M's off being a practicing philosopher or something, so here's a quick story of the dangers of building your own jetpack. The dangers include not just flying into the sky and exploding, but more crimes and conspiracies than you might expect.

Willie McRae, a Scottish lawyer, politician and activist, died on April 7 1985 - this much is agreed on. Conspiracy theories persist to this day around exactly how and why he died (although, to be fair those closest to him really wish they wouldn't). This episode, we take a look into the claims and counterclaims around his death, to see what people think really happened and who was behind it.

It's time for another Conspiracy Theory Masterpiece Theatre - OR IS IT?  “Philosophy and conspiracy theories” by Juha Räikkä and Juho Ritola (a chapter from The Routledge handbook of conspiracy theories) is about conspiracy theories alright, and its conclusion is quite the showstopper. But "masterpiece"? Listen in to hear our views on whether it's masterful and what it may or may not be a piece of.

Heartened by the discovery that Project Blue Beam - a conspiracy theory from the 90s about NASA using holograms and mind control to take over the world - is still alive and kicking in 2026, we go Back to the Conspiracy and revisit our old material from 2015, with updates for current developments. Turns out drones are the new holograms.

It's been way too long since we've encountered any truly novel conspiracy theories, so this episode Josh and M go on the hunt, browsing various sites and networks in real time to see if there's anything new and interesting out there. Results are... mixed. But we do get to talk about phlogiston at one point, so that's something.

It's been a good long while since we tested M's recall of their student radio days, so Josh has curated a package of themed episodes to quiz them with. Can M remember the details of conspiracy content that is even older than this podcast? Yes and no.

This episode was recorded on Easter Monday, and if we had been off the air for three days instead of three weeks, there might be some significance in that. As it stands, we're looking at David Coady's paper "Conspiracy as Heresy", whose title has religious connotations of its own, so I guess it all works out and we regret nothing.

We tried to record a new episode and failed spectacularly, so until conditions allow for a proper recording, here's a short episode that will become more relevant once the next full episode comes out. It's a look at the life of Martha Mitchell and the Effect that bears her name. Martha Mitchell was the wife of Nixon's Attorney General, who tried to blow the whistle on Watergate. An outspoken woman standing up to the most powerful men in the world, in the early 1970s? Surely that will turn out well for all involved.

Josh and M discuss some Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theories, and what the Epstein Files might mean for conspiracy theory theory overall.

M is still in the country, so we put another meal on the Patreon expense account and talk about recent and less recent conspiratorial happenings in Iran, while eating delicious baked goods at a Takapuna café. Good news if you like your podcasts candid and slice-of-life; if not, M will be back in China before you know it and we'll be back to recording as normal, so everyone's happy. Unless they're in the Epstein files.