Crackpots and Conspiracy Theories

[LucidDreamer]

Where do all these crackpot theories such as Creationism, Holocaust Revisionism, and "AIDS was invented in a lab to kill gay people" come from? Why do people believe them when obviously the evidence does not support them?

[ydoaPs]

Where do all these crackpot theories such as Creationism, Holocaust Revisionism, and "AIDS was invented in a lab to kill gay people" come from? Why do people believe them when obviously the evidence does not support them?

like "my blurry pictures are proof of ghosts"?

 

 

idk, maybe sciforums

[MetaFrizzics]

All crackpot theories are not created equal. It is also a crackpot theory to put all non-conformist theories in the category of 'crackpot'.

[Thomas Kirby]

like "my blurry pictures are proof of ghosts"?

 

 

idk' date=' maybe sciforums[/quote']

 

Like, "my blurry pictures are proof of HIV disease."

[beautyundone]

people will always be paranoid. they will always look for contradiction. and they will always try to start a rebellion. why they come up with such ridiculous means of doing so, i am not sure.

[swansont]

A simple answer that seems to explain everything is preferable to "I don't know" or "Stuff happens" even if the answer is wrong. Some people just want to believe, and they'll latch on to the first semi-plausible explanation. And once you have invested yourself in a belief like that, it becomes a hole from which it is harder and harder to escape. It starts to define who you are.

[Thomas Kirby]

A simple answer that seems to explain everything is preferable to "I don't know" or "Stuff happens" even if the answer is wrong. Some people just want to believe, and they'll latch on to the first semi-plausible explanation. And once you have invested yourself in a belief like that, it becomes a hole from which it is harder and harder to escape. It starts to define who you are.

 

That's exactly what happened with AIDS.

[swansont]

That's exactly what happened with AIDS.

 

If you want to expand on that, I think it should be in a new thread.

[Phi for All]

Where do all these crackpot theories such as Creationism, Holocaust Revisionism, and "AIDS was invented in a lab to kill gay people" come from?

The Knower of Truth in human societies has always been an elevated position. If you can get people to believe in your truth, you have more power.

 

Btw, let's not give them more power by calling them "theories". They are hypotheses at best, lunatic fringe "lint" at worst. In science, a theory has undergone rigorous testing. There's a difference between Honorable Mention at the local dog show and a Nobel prize.

[Thomas Kirby]

 

If you want to expand on that' date=' I think it should be in a new thread.[/quote']

 

But I don't want to expand on that.

[swansont]

But I don't want to expand on that.

 

I have no idea what you meant by your response to my first post.