13 of the Strangest Conspiracy Theories You’ve Probably Never Heard About

Conspiracy theories seem to be everywhere, but, sadly (or – actually – probably for the best), most of them fly under the radar for most of us. Unless something happens that places them in the mainstream consciousness, only a select few followers of said beliefs ever even know they exist.

And let me tell you, after you check some of these out, you’re going to be sorry you weren’t let in on the secrets sooner.

As told by the Buzzfeed Community.

13. Ronald Reagan did away with the birds. All of them.

All birds died in 1986 and were replaced with drones to spy on the public.

12. Leonardo DiCaprio had something to do with River Phoenix’s death.

Shortly after his Oscar nomination for Running on Empty, River Phoenix was asked what movie he wanted to do next. He pulled out a copy of The Basketball Diaries and said, “I want to play Jim Carroll.” Phoenix would have done anything to get this role, but apparently Leo DiCaprio wanted it as well. That’s why he played a part in Phoenix’s fatal overdose.

In fact, Leo has even admitted to seeing Phoenix at a party in LA the night he died. After his untimely death, the role of Jim Carroll went to Leo DiCaprio, which helped launch him into superstardom.

11. The Red Cross isn’t using your blood the way you think.

 

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Something sinister is going on with the blood donations the Red Cross collects. Sometimes they sell it for profit, and other times the government uses it for biowarfare testing. Most shockingly, the Illuminati uses it for satanic rituals.

10. Stevie Wonder isn’t really blind.

A lot of people believe this one. Donald Glover even got a little suspicious after meeting Stevie Wonder a few times. He claimed that some things just weren’t adding up. Interesting!

9. Big Pharma is hiding cures for diseases like cancer and HIV.

 

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This one is simple: the pharmaceutical industry makes billions and billions of dollars each year, so they have no interest in releasing the already-existing vaccines. Unfortunately, lifetime treatments for an “incurable” disease are way more lucrative for them.

8. J.K. Rowling is hiding a big secret.

Some people believe that J.K. Rowling didn’t actually write the Harry Potter books. Instead, they were ghost-written by a giant group people. This conspiracy theory goes one step further and claims that Rowling is actually Rita Skeeter, and she wrote the stories of Harry Potter after being banished from the Wizarding World.

7. Men in Black is based in real life.

 

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Aliens exist, and the government is trying to cover it up. They have a secret organization, almost identical to the one in Men in Black, whose job is to destroy all evidence and memory of alien lifeforms.

6. Coke and Pepsi are one and the same.

Apparently the rivalry between each company is completely fake. It’s simply used as a ploy to get people to take sides and buy more of each product. That way the people who secretly own both companies will make even more money.

5. Ancestry DNA (and like services) are owned by the government, who wants to build genetic models of every citizen.

Ancestry DNA kits are actually kind of genius. Not only are you paying to give the government samples of your DNA, but you’re also letting them do research on you and your family. Now they can track you, learn about your genetics, and keep records of your extremely personal information.

4. The government is trying to convince you to shave off your beard so it won’t mess with facial recognition software.

This one is pretty self-explanatory. It’s hard for the government to keep tabs on humans if their facial recognition software doesn’t work, so they anonymously claimed that beards were unsanitary, in hopes that people would shave them.

3. The real Paul McCartney died in 1966.

This one is dark. Apparently Paul McCartney died in a car crash in 1966. He was then replaced by a lookalike because the band’s managers thought there’d be an uptake in suicides if people found out the truth about his death. The other Beatles members apparently referred to the lookalike as “Faul,” a combination of the words “fake Paul.”

2. Television was created as a grand distraction from the events of real life.

The first American TV stations came into existence in the late ’20s and early ’30s, but televisions weren’t commercially sold until about 1938. Around the same time, the government was making a lot of mistakes and needed to distract the public from what was really going on. Interesting.

1. All of reality is an illusion a la The Truman Show.

 

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Reality is an illusion. Every decision you’ve ever made, everything you’ve ever seen or believed, and everything in existence (even the entire universe) is fake. Essentially, we’re all stuck in a computer game and someone has been controlling us.

You’re off to do more research now, aren’t you?

I know I am!

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Alex, the parrot

Alex was a grey parrot with a vocabulary of over 100 words, the ability to identify over 50 different objects, and the ability to count quantities up to 6. Before he died in 2007, his last words were “You be good, see you tomorrow. I love you.”

A Mother Posted Pictures of Her Drug-Addicted Son as a Warning for Others

For people who have only seen the versions of drug addiction that Hollywood puts out on television and in film, there can be some disconnect from what it is like in real life.

