This conspiracy theory emerged in the US in the 1960s. The
John Birch Society originally promoted[8] it, asserting that a
United Nations force would soon arrive in black helicopters to bring the US under UN control. A similar theory concerning so-called "phantom helicopters" appeared in the UK in the 1970s.[9]
The theory re-emerged in the 1990s during the presidency of
Bill Clinton, and was "energetically" promoted by writer
Jim Keith in his book Black Helicopters Over America. By the 2000s, the term "black helicopters" became a shorthand for antigovernment conspiracy theories that "stretch the bounds of credulity",[10] such as those espoused by militia groups and a number of guests of talk show host
Glenn Beck.[11][12]
Also known as SLAP (Secret Large-scale Atmospheric Program), this theory alleges that water condensation trails ("
contrails") from aircraft
consist of chemical or biological agents, or contain a supposedly toxic mix of
aluminum,
strontium and
barium,[13] under secret government policies. An estimated 17% of people globally believe the theory to be true or partly true. In 2016, the
Carnegie Institution for Science published the first-ever peer-reviewed study of the chemtrail theory; 76 out of 77 participating atmospheric chemists and geochemists stated that they had seen no evidence to support the chemtrail theory, or stated that chemtrail theorists rely on poor
sampling.[14][15]
Korean Air Lines Flight 007
The destruction of
Korean Air Lines Flight 007 by Soviet jets in 1983 has long drawn
the interest of conspiracy theorists. The theories range from allegations of a planned espionage mission, to a US government cover-up, to the consumption of the passengers' remains by giant crabs.[16]
The disappearance of
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in southeast Asia in March 2014 has prompted many theories. One theory suggests that this plane was hidden away and reintroduced as
Flight MH17 later the same year in order to be shot down over Ukraine for political purposes. American conspiracy theorist
James H. Fetzer has placed responsibility for the disappearance with the then Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu.[17] Historian
Norman Davies has promoted the conspiracy theory that hackers remotely took over a
Boeing Honeywell Uninterruptible Autopilot, supposedly installed on board, remotely piloting the aircraft to Antarctica.[18][19]
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine in July 2014. This event has spawned numerous alternative theories. These variously include allegations that it was secretly
Flight MH370, that the plane was actually shot down by the
Ukrainian Air Force to
frame Russia, that it was part of a conspiracy to conceal the "truth" about
HIV (seven disease specialists were on board), or that the
Illuminati or Israel was responsible.[17][20]
Business and industry
Deepwater Horizon
Multiple conspiracy theories pertain to
a fatal oil-rig industrial accident in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, alleging sabotage by those seeking to promote environmentalism, or a strike by North Korean or Russian submarines. Elements of such theories had been suggested or promoted by US radio host
Rush Limbaugh.[21][22]
A theory claims that
The Coca-Cola Company intentionally changed to an inferior formula with
New Coke, with the intent either of driving up demand for the original product or permitting the reintroduction of the original with a new formula using cheaper ingredients.[23] Coca-Cola president
Donald Keough rebutted this charge: "The truth is, we're not that dumb, and we're not that smart."[24]
Deaths and disappearances
Conspiracy theories frequently emerge following the deaths of prominent leaders and public figures.
Death of Nero
In ancient times, widespread conspiracy theories were circulated pertaining to the
death of the Roman emperor Nero, who committed suicide in 68 AD.[25] Some of these theories claimed that Nero had actually faked his death and was secretly still alive, but in hiding, plotting to reestablish his reign.[25] In most of these stories, he was said to have fled to the East, where he was still influential.[25] Other theories held that Nero would return from the dead to retake his throne.[25] Many
early Christians feared Nero's return to resume his
vicious anti-Christian persecutions.[25] The
Book of Revelation may allude to these conspiracy theories in its description of the slaughtered head returned to life.[25]
In modern times, multiple
conspiracy theories concerning the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 have emerged.[26]Vincent Bugliosi estimated that over 1,000 books had been written about the Kennedy assassination,[27] at least ninety percent of which are works supporting the view that there was a conspiracy.[27] As a result of this, the Kennedy assassination has been described as "the mother of all conspiracies".[28][29] The countless individuals and organizations that have been accused of involvement in the Kennedy assassination include the
CIA, the
Mafia, sitting
Vice PresidentLyndon B. Johnson,
Cuban Prime MinisterFidel Castro, the
KGB, or even some combination thereof.[30][27] It is also frequently asserted that the United States federal government intentionally covered up crucial information in the aftermath of the assassination to prevent the conspiracy from being discovered.[30]
At approximately 12:20pm on 17 December 1967, then-
Prime Minister of AustraliaHarold Holt, disappeared while swimming at
Cheviot Beach, near the town of
Portsea in
Victoria. While it is presumed that Holt drowned, the topic is still described as one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in Australian history and has spawned many conspiracy theories.[31] The conspiracy theories have been widely criticised by the public and by members of Holt's own family.
