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The Thought Show: What is #QAnon?

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What is #QAnon?

23/08/2018 GMT

BBC World Service - The Thought Show, What is #QAnon?

#QAnon – the online conspiracy theory that is firing up supporters of Donald Trump.

#QAnon – the online conspiracy theory that is firing up supporters of Donald Trump; are wildfires really burning more land than before? Plus, the psychology of boredom.

#QAnon is part of an online conspiracy theory firing up supporters of Donald Trump.  We trace how it started on fringe message boards and has moved more mainstream, including to the floor of a President Trump rally.

A Twitter debate erupted recently about the number of wildfires in the US and in southern Europe, so we take a look at the numbers to see whether they have increased or decreased. As usual, the story is more complicated than it appears.

Psychologists describe the purpose of boredom as trying to get us to do something else: it can spur us on to more meaningful activity or tempt us into dangerous behaviours.  Sandra Kanthal talks with researchers who think boredom is anything but boring.

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