Grave peril of digital conspiracy theories: ‘What happens when no one believes anything anymore?’

FILE – Rays of sunlight pierce through the clouds Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, above homes burned by wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii. Days after Maui’s wildfires killed scores of people and destroyed 2,000 homes, a shocking claim spread with alarming speed on YouTube and TikTok: The blaze was set deliberately, using futuristic energy weapons developed by the U.S. military. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) WASHINGTON - Days after Maui’s wildfires killed scores of people and destroyed thousands of homes last August, a shocking claim spread with alarming speed on YouTube and TikTok: The blaze on the Hawaiian island was set deliberately, using…