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It's conspiracy theory by definition if it falls outside the official narrative. So even science can be a conspiracy theory. In fact, real science has a tenden

It's conspiracy theory by definition if it falls outside the official narrative. So even science can be a conspiracy theory. In fact, real science has a tendency to be viewed (by non-scientists, it should go without saying) as conspiracy theory insofar as it challenges the official narrative, and invokes complicated explanations, rather than a nice simple answer.

realreality 5y ago
You need a conspiracy for it to be a conspiracy theory. Without that, it's just a theory (or, more likely, a hypothesis).
- havewetsalt 5y ago
  No, the modern sense is literally just a euphemism for dissent. (of course the modern sense of literal is literally figurative.)
Majromax 5y ago
No, a conspiracy theory "by definition" requires collaboration between several human agents. In this overall thread, the idea that the "disappearance" of flu is driven by political desire to label all respiratory illnesses as covid cases would be an example of a conspiracy theory. Another commenter brings up the idea of 'viral interference.' This is not an example of a conspiracy theory, but I do not give the idea great credence on Occam's Razor grounds.
- havewetsalt 5y ago
  No, that's just your definition. While I may personally agree the viral interference comment is not (in my definition) a conspiracy theory, it is regarded as a conspiracy theory in many (again, non-scientific) contexts. The conspiracy is not the collaboration, it is the belief.
- didericis 5y ago
  > the idea that the "disappearance" of flu is driven by political desire to label all respiratory illnesses as covid cases would be an example of a conspiracy theory. You’d also have to claim that mislabelling was done deliberately for it to be conspiratorial. I don’t think politically motivated distortions of perception are conspiratorial if those who are prone to mislabel things due to their belief system do so without realizing. Not saying that’s an applicable explanation for the disappearance of flu, as it seems way too universal, just going further into semantics.
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realreality 5y ago

You need a conspiracy for it to be a conspiracy theory. Without that, it's just a theory (or, more likely, a hypothesis).

havewetsalt 5y ago
No, the modern sense is literally just a euphemism for dissent. (of course the modern sense of literal is literally figurative.)

Majromax 5y ago

No, a conspiracy theory "by definition" requires collaboration between several human agents. In this overall thread, the idea that the "disappearance" of flu is driven by political desire to label all respiratory illnesses as covid cases would be an example of a conspiracy theory. Another commenter brings up the idea of 'viral interference.' This is not an example of a conspiracy theory, but I do not give the idea great credence on Occam's Razor grounds.

havewetsalt 5y ago
No, that's just your definition. While I may personally agree the viral interference comment is not (in my definition) a conspiracy theory, it is regarded as a conspiracy theory in many (again, non-scientific) contexts. The conspiracy is not the collaboration, it is the belief.
didericis 5y ago
> the idea that the "disappearance" of flu is driven by political desire to label all respiratory illnesses as covid cases would be an example of a conspiracy theory. You’d also have to claim that mislabelling was done deliberately for it to be conspiratorial. I don’t think politically motivated distortions of perception are conspiratorial if those who are prone to mislabel things due to their belief system do so without realizing. Not saying that’s an applicable explanation for the disappearance of flu, as it seems way too universal, just going further into semantics.

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