Welcome Thread - New Members Post Here

for those who feel stuck and isolated from a partner who's gone down the rabbit hole in any way (not just the Q-Anons), perhaps you can try to tell them how you feel and that to the degree they've chosen this to be some kind of defining characteristic it does make you worry and whatever else. just lay it out for them, perhaps it can be enough of a connection and a line that they'll realize that they are damaging a relationship by that kind of radicalism and they may be able to use that as a way to come back out of it.

just a thought. :) hope things go well.

for me the hard part is that i don't think it will matter whatever i say.
 
for those who feel stuck and isolated from a partner who's gone down the rabbit hole in any way (not just the Q-Anons), perhaps you can try to tell them how you feel and that to the degree they've chosen this to be some kind of defining characteristic it does make you worry and whatever else. just lay it out for them, perhaps it can be enough of a connection and a line that they'll realize that they are damaging a relationship by that kind of radicalism and they may be able to use that as a way to come back out of it.

just a thought. :) hope things go well.

for me the hard part is that i don't think it will matter whatever i say.
I am with you! At some point they went too far and their line of demarcation is so far from yours that it’s just so hard to actually make your own position make sense for them. Sending love and support to anybody else also going through this!
 
Mick, Thanks for your great work. I especially like that you sidestep the name-calling ad hominem and stick to the logic. I just turned 67 last month. My grandma was a member of the John Birch Society and took us grandkids to her weekly meetings when she was babysitting us (with tinker toys and other quiet toys to keep us quiet during the meetings). I was one of the oldest grandkids, so around age ten, I was paying attention to all the conspiracy theories about the UN, Bilderbergers, Trilateral Commission, and all that good stuff. Grandma was a Prepper with a shed full of dried milk, canned food, and water. I read enough of her literature to figure out the JBS was more interested in rumors and innuendo than it was interested in hard evidence. Did you know that the Beatles were on the Commie payroll?

Being a lover of science and reading from an early age, I subscribed to a Ufology newsletter (hey, no internet in the 60s) and gobbled up everything I could find about psychic and paranormal "research". After looking at all the best evidence, I finally lost interest in conspiracy theories and paranormal claims. I wanted it to be true.

Nowadays, when my younger friends start telling me about the Knights Templar or some satanic Qanon theory about politicians, I have to shrug it off and say, "I've heard all that stuff since I was ten years old".

I just started listening to a podcast called "Liberty Weekly", and I really like what the host and his guests have to say. I was disheartened to hear this guy say, "I'm a 9/11 Truther". Having read and watched all the 9/11 conspiracy theories and "proof" and dismissed it all long ago, I thought maybe I needed to see if there was something new on the Truther front. There isn't. Same ol', same ol'.

The positive thing about all this searching for new "Truther" evidence? I found your YouTube debunking videos and your MetaBunk website. Very nice work. I sent a link to your YouTube videos to the host of Liberty Weekly.
I have a few friends who are true believers in UFOs, Truther stories, and Qanon demonology. So, I'm here so I don't have to shy away when I hear weird claims that don't sound quite right. Thanks again.
 
This thread is for any first time poster to (optionally) post an introductory "hi everyone" post, which will also get you "verified" (meaning you can post without anti-spam restrictions) once that post, and a few posts in another sub-forum, have been approved.

A few words on who you are and how you ended up here would be appreciated. Or just say hi!
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It's highly recommended that you first read the Posting Guidelines:
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Hello,
Came across this while reading OZY.
I am a retired health care administrator.
Love reading sane responses to the boatload of wild claims that float around
 
Hi, I’m Peewee. I am a 70 yr. old woman living in Colorado. I am a Progressive who believes in science and logic. I was attracted to the site when I read about it in the OZY Daily Dose. I have been increasingly alarmed at the apparent spreading acceptance of Q conspiracies. I really look forward to serious and intelligent dialogue.
 
Hi everyone, want to say hello, I saw Mick's videos on Youtube etc and also briefly chatted with him on Twitter, had few questions regarding an incident in Pakistan recently and hopefully will be able to put a post in a new thread.

Regards
 
Hi everyone, want to say hello, I saw Mick's videos on Youtube etc and also briefly chatted with him on Twitter, had few questions regarding an incident in Pakistan recently and hopefully will be able to put a post in a new thread.

Regards
Hi! I met some very nice kite fliers from Pakistan at a kite festival in Dubai several years ago. They had some amazing fighting kites, much larger than I had seen before, and were just very nice people besides. Good times...
 
