阴谋论的隐性危害

Skeptics seem to spend a lot of time debunking conspiracies, but for the most part aren't they harmless? Most people I know just share them for a laugh. Lighten up! In previous columns, I’ve tackled the harm in believing in psychics and ghosts, and it was inevitable that this question would come up regarding conspiracy theories. Everyone holds mistaken beliefs; it’s just part of being human. We can't fact-check everything we're told. Normally this is fine because most of the information we encounter is truthful, or at least accurate for practical purposes. …