The hallmark of any conspiracy theory is the torrent of unexplained evidence that is thrown at the viewer. Loose change is a good example of this phenomenon; so is any creationist propaganda. Usually this style of presentation is justified to the viewer through the guise of showing how much information exists in support of the theory. However, this can’t really be the case. If we look at any genuine theory, it is often the case that any one piece of evidence, explained in great detail (Tiktaalik, for example), can make a more convincing case than any number of smaller pieces of evidence combined. So why is it that the conspiracy theorists fling all of this information at us?

They do it because we are lazy, and they know that our brains will stop processing information if we are presented with enough of it. Whereas any one piece of evidence, examined on its own, can easily be shown to be false with a little bit of research and/or critical thinking, when presented with all of these claims at once, our brains don’t know where to begin. Often the claims can be inconsistent or even contradictory, but by not focusing on any one fact for too long, attention is diverted away from these inconsistencies. This intentional overload of information ensures that none but the very dedicated will try to refute the claims being made by these conspiracy theorists. Unfortunately, this usually results in many people accepting the claims as truth… or at least as a plausible theory.

So the next time you find yourself watching some movie (or flash animation) on the internet, withstanding a barrage of information insinuating some crazy conspiracy, make sure you analyze each piece of evidence independently, and don’t get sucked in to believing that a large quantity of ‘evidence’ is the same thing as quality evidence.

Reposted from ‘That’s the Way the Banana Crumbles‘.