The Age of Conspiracy Theories

[Shade_Wilder]

 

We all live in the Golden Age of Information. 

Every single person reading this has logged on to the Web, and thus has the potential to access the vast majority of Human Knowledge. Seriously, think about all the information out there; university research data and papers, business records, commercial buying habits, Internet searches, government records about pretty much everything, the creation of AI to help search through it all, coffee orders, porn searches, gambling and betting, exit polling, Internet 'quizzes', financial records, tax records, health records, mental health records, sports stats, etc., etc., etc. We humans have far more data than we can use or process, by a several orders of magnitude.

Yet...

We also live in the "Post-Truth" era where conspiracy theories abound.

The 'Plandemic', Bill Gates put microchips in Covid vaccines, Covid vaccines make you magnetic (and not in a good way), elections are rigged, our information sources/news media are "Fake News", we 'do our own research on Facebook' and think it correct, Princess Diana was murdered by MI5, the Moon landings were fake, the Loch Ness Monster is real, the Illuminati secretly control our planet, the Ten-Foot Tall Lizard people control our planet (okay, that one is true, I'll come back to it), ghosts haunt lonely, out of the way English pubs instead of downtown London where thousands of people have actually perished, airplane exhaust trails are full of mind-control chemicals, our political opponents are all Pedophiles, Elvis isn't really dead and so much more. 

How can these two things co-exist?

The link (below) is a short (15 minutes) video on the 'Big Think' website which examines the idea that conspiracy theories can enter the Nature VS Nurture debate. On the Nature side, a Physicist notes that when we humans look at clouds, we see things almost immediately (nature). On the Nurture side, there is the idea that we can get scared of truth, so it is easier to simply make up our own (nurture). If you have a few minutes, it is an interesting video to watch and very intelligent people to listen to.

https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/why-people-believe-conspiracy-theories/

How can you tell something is a conspiracy theory?

There are practical tools (see link, below) that you can use to assess if something is a conspiracy or not, but a word of warning; it also involves common sense. My own view almost always comes down to numbers; the more people required to 'pull the wool over humanity's eyes', the less likely it is that it occurred. "Fake News". How many thousands, ten's of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people working for news organizations would have to be "in" on something and what are the chances of it NOT leaking? Miniscule to microscopic. Election Deniers? Depending on the election, there can be hundreds/thousands/tens of thousands of election workers; do people really believe that they are ALL in on it? And, no leaks? The Moon landings. As the video noted, just look at the paper work and ask yourself "why?".

Ten rules to determine if a conspiracy theory is true or false.

https://bigthink.com/thinking/10-rules-conspiracy-theory-true-false/

https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/coronavirus-response/fighting-disinformation/identifying-conspiracy-theories_en

https://theconversation.com/how-to-spot-a-conspiracy-theory-when-you-see-one-133574

So...

Are you an election denier? Do you believe that the Moon landings were faked? Is 'Nessie' real? Is there a global conspiracy of fake news? Are all your political opponents pedophiles? Are vaccinated people chipped? 

I would say 'No.', but with one exception.

I can't say too much as they may be listening, but in fact we Humans ARE ruled by the Ten-Foot Tall Lizard People. Seriously, I did my own research and there is no other conclusion. If you are ever approached by representatives of the 'Plucky Sub-Terranean Mole People', please support their cause as they have been fighting an inter-galactic battle against the Ten-Foot Tall Lizard People, and it is vital for humanity's future that they succeed. 

 

 

[Shade_Wilder]

Further to the OP above...

What are the planet's best conspiracy theories? Which of them do you believe? Any additions to the list(s)?

https://www.livescience.com/11375-top-ten-conspiracy-theories.html

https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1860871,00.html

https://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/g35766929/crazy-conspiracy-theories/

And, to be fair, sometimes they are correct.

https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/12-crazy-conspiracy-theories-actually-turned-out-be-true

Finally, I come back to Humanity's dire peril from the Ten-Foot Tall Lizard People. I am constrained by what I can say at the moment, but they are real and they are out there; BEWARE!!! If you don't see me post again, you'll know why.

If ever you are contacted by representatives of the Plucky Sub-Terranean Mole People, or even by the Plucky Sub-Terranean Mole People themselves, I beseech you to assist; both Humanity's freedom and the general freedom of all sentient species may depend on your goodwill.

The truth is out there...

[Faz]

Have the Plucky Sub-Terrainian Mole People given any indication as to how we can identify the Ten foot tall Lizard people, who we know are expert shape-shifters.

