Conspiracy Theories

Joseph Traywick, Jake Donnelly, and Abby

Hammond

So, what is a conspiracy theory?

The belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible
for a circumstance or event.

Fig. 1. A man protesting about the Roswell conspiracy.

Source: Conspiracy Theorists Arent Really Skeptics,
www.slate.com

Before we start...
All of the information being presented is strictly objective. We are not
trying to sway your opinions one way or another, just simply presenting
the information and letting you decide what you think is true and what
is not.

The conspiracy theories well be

discussing:
The Moon Landing
There is a Cure for Cancer
Area 51
The JFK Assassination

Why we chose these theories:

least politically controversial
most well known
easily researchable
many sources
popular

The Moon Landing

July of 1969
space race with USSR
political response to Soviet innovation

Fig. 2. A picture of the 1969 moon landing (1969)

Source: Pics-About-Space, moon landing 1969

Reasons United States Would Fake It

Unavailable technology
Russian launch of Sputnik
growing tension between the
USSR and USA
Fig.3. A picture of sputnik satellite (1957)
Source: Smithsonian, Milestones of Flight

Evidence for Moon Landing Hoax

The Waving Flag
Lack of Stars in the
Background
Lack of an Impact Crater
Multiple Light Sources

Fig. 4. Picture of conspiracy theory explained

Source: National Geographic, Moon-Landing Hoax Myths

Evidence to Debunk Hoax Theories

NASA responds to speculation
the USSR did not dispute it
rock samples are completely
non-terrestrial
there have been nine successful
moon landings

Fig. 5. Picture of Apollo 11 moon rock

Source: PSR Discoveries, Celebrated Moon Rocks

What Do You Think?

Fig. 6. Was the moon landing faked?

Source: Enkivillage, Moon Landing Hoax

There is a Cure for Cancer

Cancer is a disease that has
plagued the world for hundreds
and hundreds of years and there
is still no known cure or is
there? Many conspiracy theorists
believe that there is a cure for
cancer, but the government is
withholding the cure from the
public because of the enormous
revenue cancer treatment
supplies.
fig. 7 cancer ribbon colors
lungcancer.about.com cancer ribbons

Facts About Cancer

There are over 100 types of cancer and any part of the body can be
affected
In 2008, 2.6 million people died of cancer - 13% of all deaths
worldwide
About 70% of all cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income
countries.
The 5 most common types of cancer that kill men are lung, stomach,
liver, colorectal, and oesophageal.
The 5 most common types of cancer that kill women are breast, lung,
stomach, colorectal, and cervical.

The Equation for the Conspiracy

The cancer conspiracy came
about because people realized that
there are three true facts about the
cancer industry.
Cancer is a multi-billion dollar
industry
A cure for cancer would ultimately
destroy that industry
People therefore come to the
conclusion that individuals,
companies, or government
organizations are withholding
information about the cure to

fig 8 comic about cancer conspiracy

cancertreatmentwatch.org Is There Really a Cure for Cancer

Reasons This Conspiracy Could be

Debunked
Not all companies that are involved in
Cancer research are for-profit.
CEOs of Cancer research companies
cant use the money they gain from
research if they are dead from the
disease they are trying to find the
cure for.
Companies would make just as much if
not more money from selling a cure
as they would from treatment of
cancer.
There are many for-profit companies
involved in cancer research, which
means competition. The company
that found the cure would gain fame

fig 9 Comic on Cancer Conspiracy

crediblehulk.com 10 Reasons Why Hidden Cancer Cure Conspiracies
Fail.

Area 51
Area 51 is a military air base
located 83 miles northnorthwest of Las Vegas,
Nevada. The base features a
large airfield in the middle. The
bases intended purpose is
developing and testing
experimental weapons/aircraft.

Fig. 10. View of sign and mountains outside of Area 51.

Source: Area 51 and extra-terrestrial life both exist, says head of Nasa,
www.telegraph.co.uk

Extraterrestrial Beings
There are a few conspiracies
about Area 51 involving aliens.
These include:
Storage/engineering of UFOs
Examination of alien
specimens
Genetic engineering of humanalien hybrids

Fig. 11. An imagining of an extraterrestrial being.

