The tragedy that unfolded on July 13 in Danbury, Connecticut, has left a gaping hole in the hearts of the community, particularly following the heartbreaking loss of an off-duty Bridgeport police officer and his girlfriend in a fatal DUI crash. In the wake of such a senseless event, grief often gives way to a search for answers and, unfortunately, a chaotic scramble for information on social media. As families mourn and the legal process begins, the digital landscape has become clouded with confusion, leading to the harassment of innocent bystanders who share the same name as the woman currently facing…

We live in an era where information—and misinformation—travels at the speed of a scroll. Whether it’s the enduring skepticism surrounding the 1969 moon landing, bizarre theories about pop stars being replaced by body doubles, or deeply polarizing political narratives, conspiracy theories have moved from the fringes of the internet to the center of our daily discourse. But why do some people simply “scroll past” these wild claims while others become deeply committed, or even radicalized, by them? Recent research from the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center provides a much-needed lens through which to view this phenomenon, suggesting that…