Humans have been creating conspiracy theories since the beginning of time- and especially before science was able to provide explanations. Why? No one really knows.

Elle Pruss (9) thinks people just have too much time on their hands, while Leilani Green (9) believes it could have to do with religion and other beliefs. It could even be influenced by pop culture and peer pressure, according to Anna Simms (9). 

Some of these theories include COVID-19 being invented by someone as a weapon, birds being cameras or robots spying for the government, the Earth being flat, the moon landing being fake, Walking behind a ladder being bad luck, and even Hillary Clinton being behind 9/11. 

Aliens- On Monday, Sept. 14, the existence of aliens took another step into being possibly true, with high-tech scanners. Science teacher Ms. Rosner claimed that after hearing this, she “wouldn’t be spooked” if there was other lifeforms in the universe. 

Berenstain Bears- Another theory that started in 2011 is about the popular children’s book series “The Berenstain Bears“. When asked, most claimed they remembered it being spelled “Berenstein Bears,” with an ‘e’. However, the actual name of the series is spelled with an ‘a’.

True, this could just be a spelling error of high schoolers who haven’t read the books in years, but the theories claim otherwise. It deals with parallel universes, and claims that sometime between 1986 and 2011, our Berenstein universe merged with the Berenstain universe, which changed our history, and changed the ‘e’ to an ‘a’. Many believe this was caused by a time traveler.  But then again, it could just be the Mandela effect at work. 

Illuminati- Our next theory comes from the 1770s. It claims there is a group called the Illuminati who hide aliens and monstrous creatures from the rise of the world. However, most people had never heard of them. Those who had heard of them claimed the conspiracy sounded crazy or thought it couldn’t possibly be true because people are terrible at keeping secrets. 

Many Illuminati exposé authors believe the one-dollar bill contains signs of an evil plot to control humanity. On the back of the bill lies The Great Seal of the United States. This shows a pyramid with a floating eye in a glowing triangle. Theorists claim this symbolizes the Illuminati’s supernatural powers and passion for surveillance. 

At the bottom of the seal is the number 1776 in Roman numerals (MDCCLXXVI) which was not only the year America gained its independence, but also the date of the Illuminati society’s original founding. Also, the seal was added to the bill in 1934 by President Franklin Roosevelt, a prime candidate for the organization.

Flat Earth- Our final theory claims the earth is flat and gravity doesn’t exist. Most people think about the evidence and know the earth is round. However, there are many “flat earthers” who blindly follow this theory, or at least can see the flat earthers’ perspective. 

Now that you know some of these crazy theories, put some compassion into judging people on what they believe. If you feel they will hurt someone, stop them and help them understand. And try to understand where they’re coming from. Is there evidence of their claims? If so, research before you knock down their ideas.

Have compassion, do your research, and don’t kill birds because you think it’s a robot with the government. 

How Students View Conspiracy Theorists:

• Leilanie Green – “Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion. I have no judgment.”
• Elle Pruss – “I like hearing what they think, but I probably won’t believe them unless they have evidence.”
• Ms. Rosner – It makes me sad because of my job. I feel like I failed.
• Anna Simms – “As long as they don’t hurt anyone in the process, they can believe them all they want, but I’m not going to.”
• Cynthia Sun – ”I don’t care, theories are made up from putting random facts together. However,  I will ask for evidence if told a theory.”
• Josh Theriot – “They believe too many things off the internet.”