In 1967, Roy Thinnes tried to warn us of 'The Invaders', sub terranean creatures from a dying planet in another galaxy, who attempted to take over planet Earth, which at the time may have been flat.
They were also shape-shifters, but Thinnes discovered telltale characteristics which helped us to identify them. They lacked a pulse, the ability to bleed, or show emotion, and many had a deformed fourth fingers. Once identified, humans were able to kill them, but they disintegrated, eliminating any evidence of their existence.

Could the Ten foot tall Lizard People with their advance technical knowledge, possibly developed a chip small enough to fit into a syringe, which was implanted through Covid vaccinations in their attempt to control the masses.

We need some answers to the truth!

 

[Shade_Wilder]

You can't handle the Truth!

 

You raise an excellent question regarding the chip in the vaccine, but I can confidently assuage your fears; there is no chip. The truth is that when the Plucky Sub-Terranean Mole People were in the process of repatriating Elvis, they received some disturbing information and acted on it immediately. Sorry, you don't qualify for the appropriate security clearance to learn the whole sordid tale, but (briefly) Elvis flicked on his full Hunk-A-Hunk-A Burning Love mode, seduced the Lizard Queen and destroyed the space-born chip manufacturing plant. 

The sad part is that you, Mr F, are aware of the bat-shit looney whack-jobs more than most based on being a Mod; was there not a 'special' thread for the BSLWJ crowd to discuss Covid? Does the user name @Highso ring any bells for members?

It is all quite humorous, until one realizes just how many BSLWJs are out there.

And, with the interconnectivity of the Web, they are in contact with each other...

 

[Rookiescot]

To be fair I do believe that some conspiracy theories are actually right. After all the basis for investigative  journalism is to follow what could be one. I will give a couple of examples.

JFK's assassination. If you believe that Warren report then I have a bridge to sell you. 

The source of the Covid virus. No way was that some kind of evolution of the virus in natural circumstances. Despite the best effort of governments around the world denying it we can all pretty much see where it came from and it begs the question what else are scientists buggering about with that could have an even worse impact?

However some conspiracy theories are completely laughable and they seem to gain support at astonishing rates before the truth even has its trousers on.

One I read recently was this. https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-gbnews-excessdeaths-idUSL1N3180Q7

The vaccination was getting blamed because of a heat wave in Portugal. 

[Shade_Wilder]

2 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

To be fair I do believe that some conspiracy theories are actually right. After all the basis for investigative  journalism is to follow what could be one. I will give a couple of examples.

JFK's assassination. If you believe that Warren report then I have a bridge to sell you. 

The source of the Covid virus. No way was that some kind of evolution of the virus in natural circumstances. Despite the best effort of governments around the world denying it we can all pretty much see where it came from and it begs the question what else are scientists buggering about with that could have an even worse impact?

However some conspiracy theories are completely laughable and they seem to gain support at astonishing rates before the truth even has its trousers on.

One I read recently was this. https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-gbnews-excessdeaths-idUSL1N3180Q7

The vaccination was getting blamed because of a heat wave in Portugal. 

It is slightly, but only slightly, off-topic, but @Rookiescot (and every other person who may not have seen it before), you must watch a Seinfeld clip regarding the JFK assassination; it is truly hilarious.

 

[Shade_Wilder]

 

Hmm... I had hoped that members might have chimed in with their favorite conspiracy theories, but perhaps this has hit a wee bit too close to home and people are embarrassed; I would remind all that this is an anonymous Web Forum. 

My favorite theory is the Giant Lizard People, hands down. What is the theory? 

"The idea of reptilians was popularised by David Icke, a conspiracy theorist who claims shapeshifting reptilian aliens control Earth by taking on human form and gaining political power to manipulate human societies. Icke has stated on multiple occasions that many world leaders are, or are possessed by, so-called reptilians." (Wikipedia, link below)

By the way, British members might recall David Icke as a former England Footie player.

The truly amazing part to this is the sheer numbers of people who believe it; it is difficult to have a firm number, but every estimate that I can find puts it at ten million people plus. More than ten million people believe that we humans are secretly ruled by Giant Lizard People.

Damn!

The only thing scarier in my mind is that it seems roughly the same amount of people that believe that we are ruled by giant lizard people also believe that Donald Trump won the last American election, and there is roughly an equal amount of evidence supporting each claim.

Sometimes I wonder if humans are actually the best species for Earth; maybe it would be better if we humans went the way of the dinosaurs and allowed another, better species to evolve in our place.

What's your favorite theory and why?

