Sideways World

Conspiracy theories take many forms but belief in reptilian conspiracy theories—that the world is controlled by extraterrestrial lizards—has played a role in a series of bizarre and tragic crimes over the last 20 years. Since 2017, at least six murders have been tied to lizard-people theories.

We break down the connection between alleged outer-space lizards and these crimes. The Internet has ushered in an era of information overload, but it comes at a cost and ‘the truth’ is more subjective and contested than ever before. We examine corners of the internet where conspiracy theories about the world have started to have a real impact on society.