Cambridge Skeptics

Meta removes UK politics deepfake pages after BBC investigation The warning comes as work to spot and combat deepfakes ahead of the Senedd election is taking place.

Overseas "content farms" are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create social media posts about UK politics, an expert has warned. The warning comes as work to spot and combat deepfakes ahead of the Senedd election is taking place, reports Ben Summer. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

AI-generated Iran war videos surge as creators use new tech to cash in The US-Israel war with Iran is being monetised by online creators with AI-generated misinformation.

An unprecedented wave of AI-generated misinformation about the US-Israel war with Iran is being monetised by online creators with growing access to generative AI technology, experts have told BBC Verify's Thomas Copeland. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Brian Cox received 'panicked phone call' from BBC over possible alien contact Professor Brian Cox revealed that concerned BBC bosses hurriedly called him after concerns emerged of possible extra-terrestrial contact during a television experiment

Professor Brian Cox has admitted to receiving "panicked phone calls" from his BBC bosses over concerns that aliens may contact him while filming a show, reports Edward Easton. www.dailystar.co.uk/news/uk-news...

Candace Owens is crashing out online and has never been more popular Owens has over 24.5 million followers and subscribers across platforms, an 80% increase since January 1, 2025

Owens has over 24.5 million followers and subscribers across platforms, an 80% increase since January 1, 2025, report Olivia Little and Kayla Gogarty. www.mediamatters.org/candace-owen...

Why Is the Internet Obsessed With Celebrity Clone Conspiracy Theories? Jim Carrey, Selena Gomez and Avril Lavigne are some of the stars who have found themselves at the center of viral theories circulating on social media.

Jim Carrey, Selena Gomez and Avril Lavigne are some of the stars who have found themselves at the center of viral theories circulating on social media, writes Carly Thomas. www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general...

‘Great men are almost always bad men’: The Epstein files and the appeal of stories about depraved elites Declassified documents belonging to the disgraced financier have given wings to a conspiracy theory that’s been explored in ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ and by QAnon alike: does one do evil simply because one…

Declassified documents belonging to the disgraced financier have given wings to a conspiracy theory that’s been explored in ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ and by QAnon alike: does one do evil simply because one can? Asks Enrique Rey. english.elpais.com/usa/2026-03-...

A push to end child marriage globally is slowing, with political, social and economic instability threatening hard-won gains for young women over the past three decades, reports Betsy McKay. archive.ph/2UHdS www.wsj.com/world/child-...

The myth of Baba Vanga: how a mystic’s ‘prophecies’ fuel online propaganda Many of the Bulgarian seer’s predictions were never recorded, yet her name bolsters conspiracy theories and geopolitical narratives

Many of the Bulgarian seer’s predictions were never recorded, yet her name bolsters conspiracy theories and geopolitical narratives, write Eden Maclachlan and Ashifa Kassam. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

ChatGPT driving rise in reports of ‘satanic’ organised and ritual abuse, UK experts say Exclusive: ‘Witchcraft, spirit possession and spiritual abuse’ offending typified by sexual abuse, violence and neglect

ChatGPT is driving a rise in reports of organised and ritual abuse, UK experts have said, as survivors of “satanic” sexual violence use the AI tool for therapy, reports Chris Osuh. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

America's most hated family now - homophobic 'cult' and woman who escaped The Westboro Baptist Church first found notoriety after Louis Theroux's 2007 documentary called 'The Most Hated Family in America' - revealing their extremely hateful views on the LGBTQ+ community

Once dubbed America's "most hated family" thanks to their shocking hateful views on the LGBTQ+ community, some of those who starred on Louis Theroux documentary Surviving America's Most Hated Family have transformed their lives, report Cally Brooks and Louise Lazell. www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/a...

The BBC is fuelling disinformation and conspiracy theories by hosting those with “fantasy” views, the UK’s chief medical officer has suggested, reports Laura Donnelly. archive.ph/TuFUl www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03...

Trump voters who believed conspiracy theories were the most likely to justify the Jan. 6 riots New research provides evidence that active political participation mixed with election fraud conspiracy beliefs predicted support for the Capitol riots. The findings show how unverified narratives…

A recent study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science suggests that people who are highly active in politics and also believe in conspiracy theories are the most likely to justify political violence, reports Eric W. Dolan. www.psypost.org/trump-voters...

We asked scientists what they think we'll learn from the government's UFO files. Here's what they said. Documents might help scientists shed light on unexplained phenomena and government secrets, experts said.

Documents might help scientists shed light on unexplained phenomena and government secrets, report Graham Kates and Cara Tabachnick. www.cbsnews.com/news/ufo-fil...

Aliens Exist? Inside the Annual Expo Where UFO 'Disclosure' Is Only a Matter of Time Aura readers, quantum life coaches, and “starseeds” came together in Los Angeles. Together they're waiting

Aura readers, quantum life coaches, and “starseeds” came together at the Conscious Life Expo in Los Angeles: “There's a consensus that ‘first contact’ is not far away," reports Mattha Busby. archive.ph/iFK6h www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...

COVID’s origins: what we do and don’t know Researchers summarize key insights from the world’s first comprehensive investigation into how a pandemic started.

Researchers summarize key insights from the world’s first comprehensive investigation into how a pandemic started. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Starseeds, government plots and an alien mantis: Inside New Age spirituality's new age UFO discussions have long been part of the milieu at the Conscious Life Expo, which convenes thousands of New Age spiritual seekers in Los Angeles each year

UFO discussions have long been part of the milieu at the Conscious Life Expo, which convenes thousands of New Age spiritual seekers in Los Angeles each year, reports Kathryn Post. www.independent.co.uk/news/mariann...

