Conspiracy Theories Conspiracy theories, are they a bunch of made up old wives tales or are they reality as we know it? Well, first of all, let’s take a look at the definition of a “theory”. A “theory” or “theories” are analytical tools for understanding and explaining a given subject manner however, they aren’t always true, but they are generally expected to follow principles of rational thought or logic. Most conspiracy theories cause paranoia in certain people; it gives you the reality of this actually being true because they are published in books, written in large serious segments in websites etc. Real time events, such as the “UFO” crash site in the 1940’s caused a lot of commotion, events like this fuel people to write conspiracy theories. When the internet was established, a large number of conspiracy theorists broke out onto the internet, writing about practically every world event/tragedy. This essay will shed light on the connection between the internet and conspiracy theories, paranoia induced by conspiracy theories and finally; real time events that fuel conspiracy theorists to create conspiracies. Most conspiracy theories cause paranoia in certain people. This statement can easily be proven, take this quote from a certified psychologist for instance; “"Conspiracy theory" is usually used as a pejorative label, meaning paranoid, nutty, marginal, and certainly untrue” –Floyd Rudmin. And there are many more of these quotes from specialists such as ‘Floyd Rudmin’, but it is redundant due to the large amounts of quotes there are. Now, an actual conspiracy theory about AIDS being a man-made disease - There are claims that AIDS is a man-made disease (i.e. created by scientists in a laboratory). Some of these theories... ... middle of paper ... ... So, there you have it; conspiracy theories, as stated, they aren’t always true, believe them at your own extent. Paranoia will eventually hit you once you’ve read enough conspiracy theories; this was proven by the quotes from certified and trustworthy psychologists like ‘Floyd Rudmin’. Real time events fuel conspiracy theorists to create conspiracy theories; this effect can also be amplified if there is a lack of evidence in the real time event/tragedy. Since the internet was such a new and weird, let’s call it an ‘add-on’ to life, when it was newly established; people recognized it as a source of hard and spot-on information. With these factors put in place, people believed everything that was on the internet, including conspiracy theories, thus creating a large number of conspiracy theories from decade to decade, century to century and generation to generation.
Conspiracy theories are entertaining for many to speculate and demand a great deal of thought to constitute. A conspiracy theory is defined as the idea that many important political, economic, and social trends are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public (“The Definition of Conspiracy Theory”). Many conspiracy theories are thought up around children’s shows, which offers a feeling of nostalgia and pleasure. A few children’s show conspiracies that need a deeper light shone on them are from Max & Ruby (2002-2013), Winnie the Pooh (1977), Rugrats (1990-2004), and All Grown Up (2003-2008).
Conspiracy theories accuse others of a cover up by secret planning. They may be based on a hunch or even backed by evidence. To the curious mind, they bring about unanswered questions that have attracted the attention of many people throughout history. Among some of the more popular theories are the assassination of President John F. Kennedy; the death of Princess Diana; alien encounters in Roswell, New Mexico; and the idea that Elvis may still be alive. Perhaps the most intriguing theory, because of our neighboring location, is the underground bunker and seemingly strange characteristics at the Denver airport.
2) Moore, J. (2004). The puzzling origins of AIDS: Although no one explanation has been universally accepted, four rival theories provide some important lesson. American Scientist, 92(6), 540-547. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/stable/27858482
In researching this and many other conspiracy theories, one can see many uses of sensationalism, mainly by the media. This media- the news (local and national), magazines, tabloids, television shows, movies, and so on- has a huge effect on people who are exposed to it.... ... middle of paper ... ... Automotive Care, Home Improvement, Tools, DIY Tips - Popularmechanics.com.
McNeil suggests, there are still epidemics out there which have not developed human to human status yet. For example, AIDS is identified in 1981, which is after the publication of Plagues and Peoples. Because of AIDS relevancy to this book, McNeil writes a Preface in 1997 including his thoughts on the epidemic. Humans only thought that scientific medicine "had finally won decisive victory over disease germs" (9). With the discovery of the AIDS virus a social change occurred in American and similar societies.
