Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. It's hard to contain misinformation once enough people believe it. A conspiracy theory spreads exponentially regardless of its accuracy, making it that much more likely to translate into real violence. According to a study published August 27 in the journal Nature, these situations can (and should) be geographically mapped with the same models that epidemiologists use to track diseases. And as an example, researchers turned to one of history's most famous moments of misinformation. The Great Fear of 1789 was a major chapter in the French Revolution and a defining moment in modern history.

It has been touted as an existential risk on a par with pandemics. But when it comes to artificial intelligence, at least one pioneer is not losing sleep over such worries. Prof Michael Wooldridge, who will be delivering this year's Royal Institution Christmas lectures, said he was more concerned AI could become the boss from hell, monitoring employees' every email, offering continual feedback and even – potentially – deciding who gets fired. "There are some prototypical examples of those tools that are available today. And I find that very, very disturbing," he said.