Conspiracy theories

[edit] Overview

This page is a list of known conspiracy theories. For discussion of the idea itself, see conspiracy theory.

Issuepedia:Rampant Paranoia: theories we aren't taking seriously, given the current evidence
Manchurian Candidate scenario: subornation of a high-level official by malign foreign interests

9/11 anomalies: not so much a theory of what as pointing out that the official story has holes you could pilot a plane through
- Bushco engineered 9/11: extrapolating the evidence to one possible (but unproven) conclusion
global warming denial often takes the form of arguments for the existence of a conspiracy between international scientific organizations, the environmental lobby, the green industry, and Western politicians

Queries:

Are there any major tragic events since approximately 1900 for which no popular "conspiracy theory" exists?
Why are there so many conspiracy theories?
What is the approximate ratio of theories which remain unproven or disproven to those which prove true? Is there enough data to draw a curve of {likelihood that any given theory will be proven or disproven} over time? (What is the half-life of a conspiracy theory?) Are there any characteristics which make a theory more likely to be resolved sooner? Are there any characteristics which make a theory more likely to be found true when it is resolved?

Some conspiracy theories which turned out to be true and are now officially recognized (and are no longer called "conspiracy theories"):

The Iran-Contra affair [W]: Reagan traded arms for hostages while denying that he did so; there was also allegedly a global narco-terrorism network headquartered in the basement of the White House. (kudos: apostle_of_eris)
"P-2 in Italy was real. They didn't completely succeed in taking over the Italian government, but they did steal the Vatican bank; and though I'm skeptical that they poisoned a Pope, they did get away with murder." (kudos: apostle_of_eris)
"remember the Maine!" - more of an anti-conspiracy, where an accident was claimed as a provocation for war

If Karen Silkwood had died in the Internet era, the theory that she was rammed from behind by agents working for her employer might well have been branded as a "conspiracy theory".

2008-11-10 [Talk|Index] Warnings from world leaders all within 72 hours § “Over the last 72 hours there has been a strange melange of cryptic messages leaked from world political leaders about what could be in store for America over the next few months.”
2008-03-26 [Talk|Index] Experts: Sirhan Sirhan Did Not Kill RFK § [2]“New forensics evidence presented Tuesday during a symposium at Foxwoods suggests Sirhan Sirhan did not fire the fatal shots that killed Sen. Robert Kennedy in 1968. .. Experts from all over the world met Wednesday to discuss problems in crime solving during the annual symposium, hosted by the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science. This yearâ€™s event was about conspiracies and solving complex crimes.”
2007-09-20 [Talk|Index] Dan Rather's Conspiracy Theory § [2]"The former anchorman alleges CBS shut him up to protect George W. Bush." by Byron York, National Review White House Correspondent
2001-06-04 [Talk|Index] Pearl Harbor: The Facts Behind the Fiction § “Oliver Lyttleton, British Minister of Production, stated in 1944: "Japan was provoked into attacking America at Pearl Harbor. It is a travesty of history to say that America was forced into the war."”