This week, SMiles Lewis joins AP for a wide-ranging discussion about fringe and conspiracy narratives and the ways in which many of these ideas have mutated as they have made their way into mainstream culture. SMiles is the founder of Anomaly Archives, a Texas-based collection of over 7000 titles related to UFOs, parapsychology, and other unexplained phenomena. He is a longtime researcher, writer, and podcaster with a valuable perspective on the topic at hand. In 2023, he was featured in a New York Times Op Ed by Dr. Annie Kelly, which analyzed the rise of QAnon and the prominence of conspiracy theories in public discourse. Times being as they are, it seemed a fruitful line of inquiry to revisit the topic and discuss how this has progressed in the few short years since Dr. Kelly wrote her article.

In conversation here, SMiles discusses his history with fringe topics and various turning points in the last few decades that have helped formerly fringe ideas proliferate. They manage to find room for levity in what might seem a dark topic, as they discuss everything from 9 / 11 truthers to Bohemian Grove and more. Also discussed is the balancing act of remaining simultaneously critical and open to ideas, and the importance of preserving one's sanity when diving into rabbit holes.

Check out SMiles' work at Anomaly Archives here: https://anomalyarchives.org/ , and consider joining the Patreon for it to help support a tremendous lending library in need!