Perhaps more scary and longer lasting than the Virus.

[ericmichaels]

Being smart is not proof against becoming addicted to conspiracy theories and alternate reality. In some ways, an active imagination and high degree of creativity open the door. We are all wired for it and it takes effort and discipline to remember how little we actually know. As soon as we settle into a belief it becomes self-reinforcing with all the flavors of confirmation bias. I actively try to purge the phrase "I believe" from my vocabulary and the notion that I know enough about anything to call something a fact.

This is one of the best paragraphs ever written on a message board.

[SlatchJim]

I work with a former lobbyist and my boss is a certified conspiracy theorist.  So naturally I connect things I see in life to fuel for conspiracies.  As I click off the movies I haven't seen on Hulu and Netflix I came across "Pawn Sacrifice" about Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky.  I saw my boss in Fischer.  Kinda scary when you think of how much fuel is out their stoking his fire.  Ok to good movie... but not for everyone.