Voodoo Histories

Good night last night at the Sheffield Skeptics in the Pub - or in the cinema bar, as its now held in the Showroom. Another full house, this time to hear David Aaronovitch talk about Conspiracy Theories, or why clever people believe stupid things. Based on his book, Voodoo Histories, it was an extremely interesting talk about his views of conspiracy theories, and why they are so popular. Topical subject, in the week that Times Square hosts anti-vaccination adverts, the antivaccination movement believing in one of the biggest health related conspiracy theories of recent times  - that Big Pharma, Public Health Authorities and health professionals are somehow in league with each other.

His definition of conspiracy theory is simple - the decision to believe a less probable theory. His interest started when a work colleague told him he believed that the moon landings were a hoax - David believing that it was probably harder to organise a hoax moon landing than a real one.

His story took us from the Protocols of the  Elders of Zion - a story which I'm ashamed to say I had never heard of - and one of the oldest conspiracy theories about a document purporting to reveal a Jewish plot to basically take over the world. Although discredited as a hoax, it continued to be widely believed after the First World War, especially in Germany.

The death of Princess Diana, the murder of JFK and the existence of a bloodline from Christ (best illustrated by the Chronicles series in the mid 80s and the Book Holy Blood, Holy Grail), were all examined by him to illustrate the reasons why people prefer to believe a less probable explanation. Often it is to make order out of chaos, the belief in a plan, that someone must have known what was going to happen. The thought that there is no plan is psychologically more difficult to accept. To complete a story  - particularly important in the Diana case.

Fascinating talk, and I managed to order his book from Amazon during the talk, which should arrive tomorrow, so will enjoy some holiday reading. I've always been fascinated by consipracy theories, and have believed in some of them - at least for a while.  Anyone old enough to remember Eric Von Daniken??