Whether its Moon landings, Titanic or current political plots, conspiracy theories aren’t about secret knowledge—they’re about how the brain works. i.e. heuristics: - We’re wired to see patterns, link coincidences, and assume big events must have big causes. Add confirmation bias and a need for control, and suddenly every coincidence looks like a cover-up.
Social media then supercharges it. Algorithms feed you more of what you click, repetition makes lies sound familiar, and online groups reward loyalty over logic. The result is a self-reinforcing loop that feels like research but isn’t.

 

It's worth noting that in several of those posts, a lot of conspiracy believers also treat the internet itself as proof. Many don’t actually use search engines — they just type a claim into Google and assume the results are “what Google says”, not what random websites say through Google. They confuse a search tool with a source of information, which is why “I did my own research” usually means “I read the first three links that confirmed what I already believed.”

 

The real twist? Most conspiracy believers think they’re the only ones thinking critically. Being proven wrong just becomes more proof of how deep the plot goes. It’s not insight — it’s psychology, boosted by algorithms. I think a lot of people on this thread should see themselves being described here – but then again they won’t, will they?

Just to conform my theory, here is a response to the Titanic switch conspiracy theory – just look at any response and you will be able to tick off like a checklist the features I've described.

Firstly, John Hamer was a novelist, and the story he wrote, if considered "factual", sinks faster than the ship itself.
At the time Titanic went down, her sister ship Olympic was right where everyone knew she was—in New York Harbour, being serviced and photographed. The idea that they secretly swapped identities is pure fantasy.
When the wreck was found in 1985, every detail—the engraved name “TITANIC”, the yard number 401 on fittings, the interior layout—all matched Titanic, not Olympic (which was number 400).
So unless someone managed to teleport an entire 46,000-tonne liner across the Atlantic, the evidence is pretty clear. The ship that sank in 1912 was the RMS Titanic, not a “switched” imposter — and the only thing that’s ever been faked here is the conspiracy!
 

As a summary, I thought this image rounds it off quite nicely...

My three favorites put out by the kooks are 9/1/01 was an inside demolition job .

 

And we never landed on the moon.

 

Followed by the Corsican on the grassy knoll.

Most of our recent theories have been proven true, haha

9 hours ago, FruitPudding said:

Most of our recent theories have been proven true, haha

‘Our recent theories have been proven true’ — that one sentence says more than you think. Our shows it’s not independent thinking but a team sport. 'Recent' implies a rolling list of claims that quietly disappear when they don’t pan out. And proven true… well, that’s the giveaway. Nothing’s been proven, but certainty feels better than accuracy. It’s belief dressed up as evidence.

10 hours ago, Rocky Sullivan said:

My three favorites put out by the kooks are 9/1/01 was an inside demolition job .

 

And we never landed on the moon.

 

Followed by the Corsican on the grassy knoll.

 

Here are some classic examples I like: Flat Earth, the Moon Landing Hoax, the Reptilian Elite, Chemtrails, the idea that Denver International Airport is a secret headquarters, Pizzagate/QAnon, “Paul (McCartney) is Dead”, “Birds Aren’t Real”, and even “Finland Doesn’t Exist”.

 

What’s striking is that most believers eventually buy into the whole bundle—it’s a package deal. But there’s a smaller subgroup who try to sound more credible by rejecting one or two. They’ll say, “Well, of course that one’s ridiculous,” hoping it makes them sound more credible. The irony is they’re confusing credibility with credulity.

7 hours ago, kwilco said:

 

Here are some classic examples I like: Flat Earth, the Moon Landing Hoax, the Reptilian Elite, Chemtrails, the idea that Denver International Airport is a secret headquarters, Pizzagate/QAnon, “Paul (McCartney) is Dead”, “Birds Aren’t Real”, and even “Finland Doesn’t Exist”.

 

What’s striking is that most believers eventually buy into the whole bundle—it’s a package deal. But there’s a smaller subgroup who try to sound more credible by rejecting one or two. They’ll say, “Well, of course that one’s ridiculous,” hoping it makes them sound more credible. The irony is they’re confusing credibility with credulity.

Well said!

- the digital grunt – hallmark of the illiterati!

Why did Mr Obama reference Michael and not Michelle??  Have a listen...........

 

https://www.c-span.org/clip/white-house-event/user-clip-obamas-admission-to-michelle-being-a-man/4895297

Crypto is a conspiracy maybe ?

There are so many conspiracies, it would take 15 lifetimes to unravel all of them.

 

 

11 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Why did Mr Obama reference Michael and not Michelle??  Have a listen...........

