Famous Conspiracy Theories

The term conspiracy refers to a secret plan by a group to do something wrong or unlawful. A conspiracy theory is an explanation given for an event that causes unwanted suspicion. Conspiracies may involve the government or organizations. According to the political scientist Michael Barkun, conspiracy theories rely on the following three principles: "nothing happens by accident, nothing is as it seems, and everything is connected." There are a number of conspiracy theories out there sparked by the wild imagination of people. Some appear to be somewhat true whereas some are hilariously crazy. Here are some of the more famous and interesting theories.

Coca-Cola has kept its recipe as a top secret with only two people being aware of it. However, Coca-cola was losing its popularity to Pepsi-cola. They needed to do something. So in April of 1985, they modified the recipe and introduced a "New Coke" The New Coke was however not well received. Therefore, they went back to the original Coke within three months of its launch. They rebranded it as Coca-cola classic. Surprisingly, after reintroducing the original flavor the sales for Coca-cola went up sparking a new conspiracy theory.

There is a theory that the new Coca-cola recipe was intentionally bad. Coca-cola just wanted to reintroduce the old brand. A marketing ploy by Coke to gain back the market share from Pepsi. However, the company has stated that the new Cola was a genuine attempt to improve its flavor (Blind tests which were conducted also favored New Cola). In response to the accusation, the President of Coca-Cola Donald Keough said: “Some critics will say Coca-Cola made a marketing mistake. Some cynics will say that we planned the whole thing. The truth is we are not that dumb, and we are not that smart.”

HIV/AIDS, a virus was discovered in 1981. There is a theory that AIDS was an artificial disease created by the CIA to target African Americans and Homosexuals. Some also say that this was a chemical experiment done by the CIA on unsuspecting people in Africa and Haiti which got out of control. Scientists have discovered that AIDS, like Ebola, was initially a disease present in Chimpanzees which jumped the species barrier to infect humans. Since the people who were initially affected were either gay men or African Americans, this made people think that it was the work of the CIA.

During the cold war era, the USA and the Soviet Union were in a race to send the first human to the moon. And on 20th July 1969, the United States won by sending the first person to land on the moon or did they fake it? The moon landing is one of the most famous conspiracy theories out there. There is also a lot of evidence to prove this theory. Here are the facts:

1. The cross-hairs present in the photos sometimes appear behind certain objects. Some of the cross-hairs also seem to be rotated. All this points to foul play.
2. There were no stars in the images taken. The astronauts also have not reported seeing any stars.
3. The angle and color of the shadows were inconsistent suggesting that the lighting was from an artificial source.
4. The flag placed on the moon fluttered. But there is no wind.
5. We cannot see any scattered dust or a crater where the shuttle landed. However, there were footprints of astronauts. How would that be possible if even a large Space shuttle could leave no trace or crater on the moon surface?

These are only a few of the facts. Many of the NASA personnel mysteriously died after the moon landings which is also strange. You decide on whether the moon landings is the truth or not.

Global warming or Climate change is the observed century-scale rise in the average world temperature. The average temperatures around the world have risen by 0.75°C (1.4°F) over the last 100 years. Global warming is caused by Deforestation and a rise in pollution. Due to Global warming, the glaciers are starting to melt at an alarming rate. There is a change in precipitation and weather patterns. Drought, famine, and Floods are common.

But why is Global warming part of this list? That is because there are a group of people who believe that the concept of Global warming is a hoax. Some argue that the facts and data are manipulated by scientists for ideological or financial purposes. Even Donald Trump doesn't believe in Global warming and has expressed his views many times.

Area 51 is a highly classified the United States Air Force facility present within the Nevada Test and Training Range. The facility was used initially for the development of the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft after World War 2. However, there are many rumors to the tests and experiments done there. One of the more famous conspiracy theories is the 1947 Roswell crash. In 1947 a rancher discovered unidentified debris in his field. The local authorities covered it up like a crashed weather balloon. However, it may have been the wreckage of an extraterrestrial flying saucer. Area 51 was the lab used used to study the UFO. There is one more conspiracy theory that during 1969 the moon landings were filmed by the US government in one of the hangers there. The reason for so much controversy is the high level of security present in area 51 which makes it just too suspicious.

There have been a lot of controversies on who built the Pyramids. The gigantic scale and awe-inspiring dimensions have led people to believe that normal humans could not have been able to construct the Pyramids. Humans had not mastered the art of construction as of yet. Even the usage of the simple rope pulley was not known. The geometrical accuracy of the structure is also astonishing. The builders also had a deep understanding of astronomy. So how were the Pyramids built?

Some believe that the Pyramids were built by Atlanteans a lost race of with ancient technology. They had constructed the Pyramids after their home of Atlantis was destroyed by the deluge. Some people believe that there was Alien interference. They believe that the aliens would visit Earth regularly and their existence is evident from the use of ancient magic and the Great Pyramids. Each culture's religion and mythology seem to reflect the garbled memories they had of the extra-terrestrials. Without the help of aliens, the construction of the Pyramids would have been impossible. There is even a Conspiracy theory which says that Dinosaurs helped build the Pyramids! Whatever may be the case, the construction of the Great Pyramids was a brilliant feat of engineering.

