FACT Aotearoa News Briefs 3 August 2026
H5N1 = Plandemic Take 2? Conspiracies kill Anne Widdecombe; Why do people who trust science also believe conspiracy theories? Why some ideas are easy to believe; Google drops fake satellite image maker.
New conspiracy theories hatch following bird flu’s arrival in NZ - Newsroom
H5N1 bird flu arrived in New Zealand recently, triggering widespread conspiracy theories on social media. Social media conspiracists strategically frame bird flu as a sequel to Covid-19, using language like "Covid 2.0" and "plandemic take 2" to bypass evidence assessment. This narrative technique activates prior grievances rather than requiring fresh evaluation of current facts, allowing false claims about testing, vaccines and government motives to transfer seamlessly from the pandemic to the present outbreak.
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/07/29/new-conspiracy-theories-hatch-following-bird-flus-arrival-in-nz/
‘It becomes inevitable’: the toxic mix fuelling deadly political violence around world - The Guardian
Former UK minister Anne Widdecombe's murder reignites concerns about political violence, which is rising globally across the political spectrum due to dehumanising rhetoric, institutional distrust, conspiracy theories, and disinformation.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/18/inevitable-toxic-mix-fuelling-deadly-political-violence-world
Why do some people who trust in science also believe in scientific conspiracy theories? - The Conversation
In a world where trust in institutions is mostly in decline, levels of trust in science remain relatively high. Yet at the same time, belief in scientific conspiracy theories, such as hushed-up effects of vaccines or aeroplane “chemtrails”, is also widespread. What explains this apparent contradiction? Our work suggests we need to ask a different question – not how much people trust science, but which sources inform their understanding of what science is and how it works.
https://theconversation.com/why-do-some-people-who-trust-in-science-also-believe-in-scientific-conspiracy-theories-287728
Why are Some Ideas Easy to Believe on Little Evidence? - University of East London
It is the lack of good evidence that makes belief something that requires explanation; if there is convincing evidence in support of a phenomenon or a theory then belief is readily justified. You will never be asked to debate the existence of gravity, for example. Some of the beliefs to which people may be drawn could be termed dark ideas, characterised by fake news, conspiracy theories, and emotionally manipulative populism.
https://www.emerald.com/books/edited-volume/21180/chapter-abstract/109232079/Why-are-Some-Ideas-Easy-to-Believe-on-Little
Google rolls back new satellite image AI tool after backlash - RTL
Google hastily withdrew an AI image-generation tool integrated into Google Earth after researchers warned it could fabricate convincing fake satellite imagery, enabling disinformation campaigns. The "create image" feature, launched Thursday, allowed users to generate visualisations atop satellite data, but critics argued it undermined Google Earth's credibility as a verification resource trusted globally for factual geospatial information.
https://today.rtl.lu/news/world/google-launches-new-satellite-image-ai-tool-alarming-researchers-1000285327
