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Why do beliefs that science settled millennia ago find a powerful resurgence today? And why does a staggering 34% of young adults believe the Earth might be flat? In this deep dive, we're dissecting a fascinating but also deeply concerning reality: how conspiracy theories thrive on platforms like TikTok.

We'll start by exploring the undeniable influence of TikTok, where nearly half of its users get their news, creating a fertile ground for misinformation to take root. We'll unpack the psychological hooks that make theories so persuasive, from appealing to our deep-seated distrust of authority to casting adherents as "free thinkers" against a supposed elite.

We’ll then get into the core arguments of the Flat Earth movement and reveal the scientific absurdities behind its claims, such as the total collapse of gravity and a sun that would have to crash into the Earth. We'll show you how the movement's modern origins trace back not to ancient times, but to a 19th-century pushback against complex science.

But the discussion doesn't stop there. We’ll expose the troubling connections between seemingly tame conspiracies and more dangerous ideologies, like climate denial and white supremacy, which are often amplified by algorithms.

Finally, we'll pivot to the hopeful frontier of AI. You'll learn how researchers are now using large language models (LLMs) to detect conspiracy theories with an astonishing 96% precision, supporting human moderators and offering a vital new tool in the fight for a healthier online information ecosystem.

This is a deep dive into the information ecosystem, asking critical questions about how we perceive truth in a world where technology can both spread and combat misinformation at unprecedented speed.