Why do people make so many NASA conspiracy Theories?

[fredinno]

I know about flat-earth theorists, and moon-landing conspiracy theorists, but how come space, especially NASA, such a target of conspiracy theories?

(Despite the evidence that 1. there are no Aliens found, yet 2. the Moon Landings were real 3. The Earth is NOT flat (even medieval people knew this! How can people still hold to that belief?))

[Mitchz95]

Because space is so far removed from everyday life that it's easy to imagine NASA making it all up for profit. I think it's a reflection of how cynical society is these days.

[YNM]

Because nobody in the general public minds about space. They don't procrastinate though, so news on space (whatever news) still matters for them, even while they don't quite minding it.

[Just Jim]

Because space is so far removed from everyday life that it's easy to imagine NASA making it all up for profit. I think it's a reflection of how cynical society is these days.

Add to this a media that is chock full of junk science conspiracy shows, it's no wonder people don't now the truth from the X-files...

[fredinno]

Add to this a media that is chock full of junk science conspiracy shows, it's no wonder people don't now the truth from the X-files...

I stopped listening to Coast to Coast years ago because it was causing my IQ to drop.

[vger]

I know about flat-earth theorists, and moon-landing conspiracy theorists, but how come space, especially NASA, such a target of conspiracy theories? (Despite the evidence that 1. there are no Aliens found, yet 2. the Moon Landings were real 3. The Earth is NOT flat (even medieval people knew this! How can people still hold to that belief?))

People need to see things for themselves. It's that simple.

There are two very sad facts about the modern world.

#1. There is so much to 'know' that you either have to take someone else's word for it that it's real, or you have to spend an entire lifetime of learning to find out if you were being lied to (just imagine how much time and money it would take to prove to yourself that the LHC works the way we're told it does).

#2. Everyone has something to gain by lying. Lies are the glue that keeps much of business alive, and a few other things as well that shouldn't be discussed on this forum.

I don't believe in NASA conspiracies, but I can't say I blame the people who do. Just remember, for most people on the planet, the only "scientists" we ever have personal contact with are medical doctors; the "used car salesmen" for one of the most corrupt industries in the world. Can we really be surprised that some people don't trust science?

Edited October 16, 2015 by vger

[Glaran K'erman]

There is a whole history to conspiracy theories. It actually goes back quite a bit if I can remember, maybe about 150 years or so, and it basically can boil down to two things to answer your question.

Some people have issues mentally that they are dealing with that manifest themselves as these conspiracy issues. Many can be traced to this.

The other main reason has to do with the great interconnectivity of our world. People starting making links that aren't there to solve very complex problems much more simply.

[G'th]

Probably a combination of mental illness, poor education (in the home and out), and a simple yet reasonable mistrust of any government entity.

Personally growing up I always knew that we really did land on the Moon, though I always conceded that if NASA did fake something, it was probably just the initial landings, as that was only part of the "theory" that could have made sense despite the physical evidence.

Either way though disregarding all physical evidence, it still doesn't make much sense. If NASA faked the landings, it begs the question of why the Soviets didn't eventually do so as well, and more over why they didn't bother blowing the whistle on NASA for it. There's no way we could have faked the landings and not have the Russians eventually figure it out. And even if they for some reason didn't want to spill the beans to the world, it still begs the question of why they didn't eventually fake their own landings. If we faked ours, its not like we could call them out for faking theirs.

[RainDreamer]

Not sure if this is too political, but those tends to vocalize their distrust in NASA the most are American.

[regex]

Not sure if this is too political, but those tends to vocalize their distrust in NASA the most are American.

Huh. Imagine that.

[PB666]

Because space is so far removed from everyday life that it's easy to imagine NASA making it all up for profit. I think it's a reflection of how cynical society is these days.

Because our society became so much more efficient at doing everything else but appeared to fall backwards with manned exploration of space, in 1976 we traveled to 250,000 miles from the earth, since then we have scarcely traveled 500 miles from the earth.

BTW, people are prone to make theories about everything. So I hardly find NASA singled out, the age of information has largely been a miss.

[vger]

Because our society became so much more efficient at doing everything else but appeared to fall backwards with manned exploration of space, in 1976 we traveled to 250,000 miles from the earth, since then we have scarcely traveled 500 miles from the earth.

Go figure, if we did it again, those same people would be saying, "You spent all that money to put a man on a dusty rock when there are problems right here that need dealing with."

[baggers]

#2. Everyone has something to gain by lying. Lies are the glue that keeps much of business alive, and a few other things as well that shouldn't be discussed on this forum.

This.

NASA has money, a budget, and less budget for NASA mean more budget for others. It's a cruel world, and you use any tool available for your own purposes.

[meve12]

I think he meant the other way around, but both points are valid.

[Darnok]

First thing first... what is conspiracy theory? And when it was used for the first time?

Not every person is naive, so they don't believe in everything that is stated officially.

This is not a substantive argument, but there are few examples where official version was a lie and theory was true:

NSA spying everyone - Snowden

Echelon - confirmed

Chemtrails - Solar radiation management

As for aliens, what proof would you need? Obama shaking hand with alien in TV?