The term false flag operation refers to a covert operation which is carried out by individuals or groups to deceive people. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was one of the most famous conspiracies of this category. Franklin D Roosevelt wanted to join the side of the allies during WW2. However, the Americans were against fighting. So he needed a cause to unite the public in favor of a war against the Axis powers. The Japanese would give Roosevelt the opportunity he needed which he grabbed with both hands. Any nation would be alert in its security measures during a world war. America had also imposed trade restrictions against Japan. So a conflict was always possible.

However, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor the Americans were utterly demolished. They didn't have a single clue of the attack until it was underway and it cost them everything. They lost most of their fleet and 2,335 personnel. Were the Americans so unprepared or was this a conspiracy? Conspiracy theorists say that Roosevelt knew about the imminent attack and yet did nothing. He wanted to create hatred against the Japanese. None of the three aircraft carriers which America had were present in Pearl Harbor at that time which also proves as evidence that they knew that the attack was coming and they wanted to protect their most valuable asset.

Another famous Conspiracy theory is that of the September 11 attacks against the United States. There is a theory that the government of the United States knew of the attacks beforehand or had an active part in them. They used the attack to advance their geostrategic interests and justify their invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. Some say that the World Trade Center was rigged with explosives before the planes crashed into them. It is also surprising that no tall frame building had collapsed due to a fire before 9/11. There have been reports of explosions inside the WTC. The almost free-fall collapse of the building is also strange.

The Latin phrase "Novus ordo seclorum" appears on the back of the U.S. one-dollar bill since 1935. It translates to "New Order of the Ages". The New World Order (NWO) is a conspiracy theory which claims that a group of powerful people is running the world or on the verge of gaining control. One interpretation is that the New World Order is a fulfillment of the prophecy of "end time" in the Bible where people make a deal with the Devil for power and wealth. These people are now merely pawns in a supernatural game of chess playing their part for the Devil. Even extraterrestrials have been included in the New World Order and are said to have dominant roles.

The New World Order might also be implemented by the cult of intelligence. Their motive is the mass surveillance of all people. Surveillance is said to be done using Social Security numbers, Universal product code markings, and RFID tagging. Company logos with a triangle, eye, or compass are also suspected to have relations with the NWO. The area below the Denver Airport is said to contain an underground bunker which serves as the headquarters of NWO. Its convenient location and its unusually large size (largest airport in the USA) seems to lead people to think that it might be a cover-up for something big. The art present in the airport also seems strange. The runways resemble a swastika. Now that's strange.

We believe that Adolf Hitler had committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin on 30th April 1945. But in truth had Hitler escaped from the allies? Declassified FBI documents contain sightings of Hitler after the war and theories of his escape from Germany. DNA tests done on the skull fragment present in Hitler's bunker which was supposed to have belonged to him was recently identified to be that of a woman aged under 40. So what happened to Hitler and if he did survive, where did he go?

U-boats carried many Nazi officials to Argentina. The Nazis were supported by future President Juan Perón. CIMELODY-3’s (CIA spy) friend states that during the latter part of September 1955, a Phillip Citroen, former German SS trooper, stated to him confidentially that Adolph Hitler is still alive. Hitler and other Nazi officials plotted a Fourth Reich. But they were unable to implement it. Although many people brush this theory off as rubbish, there have been many eyewitnesses to verify that Hitler might have indeed lived to a ripe old age of 95.

During ancient times people believed that the Earth was a flat plane or a disc. The idea of a Spherical Earth was introduced by the Greek philosopher Pythagoras during 6th century BC. Aristotle proved that the Earth is round. But even today many believe that by observing the nature of the world around us such as the movement of the Sun, the flatness of the earth and clouds it is clear that the Earth is flat.

There are also references that the Earth is flat in various cultures and religions. The most famous proof of flat earth theory is the Bedford Level Experiment. The Bedford experiment was used to measure the curvature of the Earth. If the Earth was flat, we should be able to see the entire length without the Curvature of the Earth affecting the vision. Although they were able to produce positive results, this was due to the refraction of light creating a mirage. It is quite baffling that many people believe in the idea of a flat Earth.

Flat-Earthers say that the Earth is surrounded by an ice wall. This ice wall holds the oceans back. Gravity is caused by the constant acceleration of the Earth around the sun much like how you are pushed back when your car accelerates. Day and night cycles are said to be caused by the sun acting like a spotlight and shining downward as it moves. So when it is above your head, it is daytime. Flat-Earthers claim that space travel was all faked and the pictures taken of the Earth are all manipulated images. The people at NASA have not traveled to space. They are trying to portray the world as of how they know it from childhood - a sphere.