MIT Technology Review Explores Rising โคConspiracy Theories and Innovative City Planning Solutions
CAMBRIDGE, MA – October 31, 2025 -โข A new series from MIT Technology Review delves intoโ the escalatingโฃ prevalence โขof conspiracy theories and their impact on science and technology, while together highlighting a novel approach to urban design inspired by an unlikely source: slime mold. The publication’s โฃ”The New Conspiracy Age” initiative launched โขthis week wiht a personal account of experiencing the fallout ofโ being falsely linked to a conspiracy, alongside reporting on a startup leveraging the biological intelligence of slime mold to optimizeโข cityโข infrastructure.
The series comes as conspiracy theories increasingly permeate public discourse, eroding trust in โinstitutions and hindering scientific progress. One featured story details โthe experience of a conspiracy theory โexpert who found herself at the โcenter of a false narrative โafter her research was misinterpreted online. the article, available โat https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/10/30/1126712/what-its-like-to-be-in-the-middle-of-a-conspiracy-theory-according-to-a-conspiracy-theory-expert/?utm_source=the_download&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&utm_term=%7CSUBCLASS%7C&utm_content=%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C], explores the real-world consequences โof online misinformation and theโฃ challenges of combating โขfalseโ narratives.โค MIT Technology Review will host a subscriber-exclusive Roundtable conversation โขwith the author, Mike, features editor Amanda Silverman, โand executive editor โNiall Firth on November 20โ at 1pm ET; registration is available โat[https://wwwtechnologyreviewcom/supertopic/roundtables?utm_source=the_download&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_downloadunpaidengagement&utm_term=[https://wwwtechnologyreviewcom/supertopic/roundtables?utm_source=the_download&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_downloadunpaidengagement&utm_term=[https://wwwtechnologyreviewcom/supertopic/roundtables?utm_source=the_download&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_downloadunpaidengagement&utm_term=[https://wwwtechnologyreviewcom/supertopic/roundtables?utm_source=the_download&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_downloadunpaidengagement&utm_term=%7CSUBCLASS%7C&utm_content=%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C]. The series is alsoโค featured in โฃthe MIT Technology Review Narrated podcast, โขavailableโ on Spotify ([https://openspotifycom/show/6QefEeY1IKYVn5w6nUV83Y[https://openspotifycom/show/6QefEeY1IKYVn5w6nUV83Y[https://openspotifycom/show/6QefEeY1IKYVn5w6nUV83Y[https://openspotifycom/show/6QefEeY1IKYVn5w6nUV83Y) and Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mit-technology-review-narrated/id1523584878).
Shifting focus to innovation, the โฃpublication also reports on Mireta, aโฃ startup applying the problem-solving capabilities of slime mold – a brainless, yellow organism – toโ urban planning. Having existed for 600 million years, slime mold efficiently navigates complex environments to find optimal pathways.Mireta aims to translate these biological processes into algorithms that can improve transit โขtimes, reduce congestion, and enhance resilience to climate change in cities globally. Further โdetailsโ can be found at[https://wwwtechnologyreviewcom/2025/10/17/1125223/slime-design-better-cities-mireta?utm_source=the_download&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_downloadunpaidengagement&utm_term=[https://wwwtechnologyreviewcom/2025/10/17/1125223/slime-design-better-cities-mireta?utm_source=the_download&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_downloadunpaidengagement&utm_term=[https://wwwtechnologyreviewcom/2025/10/17/1125223/slime-design-better-cities-mireta?utm_source=the_download&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_downloadunpaidengagement&utm_term=[https://wwwtechnologyreviewcom/2025/10/17/1125223/slime-design-better-cities-mireta?utm_source=the_download&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_downloadunpaidengagement&utm_term=%7CSUBCLASS%7C&utm_content=%7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C]. โคThe reporting is by Elissaveta M. Brandon.