Did a secret book fuel a witch-hunting frenzy in Europe?

Video Duration 58 minutes 25 seconds 58: 25.

Key points

• This episode was produced by Mohamed Hassan, Marcos Bartolome, Marthe van der Wolf and Sonia Bhagat and was edited by Alexandra Locke.
• In the latest episode of Deja Vu, we trace how new media fuelled conspiracy theories, from European witch-hunts to AI.
• Here's how conspiracy theories shaped the last 600 years.

What happened

Here's how conspiracy theories shaped the last 600 years. The printing press supported spread European witch-hunts even as it assisted usher in the Enlightenment. The Nazis turned radio into a weapon of mass persuasion. Social media promised freedom but offered dictators new tools of control. We trace centuries of conspiracy theories – and ask what artificial intelligence could bring next. Aya Labanieh (@ayafrankenstein), writer and academic.

This episode was produced by Mohamed Hassan, Marcos Bartolome, Marthe van der Wolf and Sonia Bhagat and was edited by Alexandra Locke. Our engagement producer is Adam Abou-Gad. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Published On 1 Nov 20261 Nov 2026.

The bottom line

For now, did a secret book fuel a witch remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.