Do you want to clear your knowledge about a conspiracy theory?
If you think that you know everything, I am afraid this article is not for you.
If you are open to discuss and deliberate, please continue. Otherwise, please enjoy doing whatever you like.
Why am I bothering about conspiracy theories?
If you are curious, please continue reading.
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This is a crisis time of a pandemic
This is the right time you must know what a conspiracy theory is.
Why?
The present COVID-19 pandemic is asking many questions.
Global citizens are suffering due to pandemic-induced lockdowns and unemployment.
There is tremendous pressure on the minds of the people.
The pressure is due to the daunting fear of a viral disease.
The virus is not fully identified, isolated, and purified by virologists. Yet, there are experimental vaccines made for the unknown virus.
To be precise, those are new types of vaccines known as mRNA vaccines.
The inventor of mRNA vaccine technology, Dr. Robert Malone, advised that the mRNA vaccines must be tested through rigorous clinical trials for about ten years before applying it to humans.
But, considering the crises, the governments are using emergency authorization to push the citizens with these experimental mRNA shots.
Will it help to overcome the COVID-19 crisis?
This is a tough question.
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Definition of conspiracy theory
This is the right time you must know what a conspiracy theory is.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, a conspiracy theory is defined as a
Conspiracy theory, an attempt to explain harmful or tragic events as the result of the actions of a small powerful group. (Britanica.Com)
The same reference writes the following sentence that makes it more clear.
Conspiracy theories increase in prevalence in periods of widespread anxiety, uncertainty, or hardship, as during wars and economic depressions and in the aftermath of natural disasters like tsunamis, earthquakes, and pandemics.
To me, all these definitions are inadequate if there is no sure shot way of verifying the facts connected to the propagated news by the media.
The news media can’t exercise its authority to call something good or bad without enough scientific proof from many scientists and researchers.
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The mainstream definition of “Conspiracy Theory”
People are fond of reading/consuming news and media. The mainstream news media are more popular among global citizens. Still today, people like to read a print newspaper every morning.
The mainstream definition of “Conspiracy Theory” is very much dependent on the stories propagated by the online and print mainstream news media
Since people are exposed mostly to the mainstream news media, anything that says the opposite to opinions of the mainstream news is labeled as a “Conspiracy Theory.”
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The scientific definition of “Conspiracy Theory”
I strongly feel there is a need to include science to explain every phenomenon. There could be various mathematical and physical models for experimental verification of a phenomenon.
Logical models may support to claim a phenomenon to be closer to science.
But, scientific evidence is essential to verify any phenomenon to be true.
For example, if you want to show that a cell has got a nucleus, you must show conclusive evidences, such as a photograph of the cell clearly showing the nucleus.
Experimental evidence is a must to prove the existence of a new element or an organism. One can’t draw an element and claim that it exists.
But, if you show artists’ renditions of nucleus instead of experimentally captured photographs clearly depicting the nucleus using high power microscope, the people have the right to call it a “Conspiracy Theory” …
Moreover, very few experiments wouldn’t be enough to prove the existence of a new organism or a phenomenon. The best way to verify is to carry out repetitive experiments.
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Since time immemorial, scientific facts which are not liked by the majorities are often dumped as “Conspiracy Theories”
Do you remember Galileo Galilei? He was there more than 400 years ago.
We all now know who Galileo was and his beautiful contributions to science.
Galileo was a scientist of exceptional calibre who had developed several seminal scientific theories to explain nature and the universe.
Galileo developed his own mathematical formulations to explain natural phenomena which were unknown to humankind.
Galileo developed engineering designs of several instruments for experimental investigations of the universe.
Galileo faced tough criticisms from the authoritarian state power for his genuine scientific discoveries. Galileo was punished by the state power, i.e., the Church.
Galileo was a researcher and investigator of truth. But, Galileo was dumped as a “Conspiracy Theorist” by the state authority and the Church power!
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The Church authorities punished Galileo for propagating his new scientific findings of the solar system
The state power and the Church had the wrong notion that “the Sun revolves around the Earth” because they didn’t have the knowledge and expertise to view the universe.
Galileo formulated his new theory about the solar system. Galileo developed optical instruments called telescopes to view the terrestrial objects.
Galileo discovered new facts about the solar system.
Galileo first said that “the Earth revolves around the Sun.”
The authoritarian state power ruled by the Church became furious and ordered a punishment on Galileo for propagating his new theory of the solar system.
Galileo was put on home arrest besides some other punishments.
The totalitarian state power ignored Galileo’s scientific proof by new mathematical models and optical instruments, aka telescopes. Instead, Galileo was punished for propagating the new theory of the solar system.
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Are “Conspiracy” and “Conspiracy Theory” somehow messed up in the mainstream world?
When Galileo had provided new mathematical models and optical instruments, aka telescopes, he was dumped as a “Conspiracy Theorist” by the state administrative power.
Galileo was punished for propagating new theories of the solar system which were opposite to the concepts propagated by the state administration
The leaders in the Church power probably conspired against Galileo and ordered punishment against Galileo on the charge of spreading “Conspiracy Theory.”
Was it a “conspiracy” by the then state administrative power to punish a new science-backed theory, “the Earth revolves around the Sun,” and propagate an age-old false concept “the Sun revolves around the Earth?”
There is an incidental similarity of events around the present pandemic crisis, censoring of a large group of eminent researchers, and Galileo’s punishment by the Church power 400+ years ago.
It seems “Conspiracy” and “Conspiracy Theory” are somehow messed up by the mainstream news media.
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Bringing it altogether
The definition of “Conspiracy Theory” is very relevant today. We have discussed various definitions of “Conspiracy Theory” with references to news media and past histories of science. The scientific definition of “Conspiracy Theory” turns out to be the best.
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#Writing #science #news #truth #conspiracy #conspiracytheory #learningtimes
Cheers! Debesh Choudhury
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