Original subtitles

Morning, Squirtle.

Good morning, my girlfriend.

I saved you the Sunday crossword.

Aww, you're so thoughtful.

Oatmeal and soy sauce again?

Mm-hmm. I love it.

Well, everyone has their thing.

Oh, could you grab me a pencil?

I could, and I would, and I would love to.

?

- What the... - Oh!

You found my moon landing literature.

Fascinating, right?

Melinda, do you think the moon landing was faked?

Uh, yeah, don't you?

Come on, Adam, I thought you questioned everything.

I do, but this

is a straight-up conspiracy theory.

What's so bad about conspiracy theories?

- They can be fun. - No, conspiracy theories are dangerous,

and irrational and just plain wrong.

The moon landing definitely happened.

Oh yeah? Then prove it.

I can't believe this, but I guess I have to.

Hi, I'm Adam Conover

and this is "Adam Ruins Everything."

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Corrected & Synced by Bakugan

Okay, explain it to me one more time.

Why do you think the moon landing was faked?

We're both skeptics, right? So think about it skeptically.

There's no way NASA had the technology

to go to the moon.

They just filmed it on a sound stage,

that would've been way easier.

Yeah, that's what conspiracy theorists think.

But the truth is faking the moon landing in 1969

actually would have been harder

than just going to the moon in the first place.

Here, I'll show you.

Fake Moon Landing, take one.

All right, in this scene you're on the moon

and it's real and we're fooling America

and action!

See? Stanley Kubrick just shot

a guy jumping around on set

and then they played it back on TV.

Sorry, but given the filmmaking

and lighting technology at the time,

that actually wouldn't have been possible.

Right, the lighting.

Look at how bright it is.

Look at these shadows.

This was clearly shot in a studio.

(LIGHTS POWERING ON)

(MAN) Actually...

creating that lighting would've been

essentially impossible in a studio.

Melinda, meet Mark Schubin.

He's a forensic motion picture analyst

and an Emmy-winning light fellow

of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers.

Thanks, Adam. Using image forensics,

I can tell you that the light source

we see in the moon footage is actually

parallel sun rays with no diffusion.

If you look at the photos from the Apollo mission,

you can see that all the shadows are parallel

because the light source is 93 million miles away.

(ADAM) But if you try to recreate that same photo

using studio lighting, the shadows diverge.

Huh... Back in the '60s,

the only way to recreate that effect would be

to build a wall of millions of laser lights

so close together, they'd be like

pixels on a TV screen.

No, no, no, no, no!

This lighting is all wrong!

I need lasers, Peter! Lasers!

But lasers back then were big and costly,

so rigging together that many of that size

would've required an enormous apparatus

that probably would've cost more than the entire Apollo project.

Perfect! This is great!

Now we just need millions of these lasers.

Oh, uh, I don't know if that's in our budget...

Or the country's.

Honestly, Peter...

you make me furious.

(MARK) And in those days,

the only lasers that were practically available were red.

Which means that color photos we have from the moon landing

would have been impossible.

I can't shoot in red light!

It makes this moon look like a bordello!

Correction! We need millions

of ultra rare, multi-colored lasers.

How do I explain... I mean, that's not even a remotel...

(HIGH-PITCHED VOICE) "How do I explain... Even a remotely..."

Go back to film school, Peter!

Now today, we could recreate

the correct lighting with computer graphics.

But in 1969, those didn't exist. Hmm.

I've asked my colleagues in forensics

and in movie production and given the parallel light rays

and the detailed color photos, we just cannot think of

any way they could've faked the moon landing

with the technology they had at the time.

- Hmm... - Thanks, Mark.

Convinced?

Maybe that's what they want you to think.

What if NASA secretly created computer graphics

and just kept it from us for 40 years?

Well, then an astronomical number of people

would've had to keep that secret.

Like over 400,000 NASA employees...

You want all 400,000 of us to keep our mouths shut?

- Yes, please. - Good luck. We love gossip.

