The year 2020 will long be remembered for the coronavirus pandemic that caused over three million deaths. But it was also a time when other types of pathogens went viral. Bizarre conspiracy theories have been around for a while—the Illuminati, the New World Order, 9/11. But now they've reached epidemic levels, and social, economic and political unrest have increased. How is it that conspiracy theories continue their popularity? Selected References: Muirhead, Russell, and Nancy L. Rosenblum. A lot of people are saying: The new conspiracism and the assault on democracy. https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691188836/a-lot-of-people-are-saying Applebaum, Anne. Twilight of democracy: The seductive lure of authoritarianism. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/621076/twilight-of-democracy-by-anne-applebaum/