I don’t really know what constitutes a conspiracy theory. Diamonds in wedding rings are essentially worthless, yet people still pay exorbitant amounts for them. So, I guess I’ll leave it to personal judgment.

  • adhd_traco@piefed.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    18
    ·
    edit-2
    24 days ago
  • Toes♀@ani.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    16
    ·
    24 days ago

    The most destructive one I’ve seen has been the anti-vax crowd. Almost feels like a state actor trying to gaslight the world.

  • Chozo@fedia.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    9
    ·
    24 days ago

    I like the theory that suggests that JonBenét Ramsey wasn’t killed, and was instead kidnapped and secretly raised by her captors to be a singer, and grew up to become Katy Perry.

  • PumpkinDrama@reddthat.comOP
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    9
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    24 days ago

    9/11 was an inside job. There’s a belief that elements within the U.S. government orchestrated the attacks.

    • 鳳凰院 凶真 (Hououin Kyouma)@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      24 days ago

      I think the US government knew about it, maybe not exactly orchestrated it, but they intentionally allowed it to happen to justify expanding powers.

      I mean like… I only believe this 60% true, there’s 40% of me that think government is just this incompetent.

      • deranger@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        24 days ago

        I think even that gives them too much credit. It’s just incompetence.

        The US “did 9/11” by interfering with global affairs for decades until one of those schemes finally backfired.

        I don’t think there’s any conspiracy necessary beyond that to explain everything.

      • PumpkinDrama@reddthat.comOP
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        24 days ago

        I’ve seen a clip from a Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) that describes the motive weapons companies could have for it very well, the government wasn’t necessarily involved but I believe some of the elite definitely were.

        • IronBird@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          24 days ago

          there certainly were a lot of suspiciously timed, and very risky, trades made immediately before the crashes

    • PumpkinDrama@reddthat.comOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      11
      ·
      edit-2
      24 days ago

      Today I learned that the owner of the WTC had it insured against terrorism just six weeks before its collapse and made $4.55 billion. I had a chat with an AI about probabilities, and it doesn’t paint a good picture.

      • LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        24 days ago

        If only ai didn’t get its information from people like us casually chatting on the internet, then passes off everything we say as fact.

      • brucethemoose@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        edit-2
        24 days ago

        Discussing conspiracies is basically the worst case for LLMs. They’re both extremely sycophantic (they try to figure out and tell you what you want to hear), and not grounded in real references.

        If you must, use something like z.ai’s deep research mode, with a single even, neutral question. It’s way better than ChatGPT.

      • snooggums@piefed.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        24 days ago

        The guy set up the insurance for the building he just purchased that had a terrorist attack in 1993. Of course he got insurance for terrorism for a building he just purchased that was a target for terrorists.

  • listless@lemmy.cringecollective.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    8
    ·
    edit-2
    24 days ago

    Popular conspiracy theories according to me:

    1. Fluoridation of municipal water supplies is some evil government program to disperse drugs / chemicals
    2. Roswell was an alien UFO crash, the aliens / craft are being kept at Area 51.
    3. JFK was not assassinated Lee Harvey Oswald alone. He was killed by the CIA / 2nd shooter on the grassy knoll.
    4. Moon landing was faked
    5. Condensation trails (contrails) from high altitude aircraft are actually chemicals being dispersed by the government (chemtrails)
    6. The Earth (and only the Earth, not the Sun, moon, other planets) is a flat disc.
    7. Automakers have cars that run on water but they refuse to sell them to protect the oil industry.
    8. Global warming / climate change is a hoax to sell solar / wind / hydro power.
    9. Big pharma / doctors have all the cures but they’re not selling them to keep you sick & them rich
    10. 9/11 was an inside job (planned by George W. Bush)
    11. COVID-19 vaccines deposited secret microchips in the population
    • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      24 days ago

      Most of the flouride stuff ive read about is more about concerns with the toxicity of flouride and some about it promoting calcification of parts of the body.

      And a lot of the anti climate change stuff i find is less about promotion of alternatives and more about the government wants to control your freedom, self sustainability, and independence.

  • it_depends_man@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    24 days ago

    Depends.

    Birds aren’t real is fake, but pretty popular, because it’s funny.

    Flat earthing is also fake but somehow has a huge following.

  • Boomer Humor Doomergod@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    24 days ago

    My least favorite one is ancient aliens, because it is both inspired by Carl Sagan and inspired a ton of sci fi especially Stargate, but it’s also just white supremacy with extra steps.

    I’m so conflicted.

  • FerretyFever0@fedia.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    24 days ago

    Flat Earth, the New World Order, the Illuminati, Jewish space lasers, Democrats/ Jews controlling the weather. MLK being killed by the government could be considered one, but, well. You know. All the classics.

    • cecilkorik@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      24 days ago

      I think the only reason this is a conspiracy is because it claims there are shadowy, secret people coordinating their activities and running the world behind the scenes and only the conspiracy theorists will ever be clever enough to figure exactly out who they are.

      In reality the political elites and billionaires are already doing exactly that very obviously and in plain sight with zero subtlety, making a public performance out of national relations while regularly meeting and being perfectly cordial and strategizing and horse-trading together behind doors, living a life of wealth and privilege, establishing themselves as minor celebrities and making sure people are always talking about them, and apparently hanging out on tropical islands with child-molesters. We know this is generally factual for very many of them, unless you think all the Wikileaks wires and Epstein files stuff is somehow faked. Unless you just haven’t read them. It’s pretty fucking clear what’s going on in my opinion. No need for a conspiracy to be able to see what’s going on in the circles of power. It’s not much of a secret anymore.

    • PumpkinDrama@reddthat.comOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      24 days ago

      The only thing that makes me think of this is operation paperclip, but that’s not reason enough to believe their is a single group in control. More like many powerful groups like Blackrock pulling strings.

  • xePBMg9@lemmynsfw.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    ·
    24 days ago

    I would guess:

    • Moon landing was faked
    • Anti-vax stuff.
    • The entire scientific community and goverments are making global warming up and hiding evidence to the contrary. Somehow, for some reason.

    Popular in media but probably not many actually believe:

    • Space aliens are here and goverments somehow are able to hide that. Good luck with that I say.
    • The eart is flat and all of academia is teaching the wrong thing. For no reason.

    Try selling diamonds jewelary on the second hand market. You’ll get the gold value.