A lot of people are freaked out by spiders – no explanation needed – but fear often breeds contempt and spiders get an especially bad rap.
Misinformation about spiders – or spider ‘fake news’ – spreads like wildfire online.
So how much of what we read about our crawly friends is actually true?
On this episode of The Science Briefing, Dr Sophie Calabretto talks to Jacinta Bowler about where spider misinformation comes from and how many news stories are spun like a web of lies.
Read more: Misinformation affects spiders too
The Science Briefing is a LiSTNR production
Listen to more episodes of The Science Briefing
Originally published by Cosmos as Spiders and fake news: the web of lies surrounding our eight-legged friends
Matthew Ward Agius
Matthew Agius is a science writer for Cosmos Magazine.
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