Jennifer Salfen-Tracy has been forced to learn firsthand how addiction wrecks the people we love – her son, Cody Bishop, is addicted to both heroin and meth.

Thank you everyone… Cody Bishop has been found and currently in A rehab facility where he is starting his road to…

Posted by Jennifer Salfen-Tracy on Wednesday, October 9, 2019

The two pictures were taken 7 months apart.

Instead of burying her head in the sand or acting embarrassed about the disease that’s found her family, she’s sharing pictures and speaking out so that others understand the fire they’re playing with when it comes to serious drug use.

Image Credit: Facebook

Addiction is widespread in the United states, with 21 million Americans reporting some kind of addiction, and 2.1 million with opioid addiction.

Image Credit: Facebook

Between 1999-2017, 700,000 Americans died after overdosing on drugs or alcohol, 130 a day from opioids.

Image Credit: Facebook

Perhaps the most poignant part of Jennifer’s messages is the comfort she derives from knowing she’s not alone in her struggle – and neither is her son.

Image Credit: Facebook

Others jumped on her post to tell tales of how they overcame their own addiction, how their own loved ones came back to them, or just to express love and support.

Image Credit: Facebook

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction and ready to get help, please contact the National Drug Helpline at 1-844-289-0879.

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12 Celebs Who Dressed as Other Celebs for Halloween and Nailed It

You know what time it is – when pics of hilarious Halloween costumes start to roll in. And some of the best moments are realizing that celebrities can be fans, too.

These 12 famous people love other famous people so much that they decided to dress as them for Halloween, and if you ask me, there’s no better way to tip your hat to a colleague.

12. Kylie Jenner went as Marilyn Monroe.

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M A R I L Y N ? #HappyHalloween

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11. Liza Koshy dressed as Anna Wintour.

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halloween is here and wintour is coming

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10. In Halloween microfashion: Baby Stormi as her mom, Kylie Jenner.

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My baby!!!!!!!! ??????????? i cant handle this!!!!

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9. Ciara and Russ Wilson went as Beyonce and Jay Z.

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HOV.

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8. Hallie Jade as Ariana Grande.

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???????

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7. Nina Dobrev as Billie Ellish.

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? @billieeilish

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6. And so was Stephanie Beatriz.

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i’m the bad guy. #billieeilish

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5. Also, Jameela Jamil!

4. Ellen went as Cardi E.

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Don’t miss my costume tomorrow. Any guesses?

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3. HAIM went as Hansen.

2. Kevin Hart as The Rock (in a turtleneck).

1. Lisa Renna in J.Lo’s infamous Grammy’s dress.

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Just incase you missed it……????

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All of this makes me realize I really need to up my costume game next year!

What’s your favorite Halloween costume ever? Share it with us – pics or it didn’t happen!

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20 Jokes About “National Treasure” That Deserve to Be Shared

I feel like there’s really no way to hate the movie National Treasure. It’s a silly premise, sure, and the dialogue leaves something to be desired, but the leads have good chemistry and the sidekick character has comic timing for days.

Plus, it’s inspired these 20 posts, and really, that makes it an instant classic.

20. Please, please let this happen.

19. It is quite the 180, but that’s what makes it so amazing.

18. We will all fight you.

17. Describe your perfect date.

16. Riley Poole is the only one with common sense, here, and we love him for it.

https://justin-bartha.tumblr.com/post/118833228877/riley-poole-would-survive-a-horror-movie

15. Yeah, no hanky panky during the film, sir.

14. More proof you can’t trust Rotten Tomatoes.

13. I could get behind that.

12. It can say anything you want, really.

11. Season 1 of Game of Thrones all makes sense, now.

10. No one is going to argue with you I don’t think.

9. Yeah, what if THAT?

https://hansgrubr.tumblr.com/post/151736899889/maybe-the-real-treasure-was-the-declaration-of

8. With responses like that, you could have been IN the movies!

7. Isn’t life great when it comes full circle like that?

6. Maybe he’s a big fan of lemonade?

5. Even Lin Manuel is a fan.

Image Credit: Tumblr

4. It really was real all the time.

3.There’s no way around it.

https://modernlifehistorian.tumblr.com/post/172831781482/when-you-read-about-the-declaration-of

2. I’d almost forgotten about this amazing moment.

1. I would like to read this essay now, please.

I’m off for a rewatch, because yeah. I love it.

Do you like this movie? Why or why not? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!