Hi! I met some very nice kite fliers from Pakistan at a kite festival in Dubai several years ago. They had some amazing fighting kites, much larger than I had seen before, and were just very nice people besides. Good times...
Oh you reminded me something I used to do a lot .. some very good memories, thanks !! :cool:
 
Hi everyone,

I'm a MA Publishing student from Oxford. I have come across a lot of misinformation because of my girlfriend. She believes in conspiracy theories religiously. My intention to join this website is to learn scientific and effective ways to reason with her. I appreciate Mick West's book and his methods. I used to call my girlfriend names and make her feel less for believing in dangerous information but after reading ETRH, I realised that respect is the key.

I applaud everyone who are working for this cause.
 
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Hello everyone,
I'm new here and this is my first post. I have been following Mick West for a while now and I want to dedicate a little more time trying to get us back to a shared reality. And that involves debunking bad arguments and claims. I have been active on Twitter and Facebook and have had a few at length conversations with QAnon followers and Covid deniers. I want to work for a world that is more introspective and skeptical than what we see right now and this platform seems to be a good place to a) hone my skills and where possible b) contribute to said pursuit.
Thanks.
 
Hi, I’m Spencer, and looking forward to interacting with you all! I don’t have a lot of specialist knowledge, but find this topic quite intriguing.
 
This thread is for any first time poster to (optionally) post an introductory "hi everyone" post, which will also get you "verified" (meaning you can post without anti-spam restrictions) once that post, and a few posts in another sub-forum, have been approved.

A few words on who you are and how you ended up here would be appreciated. Or just say hi!
upload_2013-11-7_15-17-0.png

It's highly recommended that you first read the Posting Guidelines:
https://www.metabunk.org/threads/posting-guidelines.2064/
Hello. Happy to find this forum. I am an old computer programmer (original 1980's girl geek). These days I find myself debunking crazy social media posts from friends. Have a great day!
 
Hi my name is Dan. I run Disclosure tv on YouTube and Twitter. First of all thanks for the add. I look forward to hearing other opinions. I also just bought Mick West book. waiting on the delivery for that. i Do run an "Alternative media webpage, YouTube and twitter. Which means yes I do believe in what some would call conspiracies. But i actually dont like calling them conspiracies. Too much damage is done with that title. And I dont just dont even touch or get involved with what I call extreme theories. So your probably like "what are you doing here then"? Well here's the thing. I was raised in a very religious Christian family. I do know the history of Christianity and so forth. But also i do believe in science. Whole heartedly. and I believe science does offer countless explanations for a lot of events and subjects. I'm a carpenter Ive worked for the govt , military, FBI Lockheed and celebrities as a subcontractor. My family is and has been civil servants all their life. I'm not a Q follower. I actually believe Q isn't a single individual on 4 chan with connections to powerful people. I actually believe they are just random people just making up a lot of bull. I dont think the world is flat or the govt is trying to poison us with chemtrails. However I do know the cloud seeding operations are in fact true and used for research, improving an areas ecosystem by increasing precipitation. I'm not your typical conspiracy nut and do believe the majority, 99% of certain occurrences and events can be explained with various means including just having a little common sense. However I also believe there is that 1% that cant be explained no matter how hard you try to find an answer. Although some forget just how many events or occurrences that 1% actually is. Its a lot. I believe that 99% of Ufos can be explained or are generally just fake all together. In order for me to even put events into that 1% category it has to meet a certain standard and criteria. That standard must be that i can find or compile evidence or proof that's 60% or greater. And to me just having an "official statement ran by a news media outlet isn't enough to prove something did or didn't happen. I dont and cant take only spoken word of people. and you would agree people lie. They dont lie all the time. But they lie. My Dad was a cop and a city official, Ive worked for the govt and I even have to lie about things Ive done and seen at work, so trust me when i say people lie, and keep secrets more than you think. But not about everything. Just about things. Some of the things I know wouldn't even make a bit of difference if I told them to people. But for some reason the govt celebs say I cant. I can prove everything I'm saying but i cant by law give you that proof. I may be able to show a few pics Anyway i look forward to hearing from you all, your opinions, facts and conclusions. have a good one. Il attach a pic of a celebrity home. I just cant tell you the address or who owns it.
 