In 2007, television presenter
Ray Martin hosted the television special Who Killed Harold Holt?, which first aired on the
Nine Network on 20 November 2007. While the special explored numerous theories about Holt's disappearance, it gave particular credence to the theory that he committed
suicide.[32] In the lead-up to the airing of the program, Holt's biographer,
Tom Frame, described the allegations made in the special as "unjustified and contrary to all the evidence" in an opinion piece published in The Australian newspaper, while Holt's son, Sam, said he was "amazed that people can still keep bringing up [these] fallacious theories".
The disappearance, and often presumed death, of an individual may also become a cause for conspiracy theorists. Theories of a cover-up surrounding the 1974
disappearance of Lord Lucan following the murder of his family's nanny include, for example, allegations of a suicide plot whereby his body was fed to tigers at
Howletts Zoo.[64][65][66] Numerous conspiracy theories have also attended the 2007 disappearance of English girl
Madeleine McCann.[67]
The New World Order theory states that a group of international elites control governments, industry, and media organizations, with the goal of establishing global hegemony. They are alleged to be implicated in most of the major wars of the last two centuries, to carry out secretly staged events, and to deliberately manipulate economies.
Many theorists allege that the contents of fictional media, in a process called "predictive programming," are manipulated to reference planned
false flags, technological innovations, social changes, and other future events.[80] These references are understood to be a conditioning and
brainwashing tool, such that the public becomes more accepting of these events than they would be otherwise.[80][81]
Hungarian-American investor
George Soros has been the
subject of conspiracy theories since the 1990s. Soros has used his wealth to promote many political, social, educational and scientific causes, disbursing grants totaling an estimated $11 billion up to 2016. However, theories tend to assert that Soros is in control of a large portion of the world's wealth and governments, and that he secretly funds a large range of persons and organizations for nefarious purposes, such as
antifa, which some conspiracy theorists claim is a single far-left militant group. Such ideas have been promoted by
Viktor Orban,
Donald Trump,[83]Rudy Giuliani,[84]Joseph diGenova,[85]Bill O'Reilly,
Roy Moore,
Alex Jones,
Paul Gosar, and
Ben Garrison. Soros conspiracy theories are sometimes linked to
antisemitic conspiracy theories.[86]
Conspiracy theories in Turkey started to dominate public discourse during the late reign of the
Justice and Development Party and
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.[90] In 2014, Erdoğan coined the term üst akıl ("mastermind") to denote the alleged command and control institution, somewhat ambiguously placed with the government of the
United States, in a comprehensive conspiracy to weaken or even dismember Turkey, by orchestrating every political actor and action perceived hostile by Turkey.[91][92][90] Erdoğan as well as the Daily Sabah newspaper have on multiple occasions alleged that very different non-state actors—like the Salafi jihadist
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the libertarian socialist
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and supporters of
Fethullah Gülen—were attacking Turkey at the same time in a well-coordinated campaign.[93]
One instance of promoting the "mastermind" conspiracy theory occurred in February 2017, when then-
Ankara Mayor
Melih Gökçek claimed that earthquakes in the western province of Çanakkale could have been organized by dark external powers aiming to destroy Turkey's economy with an "artificial earthquake" near Istanbul.[94] In another example, in November 2017, the
Islamist newspaper Yeni Akit claimed that the fashion trend of "ripped denim" jeans was in fact a means of communication, via specific forms of rips and holes, between agents of foreign states and their collaborators in Turkey.[95]
Conspiracy theories concerning
Malala Yousafzai are widespread in
Pakistan, elements of which originate from a 2013 satirical piece in Dawn. These theories variously allege that she is a Western spy, or that her attempted murder by the
Taliban in 2012 was a secret operation to further discredit the Taliban, and was organized by her father and the CIA and carried out by actor