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A 13-Year-Old Developed a Better Hyperloop for Moving Trains

Caroline Crouchley, a 13-year-old student of Garden City Middle School, is proposing a better, safer hyperloop train, building on an idea pushed by Elon Musk in 2012.

Currently, tech companies are working to get a hyperloop functioning in India, hoping to transport people between Mumbai and Pune in only half an hour. A trip like this would normally take many hours by car.

Companies developing hyperloop transportation are using designs that put people into pods that move inside low-pressure tubes. The hope is that with resistance removed, pods will be able to go very, very fast. In fact, they’re being tested running 700 miles per hour.

Crouchley’s design would not move that fast, but her system is still twice as fast as trains in use now.

Her solution involves pneumatic tubes constructed to run alongside train tracks – and according to the young inventor, it should be less expensive to build and operate than the conventional hyperloop technology. It’ll also be safer, which is a major selling point for a mass transit technology.

She told CNN, “My design can rely on 100% renewable energy, so it eliminates the need for a diesel engine or an electric motor, which makes the train lighter, so it can move faster.”

Crouchley’s innovative idea made her a finalist in the 2019 3M Young Scientist Challenge.

The major challenge with hyperloops, which put pods inside a partial vacuum tube, is the potential for collapse – if the tube breaks, the pods aren’t going to survive. But with Crouchley’s design, the train is operating outside of the tube, eliminating that danger and also making use of existing infrastructure and equipment.

It’ll work like this: a magnetic shuttle system will operate inside the pneumatic tubes. More magnets will attach the train to the shuttle, allowing the shuttle to act like the train’s engine.

How does she envision her idea moving forward? She told Fast Company, “My plans are to open-source my project to teams of engineers, scientists, and universities such as MIT and Harvard to solve the complex mathematical equations and physics required to make the idea a reality.”

Hyperloop has many critics who say it will never be practical to use, but Crouchley sees her solution as an intermediary design that has viability in the near future.

At any rate, technology usually starts with the big picture question. It’s the little steps that make the answer reality.

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This Is What You Should Do If You Lose Your ID Before a Flight

If you’ve ever experienced that panic when you’re ready to leave for the airport, and suddenly can’t find your I.D., then you know the hopeless feeling of mentally watching your fun (or necessary, if it’s for work) trip go right down the drain.

So, what should you do when it happens to you?

First of all, it’s important to find and pack any other documents you have that can identify you or help your case (assuming you don’t have a passport or Global Entry card) – a Social Security card, birth certificate, bank card, insurance card, even utility bills – because you’ll likely have to explain your case to (a hopefully sympathetic) security officer.

If they approve what you’ve brought, you’ll be able to proceed through security with a boarding pass that proves you’ve shown some form of ID.

If they don’t, fear not – you can still complete the TSA’s “identity verification” process, which will include “collecting information such as your name, current address, and other personal information to confirm your identity.”

It will take up to an additional two hours, however, so make sure you arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare.

Also, it can be a pretty intense process. From one redditor who went through it:

“I give him my name, date of birth, and SSN. He tells me he’s going to relay some questions to me, then proceeds to ask some general questions (credit report-type stuff) then some non-general questions (what cities my parents were born in). After I answered all the questions they gave me the enhanced pat-down and then sent me to my flight.”

If you’ve got copies of your id, you’ll want to bring those, just in case.

Also, with the advent of READ-ID, all of this advice might soon be obsolete. So there’s that.

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This “Revolutionary” New Air Filtering Device Might Be a Big Deal in the Fight Against Climate Change

Are you listening? Good.

A carbon dioxide filtering device that can capture carbon dioxide from the air at just 400 parts per million has been hailed as a “revolutionary” instrument for tackling our climate crisis.

Sahag Voskian and T. Alan Hatton, chemical engineers at MIT, developed the method, which captures CO2 by passing air through special charged plates.

Carbon dioxide from the gas intake reacts with the electrodes in the device. Each electrode is coated with a carbon nanotubes and a polyanthraquinone compound. The device acts sort of like a battery, and as it charges, it absorbs carbon dioxide passing over the electrodes. As it discharges, it releases the greenhouse gas it has collected.

The carbon dioxide it releases during the discharge can be recycled to feed greenhouse plants, or even used in carbonated beverages.

Dr. Voskian said, “All of this is at ambient conditions — there’s no need for thermal, pressure, or chemical input. It’s just these very thin sheets, with both surfaces active, that can be stacked in a box and connected to a source of electricity.”