Conspiracy theories are intriguing to everyone. When there is secrets being hidden, people tend to seek out for answers. It is typical in human nature for us to be curious and want to know everything. When there is a problem to be solved, we take it as an initiative to go look for answers. We observe and wonder, leading to the discovery of many possible solutions. The possibility of the trail being left by airplanes being top-secret government projects is relatively high. Tests have proven that the number of harmful chemicals and aerosols have increased in our environment. The blame has been put on chemtrails, similar to regular airplane contrails, but these release harmful chemicals that affect the environment, risking our health and survival,
way for people to communicate, whether the rumor is false. He also tells us that when a rumor is spread, the message changes. Knapp makes it clear in his article that once a rumor has circulated, people will twist and distort the message, making rumors inaccurate. Knapp then explains that people believe rumors for three reasons - people feel the need to spread information, rumors supposedly provide us with information we need to know and rumors give people a “feeling”. It's the emotional need Knapp talks about that drives people to spread rumors. Knapp explains
What are conspiracy theories? According to dictionary.com, a conspiracy theory is “a theory that explains an event as being the result of a plot by a covert group or organization; a belief that a particular unexplained event was caused by such a group”. Conspiracy theories can affect society in many ways depending on which ones you come across. They can affect you negatively, psychologically, and pit you against or for something.
In the article “Reason and Reality in an Era of Conspiracy” written by Stephen Asma he states that there is too little information sometimes on certain subjects, what then happens is people add to a story in an effort to make it more interesting. However, the worst of the offenders seem to be the “millennial generation” because they hate to be deemed as wrong. They just don’t ever think they have to be. The ideal way to assess this problem would be to require some sort of logic test or class for all students when they enter colleges. These courses need to be given by people that are trained in logical thought (Asma “Reason and Reality”). Conspiracy theories mainly start with the information the public hears or sees through sources like newspapers, television and the internet, however, is not solely there responsibility to stop
Everyone in the world believes in certain things. Some may believe one thing is real, others may believe it’s fake. Now this brings me to something that I think is a very intriguing topic. And that’s conspiracy theories. A person that believes in conspiracy theories is called a conspiracy theorist. Now, most theories are just crazy and stupid, but a few are reasonable and some are almost certainly true.
A: I think the outcomes of people collectively believing in these conspiracy theories on the presidents will just cause drama over the nation and not bring any actual problems to the government, because most politicians probably won’t believe in the theories and think it’s just a coincidence.
There are a vast number of conspiracy theories about our world: the illuminati, chemtrails, and even fluoride in the water. I find many of these plots to be intriguing. To me, their allure is the creativity and originality in their stories. Truly, these outlandish ideas are the equivalent of fairytales for science-fiction admirers. Still, while it is easy to enjoy discounting the most batty suspicions, one must also realize that conspiracy theories are meant to challenge the status quo and motivate people to question their assumptions. I believe that analyzing a conspiracy is no different than studying history. I do recognize that there is a stigma attached to conspiracy theories, but people must see the value that they offer in their intellectual
This conspiracy takes the term man made more literally, and says that AIDS was created by the CIA in order to wipe out African Americans and homosexuals. It sounds out there, but it makes sense considering the discrimination against both of those groups. Racism still persists and hatred towards homosexuals has just increased over the years. Sure they have a lot more supporters than before as well, but with that comes much more backlash and attacks against these two groups. It is possible the government decided that this hatred would turn into something to big to handle, so they decided to try and end it discreetly before everything fell apart. Even if it is a very disturbing way to try to solve a problem, it is not like the US has not taken drastic measures to end issues before. Take to atomic bomb droppings for example. More than 95% of the people killed in those attacks were probably innocent people who had no right being killed, but the United States found it necessary if it meant ending the war. Creating AIDS could be a more secretive and slow way of ending another very serious issue which is causing anger between blacks/homosexuals and people who do not like them. It is not like this a theory that is only believed by uneducated people either. Kenyan ecologist Wangari Maathai, who won a Nobel Prize in 2004, used her platform to support the idea that AIDS was created by man. Overall, there is no definitive evidence to support where AIDS originated, but there is good reason to believe that the government wanted something to take out discriminated groups, so they created the
Conspiracy theories are a big part of our world. They allow us to find answers to difficult and upsetting questions. Conspiracy theories can also provide an escape from reality. These theories make you think and question the world around you. Conspiracy theories provide a new perspective on certain topics in our country.
have you ever wondered if were alone on this planet? If there’s another race that we don’t know about? Have you ever felt like your being watched? Is the government monitoring us? Controlling us? Or is there a greater power then the government? Is the first world order real? In charge? Good afternoon, Mr Davenport, and fellow classmates. This afternoon, ill be telling you some things that might not let you sleep at night. I just listed, some very well known conspiracy theories. For those of you who don’t know what a conspiracy theory is. Let me enlighten you? A conspiracy theory is when a group of people believe that something that has been said or done, didn’t really happen or might not be, what we are told to believe. Today ill be focusing