Ridiculous conspiracies are a real problem, and certainly exacerbated by social media, but are not as significant as closed-mindedness, in my opinion. Not that

Ridiculous conspiracies are a real problem, and certainly exacerbated by social media, but are not as significant as closed-mindedness, in my opinion. Not that closed-mindedness as a human trait is really a solvable problem (nor is paranoid conspiratorial thinking), but still. Closed-mindedness as a general human phenomenon holds back progress and keeps bad actors in power. It's the reason we have had more VC money invested into bike sharing companies than into aerospace, defense, chemical, and materials startups combined over the same period [0]. It's the reason Galileo had to suspend his work lest he end up facing serious punishment. It's the reason the NSA is still reading this comment. [0] https://graphics.wsj.com/venture-capital-deals/ https://graphics.wsj.com/venture-capital-deals/