Surprising Theories

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m interested in hearing about theories that seem somewhat surprising when contrasted with ‘common knowledge’, but have enough evidence behind them to not be completely tinfoily; for example, the idea that Europeans were not the first naval explorers to encounter the Americas.

Basically, theories that are exciting because they seem a little unexpected. Particularly ones that pertain to history/culture, as per the example, but anything’s fine.

(Just to clarify, I don’t exactly mean things that are pretty much accepted as truth by all experts but most everyday people remain ignorant about, though I realize the line is thin. I mean things that are still a little obscure and cloaked in mystery.)

2

That as an object approaches the speed of light it gets shorter, more massive, and time slows down for it, to a separate observer.

3

String theory (physics). The idea that TWA Flight 800 was blown up by the military or terrorists.

4

The increased risk of contracting lung cancer from whole milk is 140 percent – more than eight times the 17 percent increase from secondhand smoke.

5

Any of the conspiracy theories surrounding 9/11.

6

I don’t think this is a theory; I think it is established fact.

I was very surprised to learn from Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel (or maybe possibly it was another of his books) that the first humans to populate Madagascar were not African (except inasmuch as we are all African) but the same amazingly seafaring people who populated Indonesia and almost all the Pacific Islands (but surprisingly NOT Australia).

Which cleared up a confusing observation from my own life. I went to college with a stunningly gorgeous girl who was half French and half Malagasy. She looked exactly like the sterotype of the Tahitian South Seas beauty (except she always wore a top).

7

The idea that the transition from hunter-gatherer to agricultural society meant working much harder, suffering more deprivations, and adopting much more vertical social stratification, rather than being a glorious and unmitigated step forward for the species.

8

Why did the motorcade slow down?

Also, why does Kim Possible have a glamour-shot of Shego inside her locker?

9

The theory from quantum mechanics which psotulates a parallel universe, also sometimes called an alternate universe, or an alternate dimension. Especially when some theorize depending on the details of the theory, that there are many jimmmy’s and many more universes wherew there was never a Jimmmy.

10

The theory that Jesus Christ was intimate with Mary Magdalene and she gave birth to his daughter, named Sarah. After he was crucified, MM and the baby went to live in Egypt. There were supposedly writings about this but the Catholic Church hid this info.