(From my latest book: What Am I Doing With My Life? ) Are Some Conspiracy Theories True? Many people believe that the condensation trails made by airliners are actual plumes of chemicals – 'chemtrails' – created by secret government programme. Surprisingly large numbers believe the Moon landings were faked by NASA and the US government. Many believe the destruction of the Twin Towers on 9/11 was an 'inside job' by the US government and involved a controlled demolition. Other popular conspiracy theories are that 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was faked to promote gun control, that the pharmaceutical industry has covered up the fact that some vaccinations cause autism, that an alien spaceship crashed at Roswell and is currently stored in a place called Area 51, and that the Kennedy assassination was a conspiracy involving multiple shooters. Why are we drawn to conspiracy theories? Research suggests a combination of three things. First, we want to
Stephen Law is a philosopher and author. Currently Director of Philosophy and Cert HE at Oxford University Department of Continuing Education. Stephen has also published many popular books including The Philosophy Gym, The Complete Philosophy Files, and Believing Bullshit. For school talks/ media: stephenlaw4schools.blogspot.co.uk Email: think-AT-royalinstitutephilosophy.org