IT WAS SOME FOR SPRING IN LAST YEAR BUT I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN. I was approached by people from a secret organization that gives out quizzes and cards (known as Edgard publishing house). YOU KNOW - SUCH LITTLE GUIDELINES FROM WHICH YOU CAN LEARN BULGARIAN OR GET TO KNOW THE MEANDERS OF THE BLOOD SYSTEM OF NUTRIA.
HANDBOOK FOR Conspiracy Theories
I'm not even trying to guess what might have led you to buy a conspiracy-guessing game. Probably fluoride in the water, or mind control from a secret CIA project.
These types of games are usually designed to help you familiarize yourself with valuable scientific material. By guessing quizzes from flashcards, it is quite pleasant to learn English or learn the secrets of the human skeletal system. But why the hell would anyone find out where the best shelter from the Kraken is, or with whom the popular Hollywood medium is connected spiritually?
Well, there is a good reason. Besides, it's just plain fun. Conspiracy theories and urban legends can be fascinating, frightening, and sometimes absurdly funny. But they are also ubiquitous. We rarely realize the important role they play in our daily life, business, culture, or politics. And the hardest part is seeing the myths you believe in. I am sure that each of you will find among the stories presented here one that you have been convinced of the truth all your life. Maybe you cut banana ends for fear of parasites? Or maybe your childhood was ruined by the rumor that the popular Turbo gum causes cancer? There is nothing to be ashamed of! Among the information we have about the world, there are always false ones, based on simplifications, false rumors, and sometimes propaganda or deliberate manipulation. That is why - especially today, in the era of post-truth and ubiquitous fake news - it is worth training in tracking and recognizing nonsense.
One of the most effective tools scientists use for this purpose is the comparative analysis of large text corpora. Which is exactly what you can do by playing our conspiracy game. Once you've seen ninety-nine conspiracy theories, it's easy enough to spot the hundredth. It turns out that conspiracy theories while involving things as diverse as racist prejudice, fear of big corporations, and misunderstanding of science, show surprisingly many consistent similarities and traits. They are based on clear divisions into "us" and "them", and use the game on emotions, reducing the complexity of the modern world to simple mechanisms of the struggle for power.
The best way to become resistant to all sorts of pseudoscientific myths is to confront them and learn about their structure. That is why - although it will sound like heresy - I am deeply convinced that pseudoscience should go to schools and play an important role in the education process. (Maybe this game will contribute to this in some way, also serving as a teaching aid?)
In biology, it would be worth talking about pseudo-medical diets, in history - about Great Lechia, in physics - about perpetual motion machines. This is the only way in the future that we will not fall victim to charlatans offering "miracle therapies", not join the ranks of anti-vaccination movements, or vote for politicians who base their campaigns on a conspiratorial vision of the world. Because behind the smokescreen of "secret systems" and "world conspiracies" there are usually quite down-to-earth manipulators.
So, while our team has tried to make the knowledge imparted here as entertaining as possible, conspiracy theories are a serious matter. We hope that by playing Kieszonkowca: Conspiracy Theories you will manage to combine business with pleasure!
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH IT?
For smarts who will be able to guess all conspiracy riddles after a few random games, here are some ideas on how to creatively use the game. Of course, it's best to do it in a good company of trackers, preferably at a party. Although the train compartment or the dentist's waiting room will do as well. Just remember to be careful that the Reptilians are not recording your conversation.
Crossover
Draw two cards, and choose one concept from each. Can you create a theory that links the Flat Earth Society and the quest for Shakespeare's true identity? Or maybe today you will tell a story about a monster living in the tunnels of the second line of the Warsaw metro? You can also use "incorrect" answers. This game is interesting because conspiracy theories often really mutate like this! The story that in the old days was told about Jews or communists is repeated on the Internet today in the version with Muslims, aliens replacing gods, masons - Jesuits.
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