5 Creepy Conspiracy Theories

The coining of the term "conspiracy theory" is almost a theory in itself; many claim that it was a phrase invented by the CIA to discredit people who questioned John F. Kennedy's assassination. The 'official' definition, provided by dictionary.com, is:

1. "A theory that explains an event as being the result of a plot by a covert group or organisation."

Over the years, more and more of these so-called "conspiracy theories" have surfaced, especially since the internet has allowed us to share information in a heartbeat. Here are some of the most fascinating theories out there. What do you think? Are they all the ramblings of the insane, or is there some element of truth to them? You decide.

***PLEASE NOTE that this article does not claim that any of these theories are true, but simply puts forward "proof" or "evidence" claimed by others.***

Official sources say that Apollo 11 was the first spaceflight that landed on the moon, and that Buzz Aldrin and Niel Armstrong were the first men to walk on it. Footage shows them inside the spacecraft, walking on the moon and setting down the American flag.

However, there are many sceptics over the decades since that important moment for humanity in 1969.

Questions such as these have popped up (though most have been answered with seemingly logical explanations)?

• Why do the shadows on the moon seem to defy the fact that there was only one light source (the sun)?
• Why is there a reflection of an unknown object in one of the astronaut's helmets (see picture)?
• Why are there no stars? Shouldn't they be clearer than on Earth?
• Why does the dust on the crater rise and fall like it would in earth's gravity?
• Why does the flag ripple as if there is wind?
• Why is it that Buzz Aldrin refused to swear on the Bible that he actually did walk on the moon, and instead punched a questioner in the face?

This is one of those theories that people will burst out laughing as soon as you even start to entertain the idea. However, it may not be as ridiculous as it first sounds.

Consider these questions.

• Why does the horizon stay on the same eye level no matter what height you are at? On a ball, the horizon should sink the higher you are.
• Why does the horizon always look like a perfectly straight line? Even on a plane, we cannot see the horizon's curvature, as we physically should on a globe.
• Tunnels, such as the Channel Tunnel connecting England and France, do not take into account the curvature of the earth, but instead run in a perfectly straight line. How would that be physically possible on a ball?
• Why do planes take the same amount of time to fly east to west as west to east? Taking the spinning earth into account, shouldn't it take longer to fly when chasing the spin, and less time when flying against the spin?

A lot of these questions have been debunked, but it still makes for interesting reading.

There is a rather wild theory that the white trails you see left behind by airplanes dump dangerous chemicals. Some claim it affects climate change or weather modification, while others say that they are brainwashing chemicals designed to keep us under control.

Another similar theory is that Fluoride, commonly found in toothpaste, can lower IQs. It is found in water, pesticides and this article shows that Fluoride's dangers outweigh any benefits.

It is a fairly recent phenomenon that thousands of people have identical memories of things that never actually happened. It was named 'The Mandela Effect' because a lot of people remember Nelson Mandela dying in 1991 - there is even a book to prove it - but official sources claim that Mr. Mandela didn't die until 2013.

Other memories include famous people's name spelling changes, book and movie titles changing, and even famous lines from Star Wars and Forrest Gump being different to what they remember.

Some theories include CERN's experiment altering our reality, multiple universes clashing and mass social experiments. Want to see if you share a false memory? Take a look at Reddit's Mandela Effect page, or just click the link below the picture.

It is common knowledge that Area 51 is impossible to access by the general public, and that if you find Area 51 on Google Maps, you will only see a copy of another part of the land edited over, meaning you can't see it from above. There are many theories related to what goes on in Area 51. Which one, if any, sounds feasible to you?

• A place where psychological and physical experiments are performed on people who are claimed to be missing or dead
• An alien UFO crash site
• A secret military base where bombs and other experiments are performed
• Reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology

Area 51, whichever way you look at it, is a mysterious place which we, as mere average citizens, probably never hope to see or explore.

There you have it - five conspiracy theories making for interesting reads. Do any of them seem feasible, or are they all utter nonsense? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.