Robert de Niro disguised as an
Uzbekhomeopath.[101][102][103][104]
Holocaust denial is also considered an antisemitic conspiracy theory, claiming that the Nazi extermination of European Jews is a
hoax designed to win sympathy for Jews and justify the creation of the
State of Israel.[111][112] Holocaust deniers include Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmedinejad,[113] the chemist with a conviction for inciting racial hatred
Germar Rudolf[114] and the discredited author
David Irving.[115]
Reptilian conspiracies, prominent in
ufology theories, have also been linked to anti-semitism,[59][116] as "a very old trope with disturbing links to anti-immigrant and antisemitic hostilities dating to the 19th century."[117] Conspiracy author
David Icke suggests numerous Jewish political figures are
reptilian shapeshifters and "the Jewish Rothschild family is part of a bloodline of reptilian humanoids that secretly control the world".[118] Critics contend these theories to be antisemitic, although he denies animosity towards Jewish people.[117] Other far-right
ufologists speculate that the
Jewish race originated from genetic engineering by malevolent extraterrestrials engaged in interstellar conflict with
Anunnaki or
Pleiadians.[119]
Conspiracy theories that allege that the Armenians wield secret political power are prevalent in
Azerbaijan[120] and have been promoted by the government,[121] including President
Ilham Aliyev.[122][123][124]
Turkish Foreign Minister
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has claimed that the Russian media is run by Armenians.[125] American writer and disbarred lawyer
Samuel Weems[126] has claimed that the
Armenian genocide was a hoax designed to defraud Christian nations of billions of dollars, and that the
Armenian Church instigates terrorist attacks.[127] Filmmaker Davud Imanov has accused the Armenians of plotting against Azerbaijan and has claimed that the
Karabakh movement was a plot by the
CIA to destroy the
Soviet Union.[128]
Iran's
Baháʼí Faith minority has been the target of conspiracy theories alleging involvement with hostile powers. Iranian government officials and others have claimed that Baháʼís have been variously agents of the
Russian,
British,
American or
Israeli governments.[129] An apocryphal and historically inaccurate book published in Iran, entitled The Memoirs of Count Dolgoruki, details a theory that the Bahá'ís intend to destroy Islam. Such anti-Baháʼí accusations have been dismissed as having no factual foundation.[130][131][132]
Since the
Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, theories about Catholic conspiracies have taken many forms, including the 17th-century
Popish Plot allegations,[133] claims by persons such as
William Blackstone that
Catholics posed a secret threat to Britain, and numerous writings by authors such as
Samuel Morse,
Rebecca Reed,
Avro Manhattan,
Jack Chick and
Alberto Rivera. Theorists often claim that the
Pope is the
Antichrist, accuse Catholics of suppressing evidence incompatible with Church teachings, and describe Catholics as being involved with secret evil rituals, crimes, and other plots.
In 1853, the Scottish minister
Alexander Hislop published his anti-Catholic pamphlet The Two Babylons,[134] in which he claims that the
Catholic Church is secretly a continuation of the
pagan religion of ancient
Babylon, the product of a millennia-old conspiracy founded by the Biblical king
Nimrod and the Assyrian queen
Semiramis.[134] It also claims that modern Catholic holidays, including
Christmas and
Easter, are actually pagan festivals established by Semiramis and that the customs associated with them are pagan rituals. Modern scholars have unanimously rejected the book's arguments as erroneous and based on a flawed understanding of Babylonian religion,[134] but variations of them are still accepted among some groups of
evangelicalProtestants.[134] The
Jehovah's Witnesses periodical The Watchtower frequently published excerpts from it until the 1980s.[135] The book's thesis has also featured prominently in the conspiracy theories of
racist groups, such as
The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord.[136]
Pope John Paul I died in September 1978, only a month after his election to the papacy. The timing of his death and the Vatican's alleged difficulties with ceremonial and legal death procedures has fostered
several conspiracy theories.
