The world has gone mad. With so much contradictory information flying around and countless news sources all claiming to be fact, the truth has become increasingly distorted and difficult to find. In the midst of all the chaos, though, some things remain undeniably false; they have been given the nickname of ‘conspiracy theories.’
Everyone knows the more popular ones: the earth is flat, the illuminati runs everything, etc. etc. However, there exists a whole treasure trove of fanatics hiding at the bottom of the internet. In the spirit of morbid curiosity, let’s take a walk.
1. Birds aren’t real
This is, admittedly, a well known conspiracy – but there are a couple details many people might not know. This “conspiracy theory” was founded by college-student Peter McIndoe in 2017. After the election of 2016, he watched counter-protesters – who he described as “aggravators [who] had no business being there” – in MAGA hats march through Nashville in response to the Women’s Marches going on across the US. In that moment, he decided something had to be done in order to combat the tension, uncertainty, and fear clouding the situation. He wrote the most nonsensical thing he could think of – “birds aren’t real” – on a piece of cardboard and joined the mob, and when people asked questions, he improvised a whole backstory for his preposterous claim, the core of which being that the “deep state” wiped out all birds and replaced with drones which spy on us constantly. He stands by it even now, doing things like going on Fox News in 2023 – and he’s not alone. “Birds aren’t real” has amassed a huge satirical fanbase, who have expanded on the original theory. They’ve thought of everything, from how the birds recharge (sitting on powerlines) to an explanation of bird poop (liquid tracking apparatus). This “conspiracy theory” is an oldie but a goodie, and its goal of poking fun at the absurdity in the world is a noble one that can aid the world in keeping its sanity for just a bit longer.
2. Australia isn’t real
Building on the popular flat earth conspiracy, this wacky theory argues that Australia isn’t real but was made up by Britain to cover up the fact that they sailed thousands of prisoners off of the end of the (flat) earth to their death (for context, more than 162,000 convicts were shipped from Britain to Australia between 1788 and 1868). Perhaps the greatest advocate of this theory is a Youtuber with the account name of Ragreynolds, who stubbornly stands by his beliefs with such passion that viewers can almost be led to believe that he too is being satirical; however, he seems to fully stand by his claims, arguing that Australian accents serve as proof enough that Australia cannot truly exist and asking what people will want him to believe in next. “Cookie monster?” he asks passionately. “Cyber bullying?” Though the base of this conspiracy theory is admittedly small, they are an enthusiastic crew, and they will not be backing down anytime soon.
3. Covid-19 Vaccine contains microchips
During the pandemic, nobody knew what to believe. The world was shrouded in uncertainty and fear with people believing basically anything. This conspiracy theory was just one of many to crop up but was notable in its influence throughout the world. The crux of the theory is that Covid-19 isn’t a real disease, but rather a cover for a plot concocted by Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft. His plan? To implant trackable microchips into everyone – through the Covid-19 Vaccine. Though this may sound ridiculous to some, to many it was just another reason why the new vaccine was bad news. During the pandemic, these “anti-Vaxxers” became rampant, insisting that the vaccine was a hoax. Supporters of the microchip conspiracy were simply a subgroup of this larger movement, but are just as passionate as and perhaps even more dangerous than other conspiracy theorists out there.
4. Dead Internet
This modern conspiracy theory revolves around Artificial Intelligence. Perhaps an outgrowth of the unease many feel about the growing prevalence of AI, the dead internet theory holds that humans no longer control the direction of the internet. Instead, AI constantly creates posts and content, and other bots react to these posts, creating a frightening loop that doesn’t involve humans at all. Widespread fear regarding AI has risen to new heights with this emerging conspiracy theory, and many are absolutely convinced of its truth. The fear extends simply beyond AI usage, however. Many fear, with some reason, that these AIs may actually be participating in sinister propaganda designed to change the way people think about the world, or relaying false information by the ton to the next generation. While AI’s use on social media can definitely be viewed as a serious issue, it doesn’t seem the robots have taken over quite yet.
5. Paul McCartney’s Death
Most people know Paul McCartney as the co-lead singer and songwriter of the Beatles, one of the most famous bands of all time. He is currently 82…a fact that, believe it or not, has been very much disputed. Many enthusiasts believe that he actually died 59 years ago, in 1966, in a tragic car crash that occurred as he was on his way home from working on the Sgt. Pepper album. In order to spare their fans from suffering as a result, his fellow bandmates replaced him with William Campbell, the winner of a Paul McCartney look-alike contest. However, they soon began to feel guilty for this deception and so left subtle clues in their music to let fans in on the truth. This theory really took off after Drake University student Tim Harper published an article (Is Beatle Paul McCartney Dead?) about the conspiracy in 1969. Though McCartney did get into a couple of car crashes around that time, there is no evidence that this conspiracy holds any kind of truth to it.
