Alternate Realities from Embedded

Radiotopia Presents: Red for Revolution

Radiotopia

Society & Culture, Fiction

4.4 • 989 Ratings

🗓️ 25 March 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today, we're sharing the first episode of a new limited-run series from NPR's Embedded, "Alternate Realities".

Zach Mack and his dad are living in separate realities, and it's tearing their family apart. Like so many Americans, Zach's dad has gotten swept up in conspiracy theories. After years of circular arguments, the father challenged his son to a bet: $10,000 on ten politically apocalyptic predictions that would all happen in 2024. In this three-part series, we follow Zach on an intimate journey to bring his father back from the rabbit hole.

"This is more than just a story about whose reality is 'correct'," said Zach Mack. "As I documented my father's beliefs throughout the past year, I was also trying to understand how the conspiracy theories he found took hold. The bet offered a way to settle our endless debates, which I know so many other families are having, and arrive at a place of truth and understanding."

"Alternate Realities" intimately explores how the intermingling of misinformation and Zach's father's religious beliefs tests the bonds of his family, and offers a first-person perspective into an issue plaguing close relationships across the nation. How do you reach a loved one who is lost inside his own conspiracy mentality? And what do you do if your best efforts to bring them back end up failing?

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Transcript

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0:00.7	Hi, this is Audrey Marnovich, executive producer over at Radiotopia.
0:05.7	And I wanted to share with you a new series from our friends over at NPR's Embedded.
0:11.6	And this is one that I really, really loved.
0:15.3	In alternate realities, we follow host Zach Mack as he tries to bring his dad back to reality from a deep, deep conspiracy rabbit hole.
0:26.0	Like so many Americans, Zach's dad had gotten totally swept up in political conspiracy theories, peddled by the self-proclaimed prophets he watches online.
0:36.5	In an effort to better understand him, Zach talks with
0:40.3	experts who study these conspiracy theories and others who are close with his dad. And he does it all
0:47.2	in real time so you get totally embedded with Zach and his family while the story is still really
0:53.3	playing out. Zach says, quote, story is still really playing out.
0:56.0	Zach says, quote,
1:00.0	this is more than just a story about whose reality is correct.
1:03.7	As I documented my father's beliefs throughout the past year,
1:07.8	I was also trying to understand how the conspiracy theories he found took hold.
1:12.4	So take a listen, and if you like this first episode of alternate realities,
1:19.8	you can head on over to the Embedded podcast and binge the whole series now. Happy listening. Hope you enjoy. Hey, I'm Kelly McEvers, and this is Embedded from NPR. Conspiracy theories have been a thing in American politics for a while now.
1:31.8	One study found that 35% of the country believes there is a single group of people who secretly rule the world.
1:40.7	One thing that worries experts is, right now, conspiracy theories are getting more sticky because people in power are legitimizing them.
1:48.8	Politicians have been talking about QAnon, saying the 2020 election was stolen, that COVID vaccines had microchips.
1:57.1	These, of course, have all been thoroughly debunked.
2:00.8	In the lead up to last year's election,
2:02.2	though, a massive amount of misinformation was amplified on social media. Today, we're bringing
2:08.3	you a story about a family that's in crisis in this time of misinformation. Reporters
	...

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