The what-ifs war: Why drone sightings have driven conspiracy theory delirium
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As mystery drone sightings popped up across the Northeast, federal officials assured the public there was nothing to fear. But the internet didn't buy it, and conspiracy theories began to fill the information void.
The big picture: The situation has the right components to feed conspiracy theories, experts say.
- A key force at play in driving conspiracy theory beliefs, especially in the internet era, is that stories are more likely to spread if they provoke emotion, said David Dunning, the University of Michigan's Walgreen professor of the study of human understanding.
- "And regrettably, the emotions that work the best in terms of promoting spread are negative ones: anger, contempt, fear," Dunning said.
The intrigue: The reports of drones have sparked an Orson-Welles-reminiscent hysteria on social media, and the theories have been both far-ranging and, in some cases, far-fetched.
- Some have suggested that the drones are secretly sniffing out radioactive materials, while others have questioned whether their origins are from another foreign power.
- The sightings have also sparked mentions of "Project Blue Beam," a conspiracy theory that the government or global elites would fake an alien invasion using futuristic NASA technology to implement a new world order and religion.
- Some claim they are aliens — and another sect of theories contends the sightings could be angels.
Zoom in: There's a trifecta at play to bolster the conspiracy theories about the drones, said Joanne Miller, a professor of political science and international relations at the University of Delaware.
- Americans are faced with an information vacuum, overlapping with a scary unknown and a political landscape where some elected officials are willing to peddle conspiracy theories, she said.
- That drives the search for an explanation and an "actionable response."
- But Miller and other experts say Americans are not more susceptible to conspiracy theories than others around the globe.
Some data suggests that those who are on the political extremes, have less education and are more socially isolated could be likely victims of conspiracy theories, Dunning told Axios.
- But "no one is protected," Dunning said. If a conspiracy theory could fit the plot of a Hollywood movie, it's more likely to gain traction, "and you can see how the drone situation can fit a Hollywood movie script."
Reality check: Just because something is trending on social media, Miller noted, that doesn't mean every view, like and post is a declaration of belief in a conspiracy theory: "Some of the most outlandish ones are shared because they're funny."
Yes, but: Federal officials have said they believe a large share of drone sightings stem from members of the public misidentifying small, legally operating manned aircraft as drones — or, they could be privately owned and legally flown drones.
- There have certainly been moments of mistaken identity: former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan fell victim, sharing a video online of the night sky that he said captured "what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky."
- A meteorologist in the comments responded "with immense respect," writing, "Mr. governor, this is the constellation 'Orion.'"
Go deeper: Chatbots can chip away at belief in conspiracy theories