(ADAM) ...Scientists from Australia, Spain and England

who said they independently picked up

the moon landing transmission from space...

And why would we lie for you?

You're always making fun of our Vegemite.

(ADAM) ...And the Russians, our Space Race rivals

who had every reason to prove us wrong.

It's been 50 years, and we haven't even

claimed that you faked it.

You beat us fair and square this time.

But we'll get you back... (SNICKERING)

in 2016!

But where's the tangible proof that we went to the moon, huh?

- There isn't any. - Actually, there is.

While the astronauts were on the moon,

they laid out a reflective material

called retro reflectors.

So today, when an observatory on Earth

aims a high-powered laser at them,

it bounces right back.

Cut! Cut! Shut it down!

This is impossible!

Oh, no, no, no! Wait!

It still could have been faked.

All you'd have to do is secretly develop

computer graphics technology decades ahead of its time,

convince multiple governments to lie on our behalf,

and then somehow get retro reflectors

to the moon without actually going there.

You could that, right?

Forget it, lady. It'd be easier to

put a man on the moon.

At the end of the day, the evidence against

the hoax hypothesis is so overwhelming,

you just have to accept the simpler explanation.

In 1969, humans landed on the moon.

Nope.

- What? - I'm not convinced.

But I gave you facts, and an expert

and a comprehensive list of citations.

I'm sorry, it just feels fishy to me.

Why are you so upset I believe this anyway?

It's not like conspiracy theories hurt anyone.

Oh, no, that's not true.

Conspiracy theories can destroy lives.

We're not making it to the farmers market today, are we?

No, we're not.

I can't believe you still think the moon landing was faked.

Come on, what's the big deal?

Conspiracy theories are harmless.

No, they definitely aren't.

Let me tell you the story of one conspiracy theory

that destroyed dozens of lives.

And to do it, we'll have to go back to the 1980s.

?

Aww, no rad '80s wardrobe?

Sorry, how about a scrunchie?

Ooh, thank you!

Aww, what a cute little daycare center.

(CHILDREN GIGGLING)

This daycare center is a conspiracy

to abduct children and use them

as blood sacrifices for Satanic rituals!

Okay, well that is clearly insane.

Yep, but at the time most of America

actually believed it.

There is no question that something

is going on out there.

(REPORTER) Nationwide, we found that

minor cases of Satanic activity light up the map.

These 12-year-old boys with their parents' consent

demonstrated how they were taught

to inflict pain on their enemies.

(REPORTER #2) Contemporary Satanism relies heavily

on bizarre and sometimes bloody ceremonies.

The ideal sacrifice, we are told,

apparently requires babies.

Oh! Oh yeah! Tuck...

Sorry, taped over my Jazzercise video.

It may seem silly today,

but at the time a survey found

that 70% of Americans believed Satanic ritual abuse was real.

But after investigating the matter for a decade,

the FBI reported...

(CAMERAS CLICKING)

_

(SLURPING)

Baby breeding?

So were the babies breeding with each other?

Or... Wait, no, this is crazy.

Why did so many people believe this?

Well, the whole Satan-palooza started

because one guy lied to get attention.

Typical.

(ADAM) In 1972, a man named Mike Warnke

wrote a memoir called "The Satan Seller"

about his supposed past in an evil Satanic cult.

_

_

- That's gross. - And a lie.

In 1992, investigative journalists

exposed Warnke as a total fraud.

And now he's a stand-up comedian.

What is daylight savings time?

And if we're saving so much of it,

- who's got it all? - (CRICKETS CHIRPING)

Ugh, I think I liked his old stuff better.

Well, it was too late. Warnke's fake memoir

went viral and inspired copycats.

"Satanic cults are kidnapping our children

for blood sacrifices"?

And it's happening in our daycare centers!

- What? - (MELINDA) Yeah, about that...

- Why daycare centers? - Well, daycares were

a relatively new industry in the '80s

and a lot of people weren't comfortable with the idea.

So when the Satanic Panic hit,

they were the perfect scapegoats.

