Dinosaurs, antibiotics, and big pharma: Malta’s take on conspiracy theories

A recent Eurobarometer survey has cast a spotlight on Europeans’ scientific knowledge  particularly on themes like climate change and viruses where conspiracy theories are rife.

Respondents in all 27 member states where presented with seven false claims and three correct ones on subjects ranging from dinosaurs to viruses and climate change.

In Malta, the results show that, on most topics, the public is less inclined to conspiracy theories compared to the European average. However, there are still some concerning misconceptions. For instance, 48% wrongly think that antibiotics kill both bacteria and viruses; 22% believe viruses are engineered in government labs. But, on the flipside, only 12% of Maltese believe that dinosaurs co-existed with early humans.

Climate change and antibiotics

On climate change, only 22% of Maltese support the idea that it is caused by natural cycles – significantly lower than the EU average of 35%. The belief in natural cycles is particularly strong in Hungary and Slovakia, where over 50% of people hold this view.

The Finns are the most scientifically informed on this issue, with only 14% believing in the debunked theory, while Malta fares better than Germany, where 33% share the misconception.

Concerning antibiotics, 48% of Maltese, compared to 39% of EU respondents, wrongly believe antibiotics can treat both viruses and bacteria. This misunderstanding poses risks to public health by encouraging unnecessary antibiotic use, which weakens collective immunity. Cyprus sees the highest percentage of this belief (62%), while Sweden (15%) and Finland (17%) are the most informed.

Viruses and inside jobs

Over one in four Maltese and more than a third of Europeans believe that viruses are created in government laboratories with the aim of controlling  people, a claim popularised by conspiracy theorists during the pandemic. However, Malta has seen a decline of 10% in this belief post-pandemic.

The Swedes and Finns are the least likely to believe this theory, with only 10% holding the view. Meanwhile, in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Portugal, the belief is held by a majority.

In Malta, 41% of respondents believe that big pharma is hiding a cure for cancer for financial gain – higher than the EU average of 34%. This belief is particularly widespread in Hungary (58%) and Cyprus (63%), while only 8% of Swedes subscribe to the theory.

Creationism and evolution

When it comes to creationism, the belief that early humans coexisted with dinosaurs is relatively low in Malta, with only 12% of respondents supporting it. This figure is one of the lowest in Europe, though still higher than in Sweden (4%) but much lower than in Greece (40%).

However, while most Maltese reject the idea of human-dinosaur coexistence, they are less accepting of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Only 54% of Maltese believe that humans are descended from other species of animals, one of the lowest percentages in the EU.

In contrast, 88% of Swedes support the theory, while only 50% of Latvians and 51% of Romanians do.