# Do you know any examples of a conspiracy theorist coming to their senses?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-examples-of-a-conspiracy-theorist-coming-to-their-senses/999063>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 20, 2024, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-examples-of-a-conspiracy-theorist-coming-to-their-senses/999063 "2024-03-20T00:01:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-examples-of-a-conspiracy-theorist-coming-to-their-senses/999063/61 "2024-03-22T01:29:35Z")

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> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> _CotG_ came out in 1968. I suspect darn near all of us of the age to be tweens or teens then (so most Dopers) had the same experience.

I don’t remember falling into Chariots; but I do remember being temporarily quite convinced by [Velikovsky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worlds_in_Collision). Then I read a good debunking, and remember being counterconvinced by the bit about the existence of stalactites (which would not have survived his disasters.)

Maybe that inoculated me against Chariots.

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**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-examples-of-a-conspiracy-theorist-coming-to-their-senses/999063/62 "2024-03-22T02:20:54Z")

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> [@wolfpup](#):
>
> The nutty “conspiracy” angle would be that the virus was intentionally released. But the idea that it was a product or byproduct of research that got into the wild due to incompetence isn’t really a conspiracy theory, just unsupported speculation. It’s just as plausible as the speculation that it arose naturally from “wet markets” .

Especially true in a country that would cover up an accidental leak, for sure, since they cover up unflattering unemployment statistics.  
A Wuhan conspiracy theory would have to include something about the CDC and WHO also being involved in it.

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**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-examples-of-a-conspiracy-theorist-coming-to-their-senses/999063/63 "2024-03-22T03:15:31Z")

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What is your take? Or, are you just asking questions?

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**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-know-any-examples-of-a-conspiracy-theorist-coming-to-their-senses/999063/64 "2024-03-22T03:50:57Z")

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I think that the Wuhan lab leak was labeled a conspiracy theory early in the pandemic, and as of today it’s more likely than not the virus escaped from The Wuhan Institute.

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