The elderly
Pope Benedict XVI's resignation in February 2013, officially due to "lack of strength of mind and body",[146] prompted theories in Italian publications such as La Repubblica and
Panorama that he resigned to avoid the exposure of an underground gay Catholic network.[147][148]
Much of this line of conspiracy theory has been stimulated by a debunked book titled The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (1982), which claimed that
Jesus and
Mary Magdalene were lovers and that their offspring and descendants were secretly hidden in Europe following the death of Jesus, from whom the then-living French
draughtsmanPierre Plantard claimed descent. Interest in this hoax saw a resurgence following the publication of
Dan Brown's 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code.[154]
The Gospel of Afranius, an atheistic Russian work published in 1995 with an English translation published in 2022, proposes politically motivated gaslighting as the origin of the foundational Christian belief in the
resurrection of Jesus.[155]
Since the
September 11 Attacks, many
anti-Islamic conspiracy theories have emerged.
Love Jihad, also called Romeo Jihad, refers to a conspiracy theory that Muslim men try to convert non-Muslim women to Islam by feigning love.[157][158][159][160] The "
Eurabia" theory alleges a Muslim plot to
Islamize Europe and the West through mass immigration and high Moslem birth rates.[161] U.S. President
Barack Obama was accused of being a
secret Muslim.
The
Baháʼí Faith also regards Paul as a false or misguided preacher who corrupted Jesus's original message. In this sense, he is seen as the real "Judas" who betrayed Jesus.[169]
"
The Plan" is an alleged plot by white power brokers in
Washington, D.C., to take control of the city's local government from African Americans, who were a majority of the city's population from the late 1950s to the early 2010s and remain its largest ethnic group.[179][180] Most city residents, regardless of race, do not believe in The Plan, but it may have widespread quiet credence among black residents and influence on local elections.[181]
Fandom, celebrity relationships, and shipping
Numerous conspiracy theories surround the desire by followers of a
fandom for two
celebrities to be in a
romantic and/or
sexual relationship, known as
shipping.[182] Many real-person shipping conspiracy theories involve claims that the pregnancies and children of partnered or married celebrity couples are fake.[183] Proponents of celebrity shipping conspiracies that ship two celebrities of the same gender typically argue that they are being pro-LGBT by supporting two people who are forcibly closeted by a homophobic industry.[184]
Conspiracy communities about celebrity relationships tend to be created and dominated by women.[183]
Larries are a group of shipping conspiracy theorist fans, centered around the idea that two members of the boy band
One Direction,
Harry Styles and
Louis Tomlinson, are secretly a couple.[185] These conspiracy theorists falsely claim that Styles and Tomlinson have been closeted by their management since the inception of the band, despite multiple claims otherwise by Styles, Tomlinson, their friends, and their family.[185]
Government, politics, and conflict
In the modern era, political conspiracy theories are often spread using
fake news on social media. A 2017 study of fake news, which was published by the
Shorenstein Center, found that "
misinformation is currently predominantly a pathology of
the right".[186]
Political conspiracy theories may take generalized and wide-ranging forms concerning wars and international bodies, but may also be seen at a localized level, such as the conspiracy theory pertaining to the 118th Battalion, a British regiment stationed in
Kitchener, Ontario, during
World War I, which was believed by some in Kitchener to still be present years after the war ended and to be controlling local politics.[187]
Crisis actors are individuals who portray disaster victims in
first responder training exercises. Conspiracy theories allege that
mass shooting and similar traumatic events are actually staged, with victims and their families being portrayed by covert crisis actors.
Illuminati in Europe
Conspiracy theories concerning the
Illuminati, a short-lived 18th-century
Enlightenment-era
secret society, appear to have originated in the late 19th century, when some Catholic conservatives in Europe came to believe that the group had been responsible for the
French Revolution of 1789–1799.[188] Hoaxes about the Illuminati were later spread in the 1960s by a group of American practical jokers known as the
Discordians who wrote a series of fake letters about the Illuminati to Playboy.[189]
False flag operations
False flag operations are covert operations designed to appear as if they are being carried out by other entities. Some allegations of false flag operations have been verified or are subjects of legitimate historical dispute (such as the 1933
Reichstag arson attack).[190] Unsubstantiated allegations of such operations feature strongly in conspiracy theories.
