Many of the articles in this paper take a very serious approach, only used to inform or spread awareness. It’s very respectable, however, I’d like to take this column as an opportunity to do something fun. 

     Humanity is- to put it lightly- rather stupid at times. Sure, you could easily make that political by mentioning corrupt politicians and their followers, the anti-vax, and other dumb things people do. But where’s the fun in that? I’d much rather poke fun at flat-earthers and lizard-people worshippers- because we’re all a little dumb in our own right. 

     So I have collected a list of my favorite ridiculous conspiracies that I think readers may enjoy. So sit down and laugh with me for about 300 words. 

     From the desperation of the COVID-19 pandemic, some enjoy spreading any ridiculous story they can manage to conjure in their limited imaginations. It all started with the WHO, who mentioned that garlic may have antimicrobial properties. The information spiraled out of proportion- as it does- and ended up putting someone in the hospital. For eating garlic. Specifically, a woman in South China whose throat became inflamed after eating about 1.5kg of raw garlic. At least she’s safe from vampires. 

     So remember about ten years ago- most people reading this would have been in elementary school but you probably remember- when everyone was terrified the world would end? Well, some people still believe it did, and what we live in now is a simulation. It all started with a Twitter thread from people discussing how life since 2012 hadn’t felt real, and now people genuinely believe this. Claiming nothing has really “felt right” since then. The Mandela effect is also tied to this, and so people believe there are small subtleties that hint to us living in a simulation- Ex. The monopoly man has no monocle. Honestly, the naïve part of me hopes it’s true. 

     Do you know Lewis Carrol, beloved author of Alice in Wonderland? He was Jack the Ripper! Well, supposedly. Some… dedicated enthusiasts… rearranged many of his works and found anagrams in which he admitted his guilt.

     On the same topic of literature, one of my favorites is the theory that J.K. Rowling doesn’t exist. Yeah… I don’t know either. Apparently, the only reasoning is that it’s highly improbable for one woman to write six thick books, translate them into 55 different languages, and sell over 250 million copies in ten years. I think- or hope- this one is a joke, but I remember it scaring me when I was younger; I had to ask my mom to make sure my favorite author wasn’t a figment of my imagination.  

     The real takeaway is that anything posted online will inevitably be blown out of proportion. News. Facts. Propaganda. Jokes. So, don’t post anything that’s intentionally false or that you’d regret. Also, try not to believe dumb lies on the internet, because you might end up in the ER from garlic overconsumption.