Some reading...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reptilian_conspiracy_theory

https://www.vox.com/2014/11/5/7158371/lizard-people-conspiracy-theory-explainer

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/apr/07/conspiracy-theory-paranoia-aliens-illuminati-beyonce-vaccines-cliven-bundy-jfk

As David Ickes is/was really the man proponent of the theory, perhaps it is better to hear from him directly.

 

 

Part two...

 

[KaptainRob]

Your theory may well be correct SW, Trump is obviously directed by the lizard people (as well as his own lizard) and we may soon be joined by that other mentally deficient lizard, Kanye West 

[Karolyn]

I've been into reading about paranormalism and related stuff for years. Which only makes you more skeptical. And no, we don't live in a post-truth age. New claims are fact checked now, as soon as they're made, and can't get a foothold.

Clsims circulating on the Internet, include decades old crap, like ancient astronauts. Such claims are traceable mostly to Erich von Daniken, in the 1960s. Indeed this is what marks pseudoscience apart from science. It's not the subject matter of the claim, but that the corpus of claims is stagnant, and does not progress through self-inspection.

But nowadays, a new genre of research, like ancient astronauts, or Bigfoot, could not catch on, because things are debunked, by educated or experienced members of the public, as soon as they are made. 

A case on point, is a sighting of 'crocodiles' off Yorkshire, lately, filmed with a mobile phone. Before the Internet, and before mobile phone cameras, this could well have entered the cryptozoological literature, as a 'marine saurian' - and maybe spawned a Nessie like cottage industry. But immediately, the footage was identified, as showing a known whale genus.

So, you see why the internet, has actually ended, the post-truth age.

Most whining about post-truth media today, is itself politicised. For example, they are more likely to criticise certain political figures, or their supporters. Yet also to implicate Russia in conspiratorial claims of their own. 

The misappropriation of skeptical language, does not rationality make. 

Edited December 2, 2022 by Karolyn

[Shade_Wilder]

3 hours ago, Karolyn said:

I've been into reading about paranormalism and related stuff for years. Which only makes you more skeptical. And no, we don't live in a post-truth age. New claims are fact checked now, as soon as they're made, and can't get a foothold.

Clsims circulating on the Internet, include decades old crap, like ancient astronauts. Such claims are traceable mostly to Erich von Daniken, in the 1960s. Indeed this is what marks pseudoscience apart from science. It's not the subject matter of the claim, but that the corpus of claims is stagnant, and does not progress through self-inspection.

But nowadays, a new genre of research, like ancient astronauts, or Bigfoot, could not catch on, because things are debunked, by educated or experienced members of the public, as soon as they are made. 

A case on point, is a sighting of 'crocodiles' off Yorkshire, lately, filmed with a mobile phone. Before the Internet, and before mobile phone cameras, this could well have entered the cryptozoological literature, as a 'marine saurian' - and maybe spawned a Nessie like cottage industry. But immediately, the footage was identified, as showing a known whale genus.

So, you see why the internet, has actually ended, the post-truth age.

Most whining about post-truth media today, is itself politicised. For example, they are more likely to criticise certain political figures, or their supporters. Yet also to implicate Russia in conspiratorial claims of their own. 

The misappropriation of skeptical language, does not rationality make. 

 

What complete and utter nonsense.

Election Denying/Deniers, Global Warming, Covid-19, and Q-Anon are four of the biggest modern conspiracy theories. They have all either come into being and/or grown wildly since the Internet really became popular. To say "...because things are debunked, by educated or experienced members of the public, as soon as they are made..." is seriously deluded. If you had actually read any of the articles I posted, you'd have seen that the opposite is true; the Internet has enabled them and expanded their reach.

Election Deniers/Denying has been a minor fringe element in our various global polities for a long time, but it/they really came into being with Trump and the concurrent Right-Wing Internet Ecosystem in the US and has spread globally, despite the experts.

Global Warning, as a theory, has been around for a while, but as the evidence in favor of it piled and piled up, so did the conspiracy-mongering on-line. Hell, just look closely at this Forum to see otherwise educated people claim it is a "Left-Wing" hoax. Moreover, read the IPCC report out of the UN; it is a document published by representatives of all UN member states. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get ALL member states to agree on anything? Yet, the deniers persist in ignoring the Experts.

Covid-19. Where to begin? Vaccines include microchips thanks to Bill Gates. The 'Plandemic'. Millions of people dead. EVERY serious nation on the planet recommended vaccines, but did the NutBags listen to the 'educated' people? No. They 'did their own research' on-line and ignored the Experts.

Q-Anon. US Democrat party members drink the blood of babies to counter aging. The basement of Comet Ping Pong Pizza was a pedophile feeding station, according the Internet, and some guy went in there and shot at it. 'Debunked by Experts...?' Do you live under a rock?

