[nudephil (OP)]

David sends in this conspiracy question:

Quite a few people I have known for years and considered quite normal are now talking the biggest load of rubbish I have ever heard, mostly about the coronavirus. Any ideas?

What should he do?

[alancalverd]

You have a vote. Use it wisely.

[evan_au]

Appeal to shared values, eg health, well being, scientific accuracy or social equity (not everyone will share all these).

Ironically, many conspiracy theorists will claim that they respect scientific accuracy (which they claim they have), and that the mainstream media is distorting the science (which mainstream media do, quite often).

So if the other person does respect accuracy, try to agree with them what is a credible source. Then set out to find such a credible source. Then swap phones, and see if you can find the same sources (you may not be able to, since you are may be  locked in your own "echo chamber").

A couple of days ago, my daughter referred to the couple in the USA who followed Donald Trump's advice to take hydroxychloroquine and took fish tank cleaner. The husband died, and the wife recovered.
- My daughter's take on this was that the woman had been charged with murder, and Donald Trump was her alibi
- I tried to find a reference to the woman being charged with murder, and found nothing. Naturally, the police investigated the possibility of foul play (as they would for any poisoning), but I saw nothing in those media reports that suggested she had actually been charged with anything.
- So, is my daughter reading a pro-Trump media site? I don't know, but she thought it was a reputable source because the author was "a lawyer".

[Bored chemist]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/28/if-your-friends-or-family-have-fallen-for-an-internet-conspiracy-cult-heres-what-you-should-do?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR2mZYonz69Q5FvmRP0gagvZ8tXpDJ064yQwqhGgxp1nIotAA_fccNs380U