual share of misinformation and hucksterism, and how these interfere with our ability to navigate it safely.

Guests:

  • Whitney Phillips – Professor of communication and rhetorical studies at Syracuse University, and author of three books, most recently You Are Here: A Field Guide for Navigating Polluted Information
  • Joan Donovan – Research director at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy

Descripción en español

Segments:
Part 1: Joan Donovan – Pandemic Opportunists
Part 2: Joan Donovan – The 5G Conspiracy
Part 3: Whitney Phillips – The Gates Gambit
Part 4: Whitney Phillips – Conspiracies Abound!

Podcast also available on PocketCasts, SoundCloud, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and RSS.

2026 Webby Award Nominee
for our three part series on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

Big Picture Science is an immersive radio show and podcast that reveals the unexpected connections in science.

Our Skeptic Check episodes take a critical look at extraordinary science claims and pseudoscience.

Don’t settle for a science snapshot. Get the big picture. 

Hosted By

Molly Bentley Executive Producer and Co-Host, Big Picture Science  

Seth Shostak Producer and Co-Host, Big Picture Science
Senior Astronomer, SETI Institute

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