The rise of
ISIS gave rise to conspiracy theories that it had been created by the US, CIA, Mossad, or Hillary Clinton.[194][195] The same happened after the rise of
Boko Haram.[196][197]
The 2019
death of Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier billionaire and convicted sex offender with ties to Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and other members of the elite, has become the subject of conspiracy theories.[209][210]
The United States'
Federal Emergency Management Agency is the subject of many theories, including that the organization has been building concentration camps in the US to prepare for imposing martial law and genocide.[211]
African National Congress
Members of South Africa's
African National Congress party have long propagated conspiracy theories, frequently concerning the CIA and alleged white supremacists. In 2014, Deputy Minister of Defence
Kebby Maphatsoe joined others in accusing without evidence Public Protector
Thuli Madonsela of being a US agent working to create a puppet government in South Africa.[212][213][214]
Barack Obama has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. His presidency was the subject of a 2009 film, The Obama Deception, by Alex Jones, which alleged that Obama's administration was a
puppet government for a wealthy elite. The
"birther" theory, which came to prominence in 2009, denies the legitimacy of Obama's presidency by claiming that he was not born in the US.[215] This theory has persisted despite his
Hawaiian birth certificate and birth announcements in two Hawaiian newspapers in 1961.[216] Notable promoters of the theory are dentist-lawyer
Orly Taitz[8] and former President Donald Trump, who has since publicly acknowledged its falsity but is said to continue to advocate for it privately.[217][218][219] Other theories claim that Obama, a Protestant Christian,
is secretly a Muslim.
The intellectual group known as the
Frankfurt School which emerged in the 1930s has increasingly been
accused of promoting
communism in capitalist societies. The term "Cultural Marxism" has been notably employed by conservative American movements such as the
Tea Party,[223][224] and by Norwegian mass murderer
Anders Behring Breivik.[225]
While the term is occasionally used as a neutral term to denote a nation's bureaucracy,[226] the conspiratorial notion of a "
deep state" originated principally in Middle Eastern and North African politics with some basis in truth, and has
been known in the US since the 1960s. It was revived under the Trump presidency.[227][228] "Deep state" in the latter sense refers to an unidentified insider "power elite" who manipulate a nation's politics and government. Proponents have included Canadian author
Peter Dale Scott, who has promoted the idea in the US since the 1990s, as well as Breitbart News, Infowars and
Donald Trump.[229] A 2017 poll by
ABC News and The Washington Post indicated that 48% of Americans believe in the existence of a conspiratorial "deep state" in the US.[230][231]
The 2017
Sutherland Springs church shooting has also been the subject of multiple conspiracy theories. The shooter has been linked to multiple conspiracies, such as identifying him as a Democrat, Hillary Clinton supporter,
Bernie Sanders supporter, "
alt-left" supporter,
antifa member, or
radical Muslim;[232][233] or claiming that he carried an antifa flag and told churchgoers: "This is a communist revolution".[234] Some reports also falsely claimed that he targeted the church because they were white conservatives.[235]
Beginning in 2017, a sprawling conspiracy theory emerged from
4chan and was spread via right-wing message boards and websites, then via Breitbart and
Fox News to then-President Donald Trump and his allies. The conspiracy theory holds both that Ukraine (rather than Russia) had interfered in the 2016 United States elections, and that then-Vice President
Joe Biden had intervened to protect a company in which his son Hunter was involved. The New Yorker found that reporting of the conspiracy in the right wing media was initiated by
Peter Schweizer, a former Breitbart News contributor and president of The
Government Accountability Institute, "a self-styled corruption watchdog group chaired and funded by conservative mega-donor
Rebekah Mercer"[236] and founded by
Steve Bannon.[237]
Refers to a series of allegations that
Joe Biden and his son
Hunter Biden coordinated efforts against anti-corruption investigations in
Ukraine into the Ukrainian gas company
Burisma, on whose Board Hunter Biden sat.[238] Investigations are currently ongoing.
