A conspiracy is defined by shadowy actors acting in secret to do bad things, and is an unfortunate consequence of geopolitics. Conspiracy theories, on the other hand, are ways of explaining reality that lean heavily on this kind of behind-the-scenes cabal as a mechanism for just about everything. They’re often marred by a lack of evidence, or over-extension of evidence, despite the fervent belief of their adherents. Sometimes conspiracy theories prove out over time, however: CIA mind-control, government assassinations, pretexts for foreign wars, human experimentation, etc..

Humans appear to be living through a golden age of conspiracy theories, with alternative explanations available for everything from wars, to weather, to gun control, to the Beatles. Despite the shaky foundations of many of these theories, our guest Mick West has found that they often have extraordinary staying power.  Mick started talking to conspiracy theorists when he encountered the idea of chemtrails while studying for his pilot’s license. He figured a well-placed scientific presentation would lay the matter to rest - but ten years on, he’s still at it. He’s since expanded his topic-set to Q-anon, UFOs, and started several websites dedicated to conspiracy-debunking. Our conversation ultimately sought means of productively discussing alternatives to established narratives.  Subscribe & like so we can keep bringing the best conversations!!! Podcast version available at all usual locations: https://anchor.fm/demystifying-science Mick West: http://mickwest.com/ Metabunk: https://www.metabunk.org/home/ Contrail Science: https://contrailscience.com/ Mr West's academic collaboration: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10... Support us and Mr. West when you buy his book: https://amzn.to/3l9HqUs More readings from us: https://demystifyingscience.com/blog Join the DemystifyingScience mailing list: http://eepurl.com/gRUCZL Let's talk! @DemystifySci Twitter: https://twitter.com/demystifysci Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/demystifysci Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/demystifysci ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Music: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shilo Delay: https://soundcloud.com/laterisgone