From skepticism about the moon landing to the “deep-state” claims of QAnon, it’s always been human nature to believe we’re being lied to by the powers that be (and sometimes, to be fair, we absolutely are). But technology has given conspiracies a new power over national discourse, and in our dogged quest for the truth, we might actually be doing it some damage. In Unproven, Unlikely, and Firmly Believed, internationally bestselling authors Tom Phillips and Jonn Elledge take us on an eye-opening journey through history’s greatest conspiracy theories, to try and answer a vital question for our times: How can we learn to start trusting hard evidence again?

Publisher’s note: Unproven, Unlikely, and Firmly Believed was previously published in the UK as Conspiracy: A History of Boll*cks Theories, and How Not to Fall for Them.