Birds are drones

Question

The "Birds Aren't Real" movement maintains that birds have been replaced with government surveillance drones-a theory stirring intrigue and debate on the internet. This is a joke conspiracy crafted by Peter McIndoe as a parody of the absurdity of misinformation. In a New York Times article, it was noted that McIndoe initiated the movement as a joke in 2017 during a protest in Memphis, Tennessee. His purpose was to poke fun at conspiracy culture and show just how easily outlandish ideas could spread online. Largely, the movement has taken off with its biggest followers within the Gen Z population who enjoy the irony and satire. On a more serious note, however, scientists at New Mexico Tech are fashioning drones from taxidermied birds. A KOB 4 News report corroborates that dead birds are being used as a basis for making research drones. The "avian drones" will be used to study flight patterns, among other scientific applications, and would not be used to spy on others. Factcheck: KOB.

Comments

I came to the same conclusion, that Peter McIndoe was the originator behind this whole idea that birds are drones, or some sort of spyware replaced by the government. His purpose being to make fun of conspiracy culture is ironic, given the success of his movement and how far it has been driven. What started as satirical has resulted in individuals who have began to believe it.

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The "Birds Aren't Real" movement is a satirical conspiracy theory created by Peter McIndoe. It claims, humorously, that birds are government surveillance drones. The movement is a parody designed to highlight the absurdity of real conspiracy theories, particularly how misinformation spreads in the digital age. An article from Johns Hopkins stated, "what began as an exasperated joke spawned a collective of zoomers and millennials coping with misinformation through satirical roleplay." McIndoe himself has clarified in interviews, including the one cited in the article, that the movement is an elaborate joke aimed at highlighting the absurdity of some real conspiracy theories and how easily humans can fall for them. Overall, the claim that birds are drones or birds aren't is not true, but the story about McIndoe is true.

Answer 1

To begin this fact check is based on a specific movement. The birds aren't real movement which in general is already misleading because birds are in fact real. Using a specialized movement to support the opinion of birds are drones is not reliable because it does not provide contrast or comparable opinions. This movement is narrow minded in their opinions of government control and conspiracy theories. This is not a proper fact claim as its more a personal opinion of a specialized group and falls under the category of conspiracy theory. Looking at the source "https://theconversation.com/how-to-tell-if-a-conspiracy-theory-is-probably-false-229081" Published by the conversation teaching "How to tell if a conspiracy theory is false" provides ample example of how to sift through true or false information. To begin consider reality and science and what is possible in this case, birds are in fact real. This claim itself is misleading to readers.

Comments

There is really no evidence to support this idea, the claim that "birds aren't real" is inherently wrong, as their is absolutely no evidence to suggest that they aren't real. They have existed long before any human existed, and are easily observable in everyday life. In my view, this is less of a conspiracy theory and more of a laughable outlandish claim with zero merit in reality. It's simply a internet joke that has grown out of control, and gained a following.

Answer 2

The claim "Birds Are Drones", is most likely satirical in nature and stems from internet conspiracies suggesting that birds have been replaced with government spyware. This trend has circulated for a few years, originating in 2017 with Peter McIndoe who posted this idea to poke fun at the gullibility of individuals on the internet. The link enclosed below does a great job of explaining where this idea may have came from. The idea of birds being government spyware may have originated with Pigeons being used in espionage in WW2, as they were trained to fly coded messages across enemy lines for the allies.

 https://www.andrews.edu/life/student-movement/issues/2021-12-01/the-last-word-baby-pigeons-and-government-deception.html

Comments

I liked how you pointed out the origins of the conspiracy that led to false claims like this being spread. It is so important to understand the origins of misinformation to be able to properly identify it. It was also very good that you used an outside source to corroborate this information because it offered your fact -check a layer of reliability.

Answer 3

The "Birds Aren't Real" movement is a satirical conspiracy theory created by Peter McIndoe. It claims, humorously, that birds are government surveillance drones. The movement is a parody designed to highlight the absurdity of real conspiracy theories, particularly how misinformation spreads in the digital age. An article from Johns Hopkins stated, "what began as an exasperated joke spawned a collective of zoomers and millennials coping with misinformation through satirical roleplay." McIndoe himself has clarified in interviews, including the one cited in the article, that the movement is an elaborate joke aimed at highlighting the absurdity of some real conspiracy theories and how easily humans can fall for them. Overall, the claim that birds are drones or birds aren't is not true, but the story about McIndoe is true.

https://hub.jhu.edu/2024/02/07/birds-arent-real/