Feedback: Nano-whatsits invade their minds


Feedback is our weekly column of bizarre stories, implausible advertising claims, confusing instructions and more


FOLLOWING our mention of a portmanteau conspiracy theory (13 April), Fred Riley sends an update. That story concerned "New Evidence Fukushima Disaster Created by HAARP/Chemtrails/Plasma Weapons and Possible Mini-nuke". This one, posted to the UK Channel 4 News Facebook page on 9 May by someone calling themselves David Lloyd, informs the world that the reason that species and habitats are facing wipeout is "Chemtrail spraying of our skies – NANO sized aluminium and barium particles..."


Feedback had wondered when a conspiracy theory with nano-whatsits would appear, and here it is.


What other conspiracy theories might be looming? Could we prepare ourselves pre-emptively to debunk them? For inspiration, we looked to the Feedback list of fruitloopery indicators: words, like "quantum" and "vibrational" that, out of context, are sure-fire indicators of... unusual thinking (


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