AI images, old videos and false viral claims: what to watch out for when checking posts about the Middle East on social media – Full Fact In the last week we’ve seen a surge of misinformation relating to the war with Iran—we’ve fact checked 10 viral posts, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

In the last week we’ve seen a surge of misinformation relating to the war with Iran—we’ve fact checked 10 viral posts, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg, reports Sian Bayley. fullfact.org/conflict/mid...

I'm a Brit UFO hunter - Trump must reveal 'out of this world' alien secrets A FORMER UK cop who now cracks UFO cases hopes Donald Trump will blow the lid off top alien secrets. Gary Heseltine, 65, who took early retirement in 2013 to become a full-time UFO detective, is ho…

A former UK cop who now cracks UFO cases hopes Donald Trump will blow the lid off top alien secrets, reports Georgie English. archive.ph/U88jt www.thesun.co.uk/news/3842917...

Uri Geller warns NASA of alien invasion after 'baffling discovery' Uri Geller claims aliens are testing Earth's systems after 10,000 US flights disrupted and increased UFO sightings near nuclear facilities spark invasion fears

Uri Geller claims (without evidence) aliens are testing Earth's systems after 10,000 US flights disrupted and increased UFO sightings near nuclear facilities spark invasion fears, report Tim Hanlon and Jane Lavender. www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-n...

How medical misinformation is changing the exam room | Expert Opinion It starts with an article read online, a TikTok video about side effects, a social media thread questioning whether doctors overprescribe. Over time, this information reshapes how patients weigh risk.

It starts with an article read online, a TikTok video about side effects, a social media thread questioning whether doctors overprescribe. Over time, this information reshapes how patients weigh risk, writes Ian Millstein. archive.ph/RzBPF www.inquirer.com/health/exper...

The Latest Weapon in the Iran War Is AI-Generated Misinformation Rolling Stone talked to AI experts about the harmful impact of manipulated images in the fog of war.

Rolling Stone's Lorena O’Neil talked to AI experts about the harmful impact of manipulated images in the fog of war. archive.ph/qx5Cs www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...

AI is now part of the culture wars — and real wars Untangling the Anthropic-Pentagon—OpenAI-Iran news cycle.

Untangling the Anthropic-Pentagon—OpenAI-Iran news cycle, reports Tina Nguyen. archive.ph/G9GOr www.theverge.com/column/88890...

Documents meant to shed light on Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes are feeding unfounded theories online about baby farms, murder and cloning, report Joshua Chaffin and Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky. archive.ph/6uuH3 www.wsj.com/us-news/epst...

State actors are behind much of the visual misinformation about the Iran war A deluge of misrepresented or fabricated videos has spread widely online since the Iran war began last weekend, fueled in part by state-linked propaganda influence campaigns — particularly around who…

A deluge of misrepresented or fabricated videos has spread widely since the Iran war began last weekend, fueled in part by state-linked propaganda influence campaigns, particularly around who is winning and how bad casualties have been, reports Melissa Goldin. www.independent.co.uk/news/iran-ba...

Devil worshippers are using AI, exorcists are warned Priests, imams and rabbis will attend an exorcism course in Rome amid fears that paedophiles are using AI to create images of children involved in satanic rites

Priests, imams and rabbis will attend an exorcism course in Rome amid fears that paedophiles are using AI to create images of children involved in satanic rites, reports Tom Kington. archive.ph/9TrDw www.thetimes.com/world/europe...

Most Reform members believe non-white UK citizens born abroad should be forced or encouraged to leave, poll finds Nigel Farage’s recent efforts to woo centre-ground voters may cause tension in party’s right flank, says Hope Not Hate

Nigel Farage’s recent efforts to woo centre-ground voters may cause tension in party’s right flank, says Hope Not Hate, reports Ben Quinn. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Glyphosate is driving a rift in MAHA. Here’s what the science says about its effects on health The Trump administration wants to boost manufacturing of glyphosate, the world’s most common weed killer. Here’s what that could mean for health

The Trump administration wants to boost manufacturing of glyphosate, the world’s most common weed killer. Here’s what that could mean for health, reports Jackie Flynn Mogensen. www.scientificamerican.com/article/glyp...

Study on Alt-Med Breast Cancer Treatments Finds a Grim Side Effect: Death Over a five-year span, women who used complementary and alternative medicine had a greater mortality rate than those who relied on traditional care.

Over a five-year span, women who used complementary and alternative medicine had a greater mortality rate than those who relied on traditional care, reports Ed Cara. gizmodo.com/study-on-alt...

Hundreds of child abuse cases involving witchcraft and rituals go unreported UK police investigated just seven cases in 2024 out of 4,450 instances of child abuse, despite a national helpline receiving over 1,000 calls of organised and ritualistic abuse

UK police investigated just seven cases in 2024 out of 4,450 instances of child abuse, despite a national helpline receiving over 1,000 calls of organised and ritualistic abuse, reports Holly Evans. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crim...

SpaceX Starlink launch creates gorgeous 'jellyfish' in predawn Florida skies (video, photos) Liftoff occurred at 5:52 a.m. ET on Wednesday (March 4), about an hour before sunrise, resulting in the spectacular sky show.

A SpaceX Starlink launch put on a stunning sky show this morning, as its high-altitude plume was lit by the yet-to-rise sun, reports Robert Z. Pearlman. www.space.com/space-explor...