The
golden billion is an idea there is an anti-Russian Western population of approximately one billion seeking to appropriate Russia's natural resources. It is a justification for Russian leader
Vladimir Putin's imperial aggression, claiming to be a defense against a far-reaching covert attack.[246] The theory was first advanced under the name A. Kuzmich.[247]
While pencils are provided at polling places in the United Kingdom and Australia, in neither country is it required that they be used.[250] On their website, the
Australian Electoral Commission states:
"While the provision of pencils used to be a legal requirement, since 2020 under Section 206 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, the AEC is required to provide an "implement or method for voters to mark their ballot papers".
The AEC has found from experience that pencils are the most reliable implements for marking ballot papers. Pencils are practical because they don't run out and the polling staff check and sharpen pencils as necessary throughout election day. Pencils can be stored between elections and they work better in tropical areas.
There is, however, nothing to prevent an elector from marking their ballot paper with a pen if they so wish."[251]
While the AEC only conducts federal elections, voters can use either pencil or pen in state, territory and local elections. Pencils are supplied at polling places for federal elections and for state elections in
Tasmania[252] and
Victoria,[253] while pens are supplied at polling places for state elections in
New South Wales[254] and
Western Australia. In 2015, the
New South Wales Electoral Commission made the decision to replace pencils with pens at polling places due to controversies regarding their usage and at the
2015 state election, pens began being supplied at polling places across the state.[255] Similarly, the
Western Australian Electoral Commission has provided pens instead of pencils at polling places since the
2017.[256]
Since December 2021, disinformation has been spread concerning
Swedish social services taking
Muslim children into care without a legal basis.[266] As a result of the conspiracy theory, two Swedish people were killed in
Brussels in 2023.[267][268]
A 2013 study approved by the
University of Chicago suggested that almost half of Americans believe at least one medical conspiracy theory, with 37% believing that the
Food and Drug Administration deliberately suppresses 'natural' cures due to influence from the pharmaceutical industry.[270] A prominent proponent of comparable conspiracy theories has been convicted fraudster
Kevin Trudeau.[271]
A number of conspiracy theories have been promoted about the origin and purported motive behind the
SARS-CoV-2 virus and
its spread.[4] Some claimed that the virus was engineered,[278] that it may have been a Chinese or United States bioweapon,[4][279][280][281] a Jewish plot, part of which is to force mass vaccinations or sterilizations,[282][283][284] spread as part of a Muslim conspiracy,[285][286] a population control scheme,[287][288] or related to 5G mobile phone networks.[289][290]
Fluoridation
Water fluoridation is the controlled addition of
fluoride to a public water supply to reduce tooth decay.[291] Although many dental-health organizations support it, some conspiracy theorists[292] claim that it was a way to dispose of industrial waste,[293][294] or that it exists to obscure a failure to provide dental care to the poor.[292] A further theory promoted by the
John Birch Society in the 1960s described fluoridation as a
communist plot to weaken the American population.[295]
It is claimed that the pharmaceutical industry has mounted a cover-up of
a causal link between vaccines and autism. The conspiracy theory developed after the publication in Britain in 1998 of a fraudulent paper by discredited former doctor
Andrew Wakefield.[296] The resulting anti-vaccine movement has been promoted by a number of prominent persons including
Rob Schneider,[297]Jim Carrey[298] and former
US PresidentDonald Trump,[299][300] and has led to increased rates of infection and death from diseases such as measles and COVID-19[301] in many countries, including the US, Italy, Germany, Romania and the UK.[302][303][304][305]
Vaccine conspiracy theories have been widespread in
Nigeria since at least 2003, as well as in
Pakistan. Such theories may feature claims that vaccines are part of a secret anti-Islam plot, and have been linked to fatal mass shootings and bombings at vaccine clinics in both countries.[306][307][308]
Conspiracy theorists have long posited a plot by organizations such as NASA to conceal the existence of a large planet in the
Solar System known as
