NewsPronto

 
The Times


.

USA Conversation

The Conversation USA

The Conversation USA

From printing presses to Facebook feeds: What yesterday’s witch hunts have in common with today’s misinformation crisis

  • Written by Julie Walsh, Whitehead Associate Professor of Critical Thought and Associate Professor of Philosophy, Wellesley College
imageAn illustration from 'The History of Witches and Wizards,' published in 1720, depicting witches offering wax dolls to the devil.Wellcome Collection/Wikimedia Commons

Between 1400 and 1780, an estimated 100,000 people, mostly women, were prosecuted for witchcraft in Europe. About half that number were executed – killings motivated by a...

Read more: From printing presses to Facebook feeds: What yesterday’s witch hunts have in common with today’s...

More Articles ...

  1. Historian uncovers evidence of second mass grave of Irish immigrant railroaders in Pennsylvania who suffered from cholera, violence and xenophobia
  2. Quantum scheme protects videos from prying eyes and tampering
  3. Shingles vaccination rates rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, but major gaps remain for underserved groups
  4. As wrestling fans reel from the sudden death of Hulk Hogan, a cardiologist explains how to live long and healthy − and avoid chronic disease
  5. Are you really allergic to penicillin? A pharmacist explains why there’s a good chance you’re not − and how you can find out for sure
  6. How FDA panelists casting doubt on antidepressant use during pregnancy could lead to devastating outcomes for mothers
  7. Yosemite embodies the long war over US national park privatization
  8. What is personalized pricing, and how do I avoid it?
  9. Strengthening collective labor rights can help reduce economic inequality
  10. The quiet war: What’s fueling Israel’s surge of settler violence – and the lack of state response
  11. Roman Empire and the fall of Nero offer possible lessons for Trump about the cost of self-isolation
  12. Black teachers are key mentors for Philly high school seniors navigating college decisions
  13. US government may be abandoning the global climate fight, but new leaders are filling the void – including China
  14. Malaysia confronts the realities of MAGA diplomacy and Trump’s brash ambassadorial pick
  15. More than 50% of Detroit students regularly miss class – and schools alone can’t solve the problem
  16. Gene Hackman had a will, but the public may never find out who inherits his $80M fortune
  17. Water recycling is paramount for space stations and long-duration missions − an environmental engineer explains how the ISS does it
  18. To better detect chemical weapons, materials scientists are exploring new technologies
  19. China’s arrests of boys’ love authors does not equate to a ‘gay erotica’ crackdown
  20. Too many em dashes? Weird words like ‘delves’? Spotting text written by ChatGPT is still more art than science
  21. Great Lakes offshore wind could power the region and beyond
  22. Parents don’t need to try harder – to ease parenting stress, forget self-reliance and look for ways to share the care
  23. ‘AI veganism’: Some people’s issues with AI parallel vegans’ concerns about diet
  24. When socialists win Democratic primaries: Will Zohran Mamdani be haunted by the Upton Sinclair effect?
  25. Unpacking Florida’s immigration trends − demographers take a closer look at the legal and undocumented population
  26. Sanctioning ghosts: Why US plans to hit Russia with fresh economic penalties will have little effect
  27. Light pollution is encroaching on observatories around the globe – making it harder for astronomers to study the cosmos
  28. It is becoming easier to create AI avatars of the deceased − here is why Buddhism would caution against it
  29. How wind and solar power helps keep America’s farms alive
  30. Why government support for religion doesn’t necessarily make people more religious
  31. Colorado’s Marshall Fire survivors find healing and meaning through oral history project
  32. Due process: What it means in US law and its implications for migrant rights
  33. School shootings leave lasting scars on local economies, research shows
  34. Do you really need to read to learn? What neuroscience says about reading versus listening
  35. The beach wasn’t always a vacation destination - for the ancient Greeks, it was a scary place
  36. Which wildfire smoke plumes are hazardous? New satellite tech can map them in 3D for air quality alerts at neighborhood scale
  37. Is that wildfire smoke plume hazardous? New satellite tech can map smoke plumes in 3D for better air quality alerts at neighborhood scale
  38. Neanderthals likely ate fermented meat with a side of maggots
  39. The 3 worst things you can say after a pet dies, and what to say instead
  40. Fears that falling birth rates in US could lead to population collapse are based on faulty assumptions
  41. Trump’s push for more deportations could boost demand for foreign farmworkers with ‘guest worker’ visas
  42. Deportation tactics from 4 US presidents have done little to reduce the undocumented immigrant population
  43. How bachata rose from Dominican Republic’s brothels and shantytowns to become a global sensation
  44. Columbia’s $200M deal with Trump administration sets a precedent for other universities to bend to the government’s will
  45. We tracked illegal fishing in marine protected areas – satellites and AI show most bans are respected, and could help enforce future ones
  46. Why 2025 became the summer of flash flooding in America
  47. Is ChatGPT making us stupid?
  48. As Mexico’s LGBTQ+ community battles for inclusion, two drag performers have become internet stars – with more than 2 million TikTok followers
  49. Why do MAGA faithful support Trump if his ‘big beautiful bill’ will likely hurt many of them?
  50. Yellowstone has been a ‘sacred wonderland’ of spiritual power and religious activity for centuries – and for different faith groups