Source: Five of our Favorite Alien Movies, www.ifc.com

Classified Government Experiments

There are also several
conspiracies involving secret
government experiments. These
include:
Development of time
travel/teleportation
technology
Development of technology to
control the weather
Creation of one world
government

Fig. 12. Former president George W. Bush.

Source: George W. Bush, www.epictimes.com

Why are people skeptical?

The government reinforces many of the conspiracies that are made
because they have never addressed any of the questions asked. There
have also been reports of mysterious lights above Area 51 at night, which
could explain some of the claims about alien interactions.

What do you think?

Fig. 13. Quizzical baby wants to know what you think.

Source: These 9 Words Dont Mean What You Think They Mean,
justenglish.me

The JFK Assassination

John F. Kennedy was
assassinated on November
22nd, 1963 while riding in an
open top car in a parade in
Dallas, Texas. He was shot once
in the head and once in the
neck by Lee Harvey Oswald.
Kennedy was taken to the
hospital, but passed away
during surgery.

Fig. 14. JFK moments before his assassination.

Source: The JFK Assassination, www.time.com

Lee Harvey Oswald

Oswald was a former U.S. Marine who
defected to the Soviet Union in October
1959. He lived in the Soviet Union until
June 1962, at which time he returned to
the United States.
Much of the controversy of the shooting is
centered around the accuracy of his
shot.
Fig. 15. Lee Harvey Oswalds arrest photo.
Source: The JFK Assassaination,
www.time.com

Oswalds motives
The reason for Oswalds actions died with him, but what can be
deduced based off his state of mind, violent tendencies, and personal
life is that he wasnt a stable man. More than likely, his act in killing
President Kennedy was an act of rebellion and due to his failure as a
man, a husband, a worker, a Marine, a son, and Oswalds embrace of
communism, his strong belief in Castro and the Cuban revolution and a
desire to be recognized as an important person; he was provoked
enough to have the desire to kill President Kennedy.

Possibility of a Third Party Involvement

Mafia
Supporters of this theory point to figures like New Orleans kingpin Carlos Marcello,
who was called to testify before a Senate committee on organized crime but took
the Fifth on the stand; Chicago mobster
Sam Giancana also had Kennedy connections; Oswald assassin Jack Ruby, a Dallas
nightclub owner, was also alleged to have mob ties. Never forget: Ruby died in
prison in 1967 while awaiting a new trial after his first conviction was overturned.

CIA
The CIA planned numerous (failed) Castro assassination plans, including that one
to blow him up during a visit with Ernest Hemingway's widow on the late author's
Cuban farm. Could the CIA have also plotted to do away with JFK, a thorn in the
organization's side post-Bay of Pigs Invasion?

What do you think?

In 2003, an estimated 70% of Americans believed the JFK assassination
was part of a conspiracy.

Fig. 16. Pie chart showing said data.

Source: The JFK Assassination,

Works Cited
Higgins, Michael. "Is There Really a Conspiracy to Suppress Cancer Cures?" Is There Really a Conspiracy to
Suppress Cancer
Cures? N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
Hulk, Credible. "10 Reasons Why Hidden Cancer Cure Conspiracy Theories Fail." Credible Hulk. Parabola and
WordPress, 2
July 2015. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
"10 Facts about Cancer." WHO. N.p., Jan. 2013. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.
"Area 51 Facts and Conspiracy Theories." Exploring Lifes Mysteries. 31 Jan. 2012.
Web. 11 Nov. 2015. ("Area 51 Facts and Conspiracy Theories.")
"Conspiracy Theories." Time. Time Inc., 20 Nov. 2008.
Web. 11 Nov. 2015. (Conspiracy Theories.)
"Conspiracy: Cases For and Against." PBS. PBS.
Web. 11 Nov. 2015. ("Conspiracy: Cases For and Against.")
History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group.