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This post is to introduce myself.
I am a physician who became interested in Skepticism after reading Edzard Ernst's book on SCAM medicine, "Trick or Treatment" which led me to become a true believer in Evidence-Based Medicine. A few years ago I joined the local chapter of Skeptics in the Pub and am a regular listener of SGU and Skeptoid. I have given several talks to our Skeptics group on EBM, SCAMS, The Placebo Effect, and bogus medical studies.
Our book discussion night in Skeptics just discussed Mick West's "Escaping the Rabbit Hole". Our Skeptics group has been working on ways we can interact with conspiracy believers, such as Flat Earthers, in a non-threatening way.
How to Have Impossible Conversations by Peter Boghossian was also helpful, but Mr. West's book provided the information and insights we were looking for.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciate the information provided to aid me in discussing conspiracy theories rationally. That book has led me to this website.
 
Hi, long time lurker.

I'm registering here because I want to start a thread on the most recent Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) discussions happening my country at the moment.

Would be great to see some more sceptical eyes on the "evidence" that's come out in the last 24 hours regarding a confirmed sighting.

Thanks.
 
This thread is for any first time poster to (optionally) post an introductory "hi everyone" post, which will also get you "verified" (meaning you can post without anti-spam restrictions) once that post, and a few posts in another sub-forum, have been approved.

A few words on who you are and how you ended up here would be appreciated. Or just say hi!
upload_2013-11-7_15-17-0.png

It's highly recommended that you first read the Posting Guidelines:
https://www.metabunk.org/threads/posting-guidelines.2064/
Hi! Read some of your posting guide - it's rather lengthy. I like point 5. To help people escape the rabbit hole, either directly, or by giving tools to their friends.
That's a big concern I have as I see my friends slipping into believing in way out conspiracy theories. So harmful. This forum came up when entering Google search on how to stop friends believing in this rubbish. New and very interested. Thanks for join!!
 
Hi, Noble_Ox here.

Decided to join as I am sick of arguing with people on Reddit subs that won't listen to any rational explanations. I'm hoping here I'll find more reasonable people.
 
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howdy Mick and i guess everyone.
been a follower for many years just hadnt ever signed up. i watched the 9/11 stuff live on tv down here in australia, it all started about midnight here and id just got home from work and even here it was on every channel. i spent the whole night and next day watching it and been fascinated by it and the BS conspiracy theories ever since. when searching for things to debunk the lies about it i often either get linked back to you or have used your youtube stuff for years now.

i mean ive known "aliens" has been BS for ever, your vids on things like flair and other stuff with the latest "ufo" videos released by the american government were great, i mean i knew they werent what most people and even the government tried to play them off as little green man and whats more i knew that the government must have known better than what they were telling people. there are some great videos done by a guy called mouthy buddah about the government using rock stars to push disinfo in ufo's and other things

always look forward to seeing your work. thanks

Dan
 
Hello!

I'm surprised I haven't joined earlier! Wow, I love talking about conspiracy theories and why people buy into them (even if a small portion turn out to be true). I have friends on Facebook who are flat earthers, birthers, antivaxxers, and 2020 election denialists among a whole bunch of other things. And I often engage with them. So, yeah, again, why haven't I found this place earlier. That's on me.

Now I do have a question. This question probably has been answered a bunch of times, but I did a search and couldn't dig it out. Why isn't there a whole forum just dedicated to the JFK Assassination? That's almost like the big entry level conspiracy theory there. A whole movie was made about it with Kevin Costner. I was wondering because I have a close friend who is a JFK conspiracy theorist who believes the case pretty much settled. He made the claim that "there's a consensus on it", which blew my mind and a bunch of us asked him, "Who's consensus?" He just said, "the experts."

So anyway, thank for listening. I feel like I'm going to be coming here often as reference. Got lots of questions.

Thanks,

Mike
 
So happy to find you. I grew up in MN and now live in Texas, where people I really care about spout conspiracy theories that they "know" are true because they read it on " A really reliable source." I don't plan to reason with them, but I am utterly fascinated with these theories. Currently a little was said about how the Texas Freeze was an "Attack" and something about cloud-seeding and the government. So I am interested in this one and what else is being spread about the disaster. I'm capable of looking up the truth but I don't know the whole story(s). Anyway, hello everyone. I've been looking for you!!
 
