That NASA astronauts never actually set foot on the Moon, that Princess Diana was murdered, or that the spread of COVID-19 was caused by 5G. There are conspiracy theories for all tastes. According to a paper published in NatureThese beliefs are defined as accounts of events or circumstances that claim that some small, hidden group, through special means, powers, or manipulations, produces visible and pernicious effects whose real causes are largely unknown. are unknown to the people.
Researchers have identified dozens of psychological, political, and social characteristics associated with a tendency to believe in certain theories. For example, the study lists demographic characteristics such as gender, educational level, as well as political attitudes, among others.
As mentioned in an article in Guardian It is important to note that it is a myth that believing in conspiracy theories is simply a sign of low intelligence; in fact, some surveys show that some highly educated people are surprisingly susceptible to misinformation.
On the other hand, the fact that they arise at times of great uncertainty like pandemics is no coincidence. These troubling events often have complex causes that are difficult to understand and threaten our feelings of control over our lives, so we look for ways to find meaning in the chaos.
Last but not least, many of these beliefs were thought to play on our brain’s biases if we are vulnerable, because “they can offer a clear and orderly narrative that often addresses our existential angst by identifying with goats.” helps solve it.” scapegoats who can be blamed for the crisis”, he clarified.
With that in mind, here are the five most common conspiracy theories, taken from a long list compiled by Live Science:
September 11
The evidence for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks is overwhelming against Osama bin Laden and a group of hijackers. However, several more complex explanations have been put forward, including that of President George Bush.
Some argue that the Twin Towers were brought down through controlled demolition with bombs and others argue that there was a hijacked plane that did not crash into the Pentagon. Both positions were widely countered with research.
Diana’s death
Princess Diana died in a motorway tunnel in Paris on August 31, 1997. But “the idea that such a beloved and high-profile figure could be suddenly assassinated was shocking,” Live Science said.
Unlike other conspiracy theories, this one was a billionaire promoting it: Mohammed al-Fayed, the father of Dodi al-Fayed, who died with Diana. Al-Fayed has long claimed that the crash was actually an assassination carried out by British intelligence agencies at the request of the royal family. After examining them, his suspicions were dismissed as baseless.
nasa moon landing
NASA sent astronauts to the Moon for the first time in 1969. Unsurprisingly, the plot to land on the Moon never happened and was recorded in a 1976 book titled. We never went to the moon: America’s $30 billion scam and in a 1978 film it said capricorn,
Aside from the most obvious ways to disprove this, since the return of the astronauts, various samples of lunar soil are being studied by research teams around the world.
Hidden Natural Remedies
A 2014 paper published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that 37% of Americans believe the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is hiding natural cancer treatments because of pressure from drug companies, Live Science reports.
However, most respected oncologists endorse treatments such as massage and music therapy for cancer patients when they are adjuncts to pharmaceuticals that are tested in clinical trials and have proven efficacy. Meanwhile, many naturopathic health promoters get rich selling their own supplements and vitamins that are often not regulated by any organizations.
COVID-19 and 5G
If there was any global event that caused all kinds of conspiracies, it was the pandemic. Although it seems far behind the times, about three years ago many people believed that 5G wireless technology was responsible for illness and death.
“According to the COVID 5G conspiracy theory, electromagnetic frequencies from cell phone towers weaken the immune system and make people sick with COVID (…) Another conspiracy theory claims that COVID-19 vaccines contain tracking chips that they connect to 5G networks so that the government, or possibly billionaire and vaccine philanthropist Bill Gates, can track everyone’s movements,” Live Science explained. are very large and have nothing to do with the virus that jumped to humans in China.
