Conspiracy theories are a cultural phenomenon of the 20th and 21st centuries which conceptualise a set up by a corrupt, shadowy, and powerful group, often political in motivation enacted for an ulterior purpose.  

Frankly, I have never had much time for conspiracy theories as to my mind, they operate a little like ghost stories, outstanding entertainment, but light on credibility.  

Over the last decade, however, they have gained popular cultural awareness and are almost universally attributed to right-wing politics and conservatives.  

Some common examples include the “chemtrail” theory favoured by right-wing groups in the United States which proposes that water condensation trails from aircraft contain chemical agents designed to control the minds of citizens or the “Deep Water Horizon” theory pertaining...