Nibiru or Planet X which is alleged to pass close enough to the Earth to destroy it. Predictions for the date of destruction have included 2003, 2012 and 2017. The theory began to develop following the publication of The 12th Planet (1976), by Russian-American author Zecharia Sitchin, was given its full form by
Nancy Lieder, and has since been promoted by American conspiracy theorist and
End Times theorist
David Meade.[312] The notion received renewed attention during the period prior to the
solar eclipse of 21 August 2017.[313][314] Other conspiracy theorists in 2017 also predicted Nibiru would appear, including Terral Croft and
YouTube pastor Paul Begley.[315][316]
Among the foremost concerns of conspiracy theorists are questions of alien life; for example, allegations of government cover-ups of the supposed
Roswell UFO incident or activity at
Area 51.[317] Also disseminated are theories concerning so-called '
men in black', who allegedly silence witnesses.[citation needed]
Multiple reports of dead cattle found with absent body parts and seemingly drained of blood have emerged worldwide since at least the 1960s. This phenomenon has spawned theories variously concerning aliens and secret government or military experiments.[318] Prominent among such theorists is
Linda Moulton Howe, author of Alien Harvest (1989).[319][320]
Many conspiracy theories have drawn inspiration from the writings of
ancient astronaut proponent
Zecharia Sitchin,[321] who declared that the
Anunnaki from
Sumerian mythology were actually a race of extraterrestrial beings who came to Earth around 500,000 years ago in order to mine gold.[321][322][323] In his 1994 book Humanity's Extraterrestrial Origins: ET Influences on Humankind's Biological and Cultural Evolution, Arthur Horn proposed that the Anunnaki were a race of
blood-drinking, shape-shifting alien reptiles.[321] This theory was adapted and elaborated on by British conspiracy theorist
David Icke,[321] who maintains that the
Bush family,
Margaret Thatcher,
Bob Hope, and the
British Royal Family, among others, are or were such creatures, or have been under their control.[324] Icke's critics have suggested that 'reptilians' may be seen as an antisemitic code word, a charge he has denied.[59]
Numerous theories pertain to real or alleged weather-controlling projects. Theories include the debunked assertion that
HAARP, a radio-technology research program funded by the US government, is a secret weather-controlling system. Some theorists have blamed 2005's
Hurricane Katrina on HAARP.[329] HAARP has also been suggested to have somehow caused earthquakes, such as the
2010 Haiti earthquake, the
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami or the
2013 Saravan earthquake.[330] Some HAARP-related claims refer to mind-control technology.[331]
Genuine American research in the 1950s and 1960s into chemical interrogation and mind-control techniques were followed by many conspiracy theories (like
Project Monarch), especially following CIA Director Richard Helm's 1973 order to destroy all files related to the project. These theories include the allegation that the mass fatality at
Jonestown in 1978 was connected to an MKUltra experiment.[335]
Flat Earth
Flat Earth theory first emerged in 19th-century England, despite the Earth's spherical nature having been known since at least the time of
Pythagoras. It has in recent years been promoted by American software consultant
Mark Sargent through the use of
YouTube videos.[336] Flat-earther conspiracy theorists hold that planet Earth is not a sphere, and that evidence has been faked or suppressed to hide the fact that it is instead a disc, or a single infinite
plane. The conspiracy often implicates NASA. Other claims include that
GPS devices are rigged to make aircraft pilots wrongly believe they are flying around a globe.[337][338]
RFID chips
Radio frequency identification chips (RFID), such as those implanted into pets as a means of tracking, have drawn the interest of conspiracy theorists who posit that this technology is secretly widely
implanted in humans. Former
Whitby, England town councilor Simon Parkes has promoted this theory, which may be related to conspiracy theories concerning vaccination, electronic banking and the Antichrist.[339][340]
Technology suppression
Numerous theories pertain to the alleged suppression of certain technologies and energies. Such theories may focus on the
Vril Society Conspiracy, allegations of the suppression of the
electric car by fossil-fuel companies (as detailed in the 2006 documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?), and the
Phoebus cartel, set up in 1924, which has been accused of suppressing longer-lasting light bulbs.[341] Other long-standing allegations include the suppression of
perpetual motion and
cold fusion technology by government agencies, special interest groups, or fraudulent inventors.[342]
Conspiracy theorists often attend to new military technologies, both real and imagined. Subjects of theories include: the alleged