...
Now I do have a question. This question probably has been answered a bunch of times, but I did a search and couldn't dig it out. Why isn't there a whole forum just dedicated to the JFK Assassination? That's almost like the big entry level conspiracy theory there. A whole movie was made about it with Kevin Costner. I was wondering because I have a close friend who is a JFK conspiracy theorist who believes the case pretty much settled. He made the claim that "there's a consensus on it", which blew my mind and a bunch of us asked him, "Who's consensus?" He just said, "the experts."

So anyway, thank for listening. I feel like I'm going to be coming here often as reference. Got lots of questions.

Thanks,

Mike

i can't remember exactly when it was, perhaps 5 or more years ago, my Dad got into reading some book about JFK and that Oswald was part of a conspiracy. i did read it. it was very strange reading and when i was done i told my Dad it sounded like a bunch of contrived BS by someone just out to sell books. obviously that didn't go over well with him. i'm not really diplomatic. i need to work on that better.
 
Hi everyone!
I'm a college student, currently finishing my degree in Material Engineering, and I've been studying UFOs as an hobbie since I found the internet. Although I'm still not convinced that we've been visited by extraterrestrials, I believe this possibility should not be ruled out. Either way, skepticism puts us on the right path to get to the truth.
I found Metabunk through Mick West's YT channel and I immediately got hooked on the various threads discussed here. I'm looking forward to share some thoughts with you guys!
 
Hey everyone, nice to meet you all. I'm just really interested in conspiracy theories. Anything from JFK and chemtrails to nuclear energy deniers and Flat Earthers. I look forward to talking with you all! Also, if I make any English mistakes, I do apologize.
 
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This thread is for any first time poster to (optionally) post an introductory "hi everyone" post, which will also get you "verified" (meaning you can post without anti-spam restrictions) once that post, and a few posts in another sub-forum, have been approved.

A few words on who you are and how you ended up here would be appreciated. Or just say hi!
upload_2013-11-7_15-17-0.png

It's highly recommended that you first read the Posting Guidelines:
https://www.metabunk.org/threads/posting-guidelines.2064/
Hello, My name is Rick and I'm a freelance journalist from Virginia. I'm looking for a good source to go to for debunking conspiracy theories like "non-ionizing radiation" in the case of 5G, etc. Heard this was a good place for that.
 
Hello. I am here because I have a lot of conspiracy-touting friends and family members and I think this website could be a useful tool to debunk a lot of what they say
 
Hello guys, I am a French retired industrial engineer and I live in Brazil. I am a fan of Sci-Fi litterature/movies and traveling around the world including long bike's trips across South America. I am here because I read some stuff from Mick West about the Hulsey's models on WTC7 falling. It seemed to me to be serious analysis. My first impression was confirmed by the topics and developments addressed in this forum.
I hope founding here a good material for seriously debating about polemical topics.
 
Hi everyone. I'm new to the site, and really appreciate the effort here. I am a physician-scientist in training (PhD is finished, MD is almost done), and started a website last May aimed at debunking COVID misinformation (youcanknowthings.com). I see a lot of the same topics are covered here, so I will try to share topics I've already debunked on this platform as well. Glad to have found this community, and looking forward to talking with y'all.
 
Hello everyone,

I'm Nathan 26 years old study history at the university and live in Amsterdam. These last years conspiracy theories seem te be more widely believed, at least by the people around me. It worries me and because I have been an admirer of Mick West's way of thinking and conversation I decided to join up. Looking forward to hear your experiences and advice.
 
Hi all. Dean, 34yo from Ireland here. I was a conspiracy theorist from 2006-2008. Growing up I had an interest in anything science fiction, UFO or paranormal related etc. Around 2006, I became interested in 911 which progressed onto listening to people like Alex Jones and David Icke etc. From 2008-2011ish, I got involved with the Zeitgeist movement. Ironically, this was the biggest contributing factor to me becoming a better critical thinker which, in turn, led to me exiting the rabbit hole altogether. Since then, I've become interested in skepticism and have linked to this site a few times over the years as an aid to helping others out of the rabbit hole. For that, thanks to Mick and all the regular contributors here.
 
Hey everyone. I started following this site after the Nimitz encounter. I'm a skeptic, but I do have a huge "I Want to Believe" poster prominently displayed in my living room, so maybe I'm not quite as skeptical as some of the folks here.

I've been reading through the new threads about the recent "UAV" encounters off of the California coast. I'm curious to know what everyone makes of these new drones being described as tic-tac shaped? Is that just the result of people repeating a description we all heard after the Nimitz encounter? Or is this evidence of some new type of drone tech?

