12 Conspiracy Theories That People Still Actually Believe
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Why do millions of otherwise rational people still believe in lizard people and flat Earth — and what does that reveal about how the human brain handles uncertainty and distrust?
Motivated ReasoningProportionality BiasEpistemic DistrustPattern Recognition Theory
Theory Briefing
- Conspiracy theories like the Moon landing hoax persist despite overwhelming counter-evidence, illustrating how motivated reasoning overrides logic.
- Belief in reptilian rulers or JFK cover-ups fulfills a psychological need to find hidden order in a chaotic, unjust world.
- The Flat Earth movement shows that collective institutional distrust can sustain false beliefs even when centuries of science push back.