Why do you wanna take care of kids so bad, huh?

So you can fatten 'em up for Beelzebub's barbeque?

She's a Satanist.

No, I'm Episcopalian!

Conspiracy theorists started targeting daycare workers

and unfortunately, so did the police.

(SIREN WAILING)

(ADAM) Of course, police couldn't find any physical evidence

of Satanic rituals at daycare centers.

So instead, they relied on statements made by kids.

(SNIFFS)

No goats blood, no baby's bones.

Guess we're gonna have to...

interrogate small children.

(ADAM) Some cops were so convinced the cults were real,

they questioned kids over and over

until they got the answers they wanted.

I have to go, I have to go!

Well, you can go "potty" after you admit

your teacher's a Satanist, Anne.

Okay, she worships the devil

and then I saw her kissing the devil

and she got meetings with the devil!

- I knew it, you freak! - No, no, no!

Come on, let's go! Wait, I'm an Episcopalian!

This practice quickly spun out of control

and childcare providers across the country

were falsely accused of Satanic abuse.

In total, more than 70 people were convicted

for horrific crimes they didn't commit.

- 70? - They were later exonerated,

but not before some had spent more than 20 years in prison.

They lost their homes, their businesses, their freedom,

all because of one conspiracy theory

that was never even remotely true.

- That's terrible. - Yeah, it is.

The stark truth is this old-fashioned witch hunt

actually happened in America

just a handful of years ago.

We'd all love to believe that conspiracy theories

are just harmless ideas held by a few silly kooks.

But if we're not careful, they can take over

the minds of the entire nation

and lead us to persecute our own fellow citizens.

You're right. Ideas can really hurt people.

We have to be sure what we believe is true.

Good. I'm so glad that y...

And I'm not sure we landed on the moon.

Really? Still?

Adam, let it go.

I'm just too skeptical and rational to believe it.

No, you don't believe it because you're just the victim

of the human brain's faulty wiring.

And that's what makes everyone susceptible

to conspiracy theories.

Even you.

I'm so sorry.

Adam, just drop it.

You're not gonna convince me the moon landing wasn't faked.

I've thought it through,

and it's the most rational conclusion.

No, I'm afraid it isn't.

Conspiracy theories feel like they're rational,

but that's because our brains are hardwired in a way

that causes us to make cognitive mistakes.

Humans are generally very good

at understanding the world around us.

We look for cause and effect, we seek out patterns,

and we ask why events happened and who caused them.

But those same impulses are also subject to cognitive biases that

can cause us to come up with incorrect theories about the world.

For example...

It makes us uncomfortable when events are random

so we tend to look for patterns where they don't exist.

Place your bets.

?

Huh, it's been red the last ten times.

We're due for a black!

Put it all on black, baby!

- Red. - Ah, Spritz!

We're also subject to what's called intentionality bias.

That means when something negative happens to us,

even when it's an accident,

we tend to assume that someone did it intentionally.

I'm sorry, it got damaged in shipping.

The postal service did this on purpose...

because they want me to pay extra for mail insurance!

I'm onto your scheme!

On top of this, we're also victim

to proportionality bias.

Our brains crave a balance of cause and effect

so when an event is huge and shocking,

we need the cause to be just as huge and shocking.

Breaking news! A Malaysian plane

carrying over 200 passengers has inexplicably

gone lost at sea!

What? I can't live in a world where planes just malfunction

and disappear for no reason!

There's gotta be something bigger behind it!

When major events are truly random, it unnerves us.

And our cognitive biases start to take over.

We begin to see patterns, causes and effects,

and shadowy actors where none exist.

Engine failure is too simple.

Maybe it got sucked into a black hole

put there by the US government

working... with Elvis!

And when we're afraid the effect intensifies.

Research suggests that when people feel threatened

or out of control, they become more prone

to conspiratorial thinking.

And there's evidence that's why both

Republicans and Democrats become more susceptible

to conspiracy theories when their party loses power.

_

How deep does this thing go?

