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

[thorny_locust]

@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. 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.

[Voyager]

@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.

[wguy123]

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

[Sam_Stone]

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.