 

https://www.c-span.org/clip/white-house-event/user-clip-obamas-admission-to-michelle-being-a-man/4895297

 

Ah, the cult classic "Michael and I" clip. A must-see, together with the DeGeneres dance:

 

 

28 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

 

Ah, the cult classic "Michael and I" clip. A must-see, together with the DeGeneres dance:

 

 

Big Mike's package was freewheeling. Suspicious.....

On 4/19/2025 at 3:48 AM, save the frogs said:

I

 

And so it goes with flat earth. It's a different viewpoint. 

 

 

 

 

 

Nonsense.   The earth being round or flat is not a different viewpoint.  It's a demonstrable fact.  It's a scientific fact.  It's quite literally observable.

 

Your analogy re Trump being great or the worst ever doesnt stack up.  THAT is the expression of a viewpoint, not the shape or dimensions of the planet.

 

 

On 11/1/2025 at 5:57 AM, Rocky Sullivan said:

My three favorites put out by the kooks are 9/1/01 was an inside demolition job .

 

And we never landed on the moon.

 

Followed by the Corsican on the grassy knoll.

 

Flat earth? And also evolution 

 

 

1 hour ago, rattlesnake said:

 

Ah, the cult classic "Michael and I" clip. A must-see, together with the DeGeneres dance:

 

 

 

So, is Michelle Micheal or Michelle who have two children with President Obama ?

12 hours ago, save the frogs said:

Crypto is a conspiracy maybe ?

There are so many conspiracies, it would take 15 lifetimes to unravel all of them.

 

 

 

Of course BTC is a conspiracy. Just ask anyone with BTC who made BTC and why? 

On 4/19/2025 at 6:49 AM, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

Credible fact-checked journalism is often behind a paywall.

 

Conspiracy theory websites usually aren't.

 

Example, I read on an open forum (not AN) yesterday that trump has never played golf, it's all lies.

3 hours ago, Hummin said:

 

So, is Michelle Micheal or Michelle who have two children with President Obama ?

 

Let's check, shall we? Please post a picture of Michelle Obama pregnant. Like this one, for example:

 

 

7 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

Let's check, shall we? Please post a picture of Michelle Obama pregnant. Like this one, for example:

It's fun to call her Big Mike, but come on, man. 

6 minutes ago, Mike_Hunt said:

It's fun to call her Big Mike, but come on, man. 

 

Come on man indeed…  Check out dem shoulders on Mikey.

 

 

4 hours ago, Larkin said:

The earth being round or flat is not a different viewpoint.  It's a demonstrable fact.  It's a scientific fact.  It's quite literally observable.

 

Absolutely.

4 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Big Mike's package was freewheeling. Suspicious.....

 

Are you familiar with Joan Rivers' take on it?

 

 

2 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

 

Are you familiar with Joan Rivers' take on it?

 

 

Yeah. Heard that one from Rivers. Like I say it's suspicious. 

22 hours ago, save the frogs said:

Crypto is a conspiracy maybe ?

There are so many conspiracies, it would take 15 lifetimes to unravel all of them.

 

 

 

No, it wouldn't, as they don't "unravel" – they just identify it as a conspiracy theory, and that's it – dismissed.

8 hours ago, rattlesnake said:

 

Let's check, shall we? Please post a picture of Michelle Obama pregnant. Like this one, for example:

 

 

 

You are a very sick man if you believe that! 

On 4/19/2025 at 2:57 AM, kwilco said:

Twenty years ago, flat Earth, fake moon landings, anti-vax fear, and fringe politics were laughed off. Now?

Fake moon landing and Anti-vax has been around since at least the 1990s

I worked on TV shows about them, we had Buzz Aldren and Head of Ormond Street Childrens hospital.

The UK government served a D notice on the anti-vax programme which convinced the whole studio staff that Autism because of MMR vaccine was real.

I also worked with David Icke (world run by Lizard people) but that was when he was a Sports reporter for the BBC so I didn't hear about the Lizard people first hand, he was a great guy though.

47 minutes ago, Hummin said:

 

You are a very sick man if you believe that! 

Try to find a pic of Mrs Obama pregnant? 

5 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Try to find a pic of Mrs Obama pregnant? 

Useful idiots for Maga

48 minutes ago, Hummin said:

F stupid, Im sure you can find it if you want. 

 

You guys are a bunch of lunatics 

 

47 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Useful idiots for Maga

5555555 It shouldn't be hard, should it? Not one photo that's not AI to be found......Suspicious