The biggest advantage to this way of filtering is the low energy cost: one gigajoule of energy for every ton of carbon dioxide captured. Compare that to the 1-10 gigajoules (depending on the concentration of CO2 taken in) used by alternative methods. Plus, if to expand the systems capacity, they only need to add more electrodes!

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The study describing the new system was published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science.

The scientists have even created a company called Verdox that plans to build a plant to scale the process up for commercial use.

Cleaner air with lower energy. There’s a real future for that.

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Airplanes Aren’t Allowed to Fly Over These 5 Places

You’ve probably heard rumors about places you aren’t allowed to fly over (also, places that the Pope refuses to fly over), but it’s all just been speculation and hearsay for me up until now.

BUT NO LONGER. I did a little research and decided to learn about the actual places airplanes are not allowed to fly over and why, and here we are!

Some of these are probably pretty obvious, but some might just surprise you a little bit…

Here are 5 places in the U.S. that planes are not allowed to fly over. Enjoy!

1. Washington, D.C.

 

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It makes a lot of sense that there is a no-fly zone over D.C. Think about it: the president, congress, the Supreme Court, the seat of government is all centered in our nation’s capitol.

2. Camp David

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Have a great weekend! ––––– President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (both at right) stand with their children, Caroline Kennedy (sitting astride her pony, »Macaroni«) and John F. Kennedy, Jr., at Camp David in Frederick County, Maryland. »Macaroni« is wearing a Moroccan saddle, which was presented as a gift for Caroline by King Hassan II of Morocco during his state visit on March 27, 1963. March 31, 1963 ––––– Photo: https://bit.ly/2K02uwj ––––– #MuseumTHEKENNEDYS #THEKENNEDYScollection #Kennedyfans #Kennedyfan #MuseumOnTour #JFKLibrary #JohnFKennedy #PresidentKennedy #KennedyFamily #Washington #CarolineKennedy #JackieKennedy #JacquelineKennedy #FirstLady #JohnFKennedyJr #Marocco #Maryland #CampDavid #tgif #HappyFriday #familytime #mylittlepony #November

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Camp David in Maryland is another residence for the president, so naturally it makes sense that the area around it would be a no-fly zone. The country retreat is about 70 miles from the White House.

3. Area 51

One of the most mysterious places in the United States, Area 51 sits in the Nevada desert and is the inspiration behind countless movies, TV shows…and memes. Area 51 is a highly-classified military base, so you know that no planes are going to be flying over this patch of land.

4. Disneyland and Disney World

 

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Okay, this might be one of the locations that you didn’t expect to see on this list. Why is it a no-fly zone, you ask? During the 1980s and 1990s, the theme parks were bombarded by aerial advertisements flying overhead and officials wanted to get rid of those nuisances. There’s also a safety component, as both parks are among the most significant tourist destinations in the country.

5. Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

 

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This area covers over one million acres in Minnesota and was declared a no-fly zone back in 1949 when President Harry Truman signed an executive order. The boundary waters are one of the only few no-fly zones that are purely recreational.

Cool, right?

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This Is Why You Can’t Get a McRib Any Time You Want

The McRib.

I know there are people out there who love it, crave it, and count the days until it returns, even after the rather startling (if not surprising) truth about its ingredients is now public knowledge.

But if so many people are ready to fork over their cash year-round, why does McDonald’s insist on holding out?

Well, you’re about to find out, so hold onto your Happy Meals, my friends…

It’s not as surprising as you might think. Basically, it’s all about the marketing.

According to CNN, McDonald’s doesn’t actually believe you’d buy the McRib year round; they think the seasonal nature of the product is exactly what makes it so popular.

When fast food chains employ a “limited run” item, they know diners are more motivated to make time to grab not just one, but several, while it’s in season – something they might not do if it were available any ol’ time.

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Finally!!!!!! #mcrib #seasonal #iamloved

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The McRib first appeared in 1981, but it didn’t do well, so McDonald’s removed it from the menu in 1985. When it returned in 1994, people gave it more of a chance, and by 2005, it became a regular on McDonald’s recurring menu. Consumers should also know the sandwich contains 70 different ingredients, which include, “pig bits like tripe, heart, and scalded stomach.” Add in some azodicarbonamide, ammonium sulfate, ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides and more.

Nowadays, people are actively excited when it comes back around, instead of feeling like it’s just one of many options they could get whenever.

And if you’re looking to cash in on the latest McRib season, please enjoy yourself responsibly – and if you’re anything like me, don’t forget your antacid.

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