Schemes

Conspiracy Theories

• Three Questions1. How did it develop?2. Why so popular and compelling?3. How to evaluate its veracity?

Conspiracy Theories

• Three Roles in Conspiracy Theory

1. Conspirators2. Saviors3. Dupes

Area 51, UFOs & Human Hybrids

• The claim:– The government has a secret

facility involving aliens and alien technology

Did we land on the moon?

• The claim:– NASA faked the Apollo Moon

landings

“Chemtrails”

• The claim:– Contrails are really a government

operation pumping chemicals into the sky for weather modification and poisoning the population

9/11 Conspiracies

• The claim:– A vast group of people

(government, oil businesses, etc) either knew of the impended attacks and refused to act, or intentionally engaged in the act themselves.

Kennedy Assassination

• The claim:– A criminal conspiracy involving the

CIA, KGB, Mafia, FBI, Vice President Johnson, Castro, and the military killed the president and framed Oswald

Creating our ownconspiracy theory?

Three Questions1. How did it develop?2. Why so popular and compelling?3. How to evaluate its veracity?

Three Roles in Conspiracy Theory

1. Conspirators2. Saviors3. Dupes