Andrew Week 7: Conspiracy Theories

    According to Merriam-Webster, a conspiracy theory is defined as: "a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators." Some of the most enduring conspiracy theories include: the faking of the moon landing, the Earth being flat, and the September 11 attacks being an inside job. Although all three of the aforementioned conspiracy theories have considerable evidence proving their illegitimacy, millions of people continue to believe in them to this day. Why is that?

    The faking of the moon landing is one of the most popular conspiracy theories. Many Americans believe that the United States government pretended to land on the moon so the US would have an edge over the Soviet Union. Although there is a copious amount of evidence proving otherwise, six percent of Americans (19.8 million people) believe that the moon landing was faked according to VOA News. 

    Another conspiracy theory is that the earth is a flat plane, rather than a sphere. Although this theory is generally looked upon more humorously than the other ones, there are still many who believe it. The United Kingdom-based polling company YouGov polled about eight thousand millennials (people aged roughly from 27-41) and asked them whether they thought the Earth was a sphere. A shocking 33 percent of the study said that they thought it was flat, Forbes explained. Although this is probably the conspiracy theory with the most proof against it, many people still believe.

    One final conspiracy theory is the belief that the US government had an involvement in the tragic September 11 attacks. According to YouGov once again, a staggering twenty percent of the Americans polled believe that the US government purposely orchestrated the worst terrorist attack in its history. So, all of this begs the question, why do people believe in all of these? Well, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), we are naturally inclined to. The APA states that humans naturally distrust what they are told, and come up with their own reasons for things. Are there any conspiracy theories you believe in?

https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/conspiracy-theories

https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/conspiracy-theories

https://yougov.co.uk/topics/international/articles-reports/2021/01/18/global-where-believe-conspiracy-theories-true

https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2018/04/04/only-two-thirds-of-american-millennials-believe-the-earth-is-round/?sh=7414f29e7ec6