Do you really think that aliens would come to scientists and say "study as like wild animals"?

Even if alien ship would crash on Earth no scientists would be allowed to dissect aliens... imagine reaction of other aliens later after they knew that member of their family was cut open to check does he have a hearth and how much it weights. Any contacts between other intelligent species will be (or were) done by politicians and diplomats, not scientists.

You are watching too much TV, if we discover aliens before they will discover us... that means they are below our technological level.

Just look how we work if two countries are sending submarine or plane on hostile territory they are trying to be stealth, but if both sides wants to talk their diplomats talk, not scientists.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Darnok

[peadar1987]

Chemtrails?

Bahahahahaha

[cypher_00]

"Chemtrails - Solar radiation management"

Say what?

[DECQ]

The paradox is that the conspiracy theory about the allegedly falsified landing on the moon was born in US.

[78stonewobble]

I don't know... I'm also debating religion with some nutjob on yt gaming video... I guess everyone needs a hobby.

[pxi]

I stopped listening to Coast to Coast years ago because it was causing my IQ to drop.

Me too, but in my case it was because George Noory is nowhere near as entertaining as Art Bell.

OP: I don't think there's an abnormal amount of conspiracy theories surrounding NASA, I'd suggest that it just seems that way, since (given your presence on these forums), your interest in space leads you to notice them moreso than the myriad theories about other groups or events.

[Hcube]

This is not a substantive argument, but there are few examples where official version was a lie and theory was true:

NSA spying everyone - Snowden

Echelon - confirmed

Chemtrails - Solar radiation management

.

Chemtrails are real ? I thought trolling wasn't authorized in this forum. I don't know what "solar radiation management" is, but i bet that it falls in the same category. Will check and edit

Edit : uh so SRM is a part of the chemtrail theory... It's an interesting concept, but a stupid conspiracy.

If i had to rate "scientific" conspiracy theories from most understandable (and yet not very clever) to completely unfounded and pathologic paranoia, id say moon landings<chemtrails<space is a lie and doesn't exist<flat earth<hollow earth...

Anyway this is a subject that was treated a billion times, we all know how simplistic and unfounded these conspiracies are

Edited October 16, 2015 by Hcube

[fredinno]

Chemtrails are real ? I thought trolling wasn't authorized in this forum. I don't know what "solar radiation management" is, but i bet that it falls in the same category. Will check and edit

Edit : uh so SRM is a part of the chemtrail theory... It's an interesting concept, but a stupid conspiracy.

If i had to rate "scientific" conspiracy theories from most understandable (and yet not very clever) to completely unfounded and pathologic paranoia, id say moon landings<chemtrails<space is a lie and doesn't exist<flat earth<hollow earth...

Anyway this is a subject that was treated a billion times, we all know how simplistic and unfounded these conspiracies are

There is also a fake news artclie saying that Snowden revealed Chemtrails- which turned out to be from a pardoy news site, and was not supposed to be taken seriously.

There are actually stuff dropped from planes that vaguely resemble chemtrails- rain seeding, for example, which has existed since the Vietnam War, but generally only works if there is moisture in the air, and even then, has a 30% sucess rate- and a possible use of a massive air force to spray dust to mitigate climate change- but it's effects on the amount of radiation hitting Earth would be measurable.

- - - Updated - - -

Me too, but in my case it was because George Noory is nowhere near as entertaining as Art Bell.

OP: I don't think there's an abnormal amount of conspiracy theories surrounding NASA, I'd suggest that it just seems that way, since (given your presence on these forums), your interest in space leads you to notice them moreso than the myriad theories about other groups or events.

Oh, I've heard so many conspiracy theories- but even some are too absurd to get to Coast to Coast. Though, they did feature a theory that China's ghost cites are to save the population from Polar Shift- and that there somehow is a giant underground city being built underneath the entirety of the US (SOMEHOW....) I think some of the people who propose this stuff are trolls, doing it for the lulz and profiting off of people's naivety.

Also the theory that the Moon is fake.

[-ctn-]

I think, with the younger (my) generation, it comes from peers. So-and-so said it was true, it must be true, governments say certain things are illegal that I think are fun, government is bad, ect ect.

NASA is a government program, and I think that fact makes it an easy target for anyone to pick at- coupled with enormous fears that are hard to fathom - such as landing robots on other planets or people on the moon

Some of the worst (and most belligerent) theories I've heard were "the lunar lander couldn't even land on earth how is it supposed to land on the moon," "if the rovers are really on Mars, how come we don't get steaming video? How come NASA only releases a few photos a year?" And the biggest - "if we went to the moon, how come we haven't gone back?" Heck, there are people I've encountered that though The Martian was a true story.

The general public is misinformed and doesn't want to accept long-winded answers. Science is boring to a lot of people.

[Guest]

"NASA's Rosetta mission was a hoax"

Nnnnnnnnnngggghhhh...

[YNM]

Because it wasn't NASA, it was ESA. Problem solved...

@ Darnok : Well then, look at your surrounding. If chemtrails were real, everyone who lived around kennedy or vandenberg should've died. Not to mention poor chaps in China, for their inland launches...