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Conspiracy theories have evolved from reasonable skepticism about government deception to dangerous delusions with real-world consequences, tracing their development from Cold War distrust to internet-fueled paranoia.

• American trust in government began eroding in the 1940s with the Roswell incident and changing official explanations
• MK Ultra program confirmation proved the government conducted unethical human experiments with LSD and torture
• The internet's emergence around 1999-2000 created perfect conditions for conspiracy theories to spread rapidly
• Major conspiracy drivers include 9/11 "Loose Change" video, Pizzagate, QAnon, and modern election fraud claims
• Scientific approach requires observation, question, hypothesis, testing, and conclusion—steps conspiracies often skip
• Understanding the difference between likelihood based on evidence and absolute factual certainty is crucial
• Conspiracy theories rated as "antifreeze" on the toxicity scale—deceptively appealing but potentially deadly
• Healthy skepticism is valuable, but requires relying on credible sources and willingness to change beliefs
• Some conspiracies have deadly consequences through direct violence or dangerous health decisions

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