Keep up the good work Mr. West. I'm sure you'll have your plate full with the new disclosures on the horizon, but we appreciate what you do.
 
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I've been reading through the new threads about the recent "UAV" encounters off of the California coast. I'm curious to know what everyone makes of these new drones being described as tic-tac shaped? Is that just the result of people repeating a description we all heard after the Nimitz encounter? Or is this evidence of some new type of drone tech?
Welcome. There's a thread for this here:

https://www.metabunk.org/threads/uss-kidd-and-other-ships-drones-encounter-2019.11681/
 
Long-time follower, recent first-time poster here. I've long been interested in scientific perspectives on the paranormal, crypto-zoology, and pseudo-archeology. I've listened to a LOT of podcasts about bigfoot, UFOs, (pseudo)archeology, conspiracy theories, etc. In particular I appreciate Mick being one of the few voices of reason on the UAP/TTSA videos. Thank you!

Humblebrag: I have a Ph.D. in social psychology from Harvard University and I have professional interest in understanding why people believe what they do, even if those beliefs don't seem well-supported by data.
 
Humblebrag: I have a Ph.D. in social psychology from Harvard University and I have professional interest in understanding why people believe what they do, even if those beliefs don't seem well-supported by data.
Welcome Dr K. I'm an unusual retired engineer. Both civil and military. But with a long career involvement in conflict resolution. All the "relations" --- "customer" - "industrial" - "staff" - political and stakeholder - plus organisational development and reform. So I share your interest "...in understanding why people believe what they do..." No formal training - mostly "University of Hard Knocks" I usually end up being odd man out in discussions of technical topics where the real issues are in the behavioural and perceptions domains and most persons inthe discusion are technocrats with a blind spot in the people domain. My original topic interest arose from 9/11 conspiracy claims abut demolition of the WTC Twin Towers. Which gave me an obvious professional technical interest - applied physics and demolion should be bread and butter (or ration pack) to me. BUT the real issues are in the behavioural domain -- the strong need for conciliation processes. And most involved don't see it that way. That was 14 years back. Silly me - I'm still "hooked". So welcome again - Have fun. Our paths may cross.
 
I came here because of my search for Flat Earth. I have a friend who believes in flat earth like she believes in God. It is hard to get her to consider evidence. I have gone to a local lake and done some measurements and have seen the bulge at a low camera angle but maybe refraction had an influence. The photos of the electrical towers posted here are very compelling.
 
Welcome Dr K. I'm an unusual retired engineer. Both civil and military. But with a long career involvement in conflict resolution. All the "relations" --- "customer" - "industrial" - "staff" - political and stakeholder - plus organisational development and reform. So I share your interest "...in understanding why people believe what they do..." No formal training - mostly "University of Hard Knocks" I usually end up being odd man out in discussions of technical topics where the real issues are in the behavioural and perceptions domains and most persons inthe discusion are technocrats with a blind spot in the people domain. My original topic interest arose from 9/11 conspiracy claims abut demolition of the WTC Twin Towers. Which gave me an obvious professional technical interest - applied physics and demolion should be bread and butter (or ration pack) to me. BUT the real issues are in the behavioural domain -- the strong need for conciliation processes. And most involved don't see it that way. That was 14 years back. Silly me - I'm still "hooked". So welcome again - Have fun. Our paths may cross.
Thank you! Your background sounds very interestin
 
Hello all, I'm Speedo. I found this place, oddly enough, looking into a quote by Lincoln that referred to giants. I started reading through a couple threads and enjoyed it so I thought I'd make an account. I'm not much of an expert on anything so I'm probably going to mostly be a lurker it seems but I look forward to reading the threads and contributing where I think I could input something worthwhile into the discussion. Until then, good to meet you all and hopefully I'll get the hang of this place in short order.
 
This thread is for any first time poster to (optionally) post an introductory "hi everyone" post, which will also get you "verified" (meaning you can post without anti-spam restrictions) once that post, and a few posts in another sub-forum, have been approved.

A few words on who you are and how you ended up here would be appreciated. Or just say hi!
upload_2013-11-7_15-17-0.png

It's highly recommended that you first read the Posting Guidelines:
https://www.metabunk.org/threads/posting-guidelines.2064/
I sucked into a world of fake by the book Chariots of the Gods. Incredible claims require incredible proof!
 
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