And that's why conspiracy theories

tend to form around large, terrifying tragedies.

For example...

when JFK was assassinated,

it was such a random and horrific event,

people couldn't believe

it was the work of just one man.

(GASPS) The president was killed?

It couldn't have been just one crazy guy.

There must be more to it!

But when Ronald Reagan was shot,

there were no prominent conspiracy theories.

Why?

Because Reagan didn't die.

This made the event less shocking,

which made it easier to accept

the consensus explanation.

Proportionality bias in action.

Huh, the president was mildly injured.

It sounds like it was just one crazy guy

and there's nothing more to it.

These biases are a natural part of human cognition,

which means conspiratorial thinking

isn't just for a few crazies in tinfoil hats.

We're all subject to it.

51% of Americans still believe in some JFK conspiracy theory.

Take position on the grassy knoll.

And over a fifth of Americans believe

a UFO crashed at Roswell.

(BOTH) I knew they were real!

The fact is, there's a little

conspiracy theorist in all of us.

What if Melinda's right?

Maybe the moon landing was faked

and my show's just being controlled

by the Illuminati!

But we have to resist that voice,

- because if we don't... - No!

I'm the only one that sees through the looking glass, man!

Wake up, sheeple!

The wool is being pulled over your eyes

and they're knitting a sweater out your brain.

Whew, looks like I'm gonna need some help.

- Hey, Adam. - (GASPS) Lizard-person!

No, Melinda, this is Dr. Dan Jolley.

He's a lecturer at Staffordshire University

in the UK and an expert,

in the psychology of conspiracy theories.

Melinda, it's true.

We're all prone to conspiratorial thinking.

And the danger is that kind of thinking can erode

your trust in institutions and the people around you.

For example, if you think the government

is all plots and schemes, you'll feel like

nothing you do will make a difference.

So you're less likely to vote.

Elections are all controlled by the Bilderbergers.

And exposure to conspiracy theories

can also make you less likely to trust basic science.

- Global warming's a hoax. - And you'll be less likely

to rely on proven medical treatments

in favor of hoax remedies.

That's a Masonic symbol! I know it is.

The truth is, conspiratorial thinking

actually reduces your power

to change the world for the better.

You begin to doubt everyone.

Your friends, your family,

even trusted sources like the newspaper.

And that's the greatest irony of all.

I wonder if they're coming back.

Now the truth is there are real people in power

who are trying to harm us for their benefit.

But they're not some shadowy cabal

controlling our brains from a pyramid.

Real conspiracies are things like

a California labor union

that secretly misappropriated funds,

uncovered by Paul Pringle in the "LA Times."

Or how regulators in Florida kept bad insurers open

so the state wouldn't have to pay,

as reported on by Paige St. John

of the "Sarasota Herald-Tribune."

Or take any of the marketing conspiracies

we've talked about on our show

which were originally uncovered by scholars and journalists.

Huh... It is so important to think critically

and question common wisdom.

But if you fall victim to these insidious thought patterns

and start distrusting everyone and everything,

you could end up disbelieving the hardworking people

who expose actual conspiracies.

And that takes you further from the truth.

Not closer to it.

You know what? I never thought about it like that.

You're right. I don't want to live in a world

where I don't trust anything.

So, okay. I'm not gonna believe

in any of those conspiracy theories.

Oh, Melinda, I'm so happy to hear that.

Just the moon landing. What?

But I did the whole episode!

That's how it's supposed to work!

Didn't I change the way you see everything?

No.

This has never happened before!

Is my whole show a lie?

Am I the one being ruined?

(WHEEZING) Okay, just calm down and let's talk this through.

Oh, boy.

?

Hello, everybody, we are here behind the scenes

on "Adam Ruins Everything."

I am with Dr. Dan Jolley because I have

way more questions for him about his work.

Thanks for the invite, it's so exciting

to be here and talk to you and your audience.

Now, I understand from what you've told me

and I find this fascinating,

that people who believe in conspiracy theories

can actually believe in two that contradict each other.