"So, you see why the internet, has actually ended, the post-truth age."

No, the exact opposite. It has expanded and enabled the Conspiracy Whack-Jobs.

I see only two possibilities here.

Either you are being brain-washed and/or coerced by the Ten-Foot Tall Lizard People who are fighting against the Freedom-Loving Plucky Sub-Terranean Mole People into spewing complete nonsense on this Forum...

Or...

You ARE one of the Ten-Foot Tall Lizard People who are fighting against the Freedom-Loving Plucky Sub-Terranean Mole People trying to subjugate my planet.

Either way, get yer stinkin' Ten-Foot scales off my planet!

 

[Soidog]

The one I find totally baffling is the Flat Earthers. The notion that those who say the world is a globe and who have pictures to prove it are all part of a global conspiracy apparently  (even that flat earthers use the term global).

[Mamachigawa]

Flat earth has been around for a long time. The internet brought it back, Now It is increasing on all websites most likely paid trolls from the anti western nations re-setting a new cold war. Notice they are not talking about vacines anymore? Not sure how it works but spreading this kind of nonsense serves their interests by causing division and distrust in government, and anxiety.  Most of these people dont believe the earth is flat but their victims are easily confused.

[Marc26]

I have no use for any adult who spreads and believes in nonsense conspiracy theories...............

 

And I wlllingly try and embarrass them every time they spout the nonsene

 

But it is shown nightly on Fox News.................."we are just asking questions"

[Soidog]

On 2/2/2023 at 2:11 PM, Mamachigawa said:

Most of these people dont believe the earth is flat but their victims are easily confused.

I agree a lot of it is to spread distrust and division in society. 
 

I know someone who is a flat earther. This is a person who holds down a normal job, married with kids and lives a nice life. But he is totally convinced the earth is flat. Not because he can prove it’s flat, but because he says no one has proved to him, beyond reasonable doubt, that’s it’s not flat.
 

Over the years I’ve tried the usual attempts to persuade him, but he has an answer for most things. When he doesn’t have an answer he falls back to the earth being a globe as a conspiracy. He can’t answer why various governments would engage in such a conspiracy, but that’s not an issue to him. It is truly baffling when you speak to him, but it’s an insight in to how these people’s brain works. I consider it something bordering on a mental illness. It’s certainly along the lines of paranoia. He dismisses all evidence to the contrary and truly believes any half baked comment that supports it. I think the only way he would ever believe it is for him to go in to space and see with his own eyes. Even then I’m not sure! A nice fella but a total nutcase

[Rookiescot]

29 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I agree a lot of it is to spread distrust and division in society. 
 

I know someone who is a flat earther. This is a person who holds down a normal job, married with kids and lives a nice life. But he is totally convinced the earth is flat. Not because he can prove it’s flat, but because he says no one has proved to him, beyond reasonable doubt, that’s it’s not flat.
 

Over the years I’ve tried the usual attempts to persuade him, but he has an answer for most things. When he doesn’t have an answer he falls back to the earth being a globe as a conspiracy. He can’t answer why various governments would engage in such a conspiracy, but that’s not an issue to him. It is truly baffling when you speak to him, but it’s an insight in to how these people’s brain works. I consider it something bordering on a mental illness. It’s certainly along the lines of paranoia. He dismisses all evidence to the contrary and truly believes any half baked comment that supports it. I think the only way he would ever believe it is for him to go in to space and see with his own eyes. Even then I’m not sure! A nice fella but a total nutcase

Next time ask him if all the planets are flat or just earth.

[Soidog]

34 minutes ago, Rookiescot said:

Next time ask him if all the planets are flat or just earth.

I’ve asked him that and he’s says there’s no evidence to show they are a globe. They are a flat disc. It’s remarkable to hear it first hand

[Rookiescot]

1 minute ago, Soidog said:

I’ve asked him that and he’s says there’s no evidence to show they are a globe. They are a flat disc. It’s remarkable to hear it first hand

Tell him to buy a telescope then. He can actually watch Mars spin if he wants to.

[Soidog]

1 minute ago, Rookiescot said:

Tell him to buy a telescope then. He can actually watch Mars spin if he wants to.

Believe me. I’ve tried it all. What I’ve come to conclude is that it’s just best to leave such people to their own delusions.  A few of them can become aggressive if their delusions are challenged

[Marc26]

 

 

 

Not a conspiracy theory but this is a masterclass on a journalist pushing back on a politician lying 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1623667145283362816?t=hgUjP7H34o4wrb-QD_hK2A&s=19