*Everything starts and ends with psychology and neurobiology. *

Actually, I think everything starts and ends with mathematics and chemistry. It's those evil psychologists and and neurobioligsts that are behind the movement to make us believe otherwise and give up on the real and everlasting truth.

Ahahahahahahaha.

OK. I am now in serious mode. This is a really terrific article that is incredibly well written and researched. You have given me hours of reading to do on a day when I thought I didn't have time. Silly me.

I could go on and on with my experience with conspiracy theory people. Several are actually close friends. It seems I value their humanity more than their firmly held beliefs. I'll pick at the edges of the conspiracy with a smile on my face, but I won't go head to head because it's like arguing with a three year old. You CAN NOT win that argument, all you can do is piss off the protagonist and possibly (probably) yourself. A lose-lose situation.

I note that my effort to set aside the quote in the first sentence of this reply failed miserably. We haven't considered the evil bastards that make us use markdown like it was real. There is obviously a deeper reason for that.

Thanks Petra. This is a home run. You've done well.