Should we ever take conspiracy theories seriously?

Conspiracy theories used to be dismissed as paranoid fringe thinking. But in recent years, they’ve migrated to the mainstream. Claims about election meddling, public health and the deep state circulate on the internet and are even repeated by government officials. 

This episode asks whether conspiracy theories have any actual value in a world where uncertainty is high and institutional accountability is low. Do they only make the spread of misinformation and disinformation worse? Or are they a way for people to express real suspicion toward systems that often feel hidden or unaccountable?