6. Chemtrails
Everyone has seen those white streaks trailing behind jets and planes. They’re made up of condensation and are a byproduct of the vehicle; however, starting around 1996, this fact became heavily disputed. The Air Force research paper “Weather as a Force Multiplier: Owning the weather in 2025” was released that year and spoke of developing a weather modification system using aerospace forces in order to aid the military. It also expressly stated that nothing of that sort was currently in effect. Nevertheless, people came to believe that these trails were not made of condensation but of toxic chemicals put into the air by either the government, the wealthy, or both, either because they want to poison humanity, exert mind control, or control the weather. The exact details vary from person to person, with followers picking and choosing what they believe. Perhaps this variety is why the conspiracy has lasted so long and regained such popularity.
7. Reptilians run the US government
Governments worldwide, especially the US government, are no strangers to all kinds of conspiracy theories, many of which have reached quite a bit of popularity. Millions of Americans believe that reptilians run the US government, and some even go beyond to believe that lizards run the world as a whole. According to certain devout followers, certain people have “reptilian-compatible bloodlines,” but will not transform into reptilians or reptilian humanoids unless a lizard entity takes over their body. Like most conspiracy theories, this one has several variations, but one prominent believer is David Ike, who has explained that thousands of years ago, reptiles came from the constellations Sirius, Orion, and Draco to Earth and began breeding with humans via manipulating their DNA. This is one of the more detailed theories out there, and believers have also outlined how to spot a lizard humanoid. If you have green or hazel eyes that change color, blue eyes, piercing eyes, red or reddish hair, low blood pressure, UFO connections, a love of space or science, alien contacts, a deep compassion for mankind, or anything else along those lines, you may just be a lizard in disguise.
8. Denver International Airport
The Denver International Airport, built in 1995, is home to many different conspiracy theories. One revolves around a dedication stone that resides in the airport’s main terminal, featuring the Masonic square and compasses symbol. The stone states that a time capsule is buried below it, to be opened in 2094. The logical explanation? Either the Freemasons or the Illuminati were involved in the building of the DIA. Underneath the airport is a complex system of tunnels, which staff use for baggage transportation and the like– or perhaps they’re really a part of a complex underground bunker for all of the world’s wealthy and elite in case of disaster. Other theories exist as well, regarding the shape of the airport’s runways and the “Blucifer” statue which killed its creator during its construction. This airport is a hotbed of mystery and conspiracy.
9. The Earth is hollow
An interesting twist on the classic “Earth is flat” theory, some believe that the Earth is a shell with 800 mile thick walls and that in its polar regions there are huge holes that curve smoothly from the outside of the Earth to the inside, making it somewhat easy to accidentally wander in without even realizing it. Some even believe that openings exist to the center of the Earth through which flying saucers travel. Though modern day believers insist that UFOs dwell within the center of the Earth, their predecessors believed something very different. American John Symmes lived in the early 1800s and devoted most of his later years to convincing people that the Earth is hollow. He believed that beneath the crust of the Earth was a whole world, full of lush greenery and fish and land, all ripe for the taking. This may sound absurd, but many believed him, with some even planning expeditions to what they called “Symmes’ Hole.” They believed that animals sheltered within the center of the Earth during winter, and so planned to follow them there in the fall. Though the Earth is flat theory tends to get all the attention, this one definitely merits just as much.
10. Simulation Theory
As technology has evolved and features like VR and AI have emerged, so have new and very popular conspiracy theories. Simulation theory bears many resemblances to the dead internet conspiracy, except, instead of the internet being fabricated by machines, this theory maintains that the tangible world may not be all that it seems. The gist of this conspiracy is that the world as the individual perceives it is not actually reality but a powerful computer simulation, perhaps created by some deity or other higher power. This theory was first proposed by the philosopher Nick Bostrom in his 2003 paper “Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?” In this paper, Bostrom says somewhat indirectly that there is a 33% that humans live in not in a real world but a computer simulation. David Chalmers, a more recent proponent of the theory, puts it at at least 25% in his book Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy. Chalmers, a philosopher at NYU, not only sees this theory as a possibility, though he confesses that he looks at this as a philosopher and not a scientist, but believes that if it were to be true, it would not negate the meaningfulness of life in the slightest. He explains that “even if we’re in a perfect simulation, this is not an illusion; I’m still in a perfectly real world; the conversation I’m having with you right now is still a perfectly real conversation. Everything is just as meaningful as it was before.” Simulation theory definitely blurs the lines between conspiracy theory and philosophical thought experiment, but proves interesting and oddly uplifting nonetheless.
Final Thoughts
Conspiracy theories can undoubtedly be dangerous, causing misinformation to spread like wildfire and sometimes even resulting in violent uprisings. At the same time, some can be difficult to take seriously; Ragreynolds has gotten into a fight or two with Australian Youtubers who have this problem. Nevertheless, it is always good to learn how to distinguish fact from fiction to avoid confusion. In a world where truth seems to dissipate into lies wherever you look, it’s important to stay informed and avoid misinformation as much as possible. That said, I sincerely hope that you finish this article feeling just as certain of Paul McCartney’s health as when you began.
