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Too many minions spoil the plot

Research

If you’re thinking of creating a massive conspiracy, you may be better scaling back your plans, according to an Oxford University researcher.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

While we can all keep a secret, a study by Dr David Robert Grimes suggests that large groups of people sharing in a conspiracy will very quickly give themselves away. The study is published online by journal PLOS ONE.

Dr Grimes, a physicist working in cancer research, is also a science writer and broadcaster. His profile means that he receives many communications from people who believe in science-related conspiracies. Those messages prompted him to look at whether large-scale collusions were actually tenable.

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