Philadelphia Experiment, a supposed attempt to turn a US Navy warship invisible;[345][unreliable source?] the alleged
Montauk Project, a supposed government program to learn about mind control and time travel; and the so-called "
tsunami bomb", which is alleged to have caused the
2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.[346]
Some theories claim that the dates of historical events have been deliberately distorted. These include the
phantom time hypothesis of German conspiracy theorist[352] Heribert Illig, who in 1991 published an allegation that 297 years had been added to the calendar by establishment figures such as
Pope Sylvester II in order to position themselves at the
millennium.[353]
A comparable theory,
New Chronology, is associated with Russian theorist
Anatoly Fomenko, who holds that history is many centuries shorter than widely believed, numerous historical documents have been fabricated, and legitimate documents destroyed, all for political ends. Adherents of have included chess grandmaster
Garry Kasparov.[354]
Another claim is that world governments have hidden evidence for an advanced worldwide civilization with access to
free energy and partially populated by
giants called
Tartaria, which was destroyed in the 1800s by a great "mud flood" cataclysm, causing its remains to be buried.[355]
The theft and disappearance of the Irish-bred racehorse
Shergar in 1983 has prompted many conspiracy theorists to speculate about involvement by
the Mafia, the
IRA and
Colonel Gaddafi.[359]
Rigged selection processes
The "frozen envelope theory" suggests that the
National Basketball Association rigged its 1985 draft lottery so that
Patrick Ewing would join the
New York Knicks. Theorists claim that a lottery envelope was chilled so that it could be identified by touch.[360] A similar "hot balls theory", promoted by Scottish football manager
David Moyes, suggests that certain balls used in draws for
UEFA competitions have been warmed to achieve specific outcomes.[361]
On the day of the
1998 World Cup Final, Brazilian striker
Ronaldo suffered a
convulsive fit.[363] Ronaldo was initially removed from the starting lineup 72 minutes before the match, with the teamsheet released to a stunned world media, before he was reinstated by the Brazil coach shortly before kick off.[364][365] Ronaldo "sleepwalked" through the final, with France winning the game.[365] The nature of the incident set off a trail of questions and allegations which persisted for years, with Alex Bellos writing in The Guardian, "When Ronaldo's health scare was revealed after the match, the situation's unique circumstances lent itself to fabulous conspiracy theories. Here was the world's most famous sportsman, about to take part in the most important match of his career, when he suddenly, inexplicably, fell ill. Was it stress, epilepsy, or had he been drugged?"[366] Questions also circulated into who made Ronaldo play the game. The Brazil coach insisted he had the final say, but much speculation focused on sportswear company
Nike, Brazil's multimillion-dollar sponsor—whom many Brazilians thought had too much control—putting pressure on the striker to play against medical advice.[366]
The
New England Patriots have also been involved in numerous conspiracy theories.[367] During their
AFC Championship24–20 victory over the
Jacksonville Jaguars, several conspiracy theories spread stating that the referees helped the Patriots advance to
Super Bowl LII.[368] However, sports analyst
Stephen A. Smith stated the Jaguars were not robbed, but that they had no one to blame but themselves for the loss.[369] There were also conspiracy theories regarding the
Super Bowl LI matchup between the Patriots and the
Atlanta Falcons stating that the game was rigged[370] while others said the Falcons made questionable play-calls at the end of the game that resulted in them blowing a 28–3 lead.[371]
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Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021. Prosecutors accuse Chansley of being a flight risk who can quickly raise money through non-traditional means as 'one of the leaders and mascots of QAnon, a group commonly referred to as a cult (which preaches debunked and fictitious anti-government conspiracy theory)'.
Mulkerrins, Jane (15 January 2021).
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Archived from the original on 13 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022. To hear Rein Lively describe her experiences with QAnon, it sounds, I say, very much like a cult... "It is a decentralised online conspiracy theory cult," agrees
Joseph Uscinski, professor of political science at the University of Miami and author of Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them.
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