In an unpredictable world – and ours is no exception – people crave structure and understanding of the mechanisms of how the world works. What can be seen as curiosity and an urge to explore the unknown can certainly be described as science – but also as a desire for simple answers to things that are beyond our control and ability to understand. In this sense, science and conspiracy theories are very similar – in that they provide people with models to abstract the complexity of the things we observe. There are not that many other similiarities…
Conspiracy theories usually require an appealing and straightforward story that appeals to preexisting anxieties or suspicions in order to propagate effectively. It should have definite villains and victims and explain complicated occurrences. An effective emotional appeal frequently capitalizes on anger, anxiety, or curiosity. The hypothesis needs to seem plausible, which is frequently achieved by cherry-picking data or making pseudo-scientific assertions. It also needs to be amplified by the media, social media, and powerful people. Lastly, it frequently asserts that it can uncover “truths” that are concealed and supposedly controlled by strong forces.
The public is often drawn in by unexplained tales that straddle the line between fact and fiction, such as Edward Snowden’s disclosures regarding NSA monitoring activities. Snowden made public the agencies’ vast worldwide monitoring powers and the vast quantities of personal information they were secretly gathering on regular people. The NSA was able to obtain emails, video chats, and other data from big tech companies because to these programs, like PRISM. These revelations point to a degree of government abuse that was previously only associated with paranoid fiction and wild conspiracy theories. There have also been other strange but real tales revealed, such MKUltra, the CIA’s LSD-based mind control studies, and Operation Northwoods, a supposed false-flag operation to support a war against Cuba. These findings are as compelling as any conspiracy theory because they not only call into question our conceptions of ethics and privacy, but they also show how thin the line is between democratic oversight and covert governmental activity.
Could an online community craft and spread a special made conspiracy theory that actually leads people to make the world a better place?
