HowStuffWorks_Conspiracy_Theories

So what happened? Learn why skeptics and fringe theorists alike continue to argue about 7 World Trade Center.

Whether in an unstable foreign land or in your own country, various groups are claiming that local law enforcement and militaries are becoming increasingly intertwined. But why? What happens next?

Hydraulic fracturing is a process used to enhance the output of oil wells, and an estimated 90% of natural gas in the US comes from wells using this process. The EPA claims the process is not harmful -- but not everyone agrees. Why?

While cryptography has progressed by leaps and bounds, some codes still haven't been broken. Tune in to learn more about some of history's strangest unbroken codes, from the Voynich manuscript to the Tama Shud case and more.

In 1979, a US satellite picked up a disturbing signal - the "double flash" of a nuclear detonation near the remote Bouvet island. At least, that's what it appeared to be - but decades later no one has officially explained what the blast was.

Could the world's militaries really build lethal sonic weapons? Could infrasound really destroy a human being? How far away are we from the space-age sonic weapons of science fiction? Join Ben and Matt as they explore these questions.

Nowadays Edward Bernays, often called "the Father of Public Relations," remains a relatively obscure figure. His legacy, however, is thriving around the globe, and his techniques are found in everything from the food we eat to the things we believe.

Why do some people believe the U.S. is preparing for civil war?

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have changed the nature of war. But where are they flying, and what are they doing? The answers might surprise you.

Could a video game really drive someone insane? Some people believe so -- and, according to the urban legend, the game still exists. But how much of the story is true? Join Ben and Matt as they take a look at the legendary Polybius.

Ghost-hunting has recently enjoyed a resurgence in modern pop culture, but the practice of attempting to communicate with the dead dates back into antiquity. Tune in to learn about the controversy surrounding ghost hunting and the science of spirits.

It's true that love can mess with perceptions, but what about other emotions? This installment of the deceptive brain series asks how hate affects the brain, and how scientists are learning to measure a person's level of contempt and dislike.

In this episode, we begin our series on private armies with a look into the company formerly known as Blackwater USA.

You've probably heard some of the accusations regarding recent tragedies -- that the official story is wrong, and aspects of certain events are either misrepresented or staged completely. But could that be true? What are 'crisis actors?"

In the early hours of February 25th, 1942, air raid sirens resounded across Los Angeles, California. The military fired roughly 1500 anti-aircraft machine gun rounds and artillery shells at some unknown object in the sky. So what really happened?

You've probably heard the rumors before - that there's actually no gold in Fort Knox, that vast amounts of the substance have been stolen in times of unrest, or even that governments have much less gold than they'd have their citizens believe.

Agent Orange was an herbicide used during the Vietnam War, but it wasn't just harmful to plants. Learn more about the crippling effects of Agent Orange that veterans reported in this episode of Stuff They Don't Want You to Know.

It's no secret that older maps were inaccurate, or completely unreliable. Yet fringe historians believe that some ancient maps are more than error-ridden antiquities. In fact, they think these maps may change history as we know it.

Is it really possible for entire civilizations to disappear? Is there any truth to the rumors of lost cities in the jungles and beneath the waves? Tune in to learn more about lost civilizations from Atlantis to Troy and beyond.

Is there any truth to all the claims about oil conspiracies, peak oil, alternative energy suppression and OPEC price-fixing?

Despite numerous publicized efforts to destroy opium crops and end the drug trade, opium production has actually increased in the wake of war. What happened?

Not everyone agrees on what exactly happened that September 11th.

Human beings have tinkered with the genetic traits of animals and plants alike, placing artificial pressure on the process of natural selection. So what happens when humanity practices selective breeding on itself?

Now that the once-secretive MKULTRA program has been declassified, people around the world know that the US participated in some shockingly unethical experiments with mind control. But what about the USSR? Tune in to learn more.

While questions about the origins of Italian crime families may linger, there's little doubt about their influence today. Tune in to learn more about Italy's organized crime families and their associates, from the Vatican to secretive Masonic lodges.