It may sound really wacky when you first say it like that,

but it's all based around your beliefs.

If your central belief is that maybe

you distrust the government, it doesn't necessarily matter

that the conspiracy theories are contradictory

as long as they support that central belief.

Earlier on our show, we talk about how,

well, if NASA faked the moon landing,

the theory there is that, oh, they didn't have

the technology, they weren't able to do it.

But then if you require that, they actually have

amazing filmmaking faking technology.

Those two ideas conflict. Either they...

Yeah.

Have a high level of technology or they don't,

but if you're distrustful of the government,

maybe you'll overlook that contradiction...

Absolutely.

As long as it makes sense in the middle,

you can endorse multiple different things.

People ask me sometimes,

I've actually gotten this question,

my family member or a loved one

has really gone down the rabbit hole

of conspiracy theories and they're saying crazy stuff.

How do I get through to them?

How do I talk to that family member?

I think the first thing to really appreciate

is why that person may believe in that conspiracy theory.

That person may be just thinking

about their viewpoint, and not necessarily

thinking about the other facts.

So you could maybe sort of ask them questions...

- Rather than saying, - Yeah.

"Hey, this is wrong.

Don't believe this." Instead you could say,

"Hey, have you thought about looking into

the author of this piece, who's running this website?"

I like that a lot... So that actually makes sense to me.

It's very much a trial and error at this point.

It's still kind of... It's a new field,

understanding how to combat this.

Because only a few years ago, we thought they were harmless.

Now more research and others are showing

that actually they're quite harmful.

It's thinking of, "What can we do?"

So a bit of research that I have is that

if you give someone a counter-argument...

So for example,

the factual information about vaccines...

First, followed by the conspiracy account,

this appears to give someone a shield

against the conspiracy theory.

It seems to improve their intentions to vaccinate.

However, if you give someone the conspiracy theory first,

followed by that factual information,

it doesn't appear to work. Huh, so it's... If you...

If someone hears the conspiracy theory first

and then the correction, they maybe still have

the conspiracy theory bouncing around in their heads.

Absolutely. Once it's established,

it takes over our belief system.

And it's potentially quite resistant to correction.

And research has shown that even just reading

about conspiracy theories can change the way you think

without you being aware. Wow.

It's showing the hidden impact of conspiracy theories.

It often seems like the people who are

promoting the conspiracy theories

make the movies that are fun to watch

or the YouTube videos

or they give the inflammatory talks.

And the people giving the true information

need to step up and make our information

more fun to experience. Absolutely.

And that potentially is one way forward

'cause it is difficult, really,

to kind of get that information across

in an accessible, engaging, but accurate way.

So even your show is a perfect example

- of trying to do that... - We do our best.

Getting across the psychology and all the kind of biases

as a way to make it accessible to the audience.

Well, thank you so much for coming on the show, Dan.

Well, thank you for inviting me, it's been great.

And now, more "Adam Ruins Everything."

(HEAVY BREATHING)

Here, breathe into this.

Actually... most studies...

advise against...

using a paper bag...

to treat hyperventilation.

Adam, why do you do this?

Why can't you just let it go one time?

I don't believe in the moon landing.

So what if I'm wrong?

Because then you won't know the truth.

And it's always better to know.

Otherwise you're just going through life being wrong.

Adam, maybe everything you said is true.

But I'm not just some person on your show.

I'm your girlfriend.

Sometimes you're gonna think I'm wrong,

and you're just gonna have to be okay with that.

But... I've never done that before.

I don't even know if I can.

I mean, you believe the moon landing was faked!

And you eat oatmeal with soy sauce on it.

Same thing. I don't think it is.

Adam, I've tried it. It is.

Hey, can you do this? Can you let it go?

Okay. I'll try. For you.

Great, thank you.

?

Now I gotta check my horoscope.

Mercury's in retrograde!

?

?

Hello? Hello?

Can anyone help me?

I seem to be stuck in this woman's brain.

Wow, she spends a lot of time thinking about fountains.

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