Nothing true under the sun: Why solar eclipses are a breeding ground for conspiracy theories

[Nevilledog]

https://www.salon.com/2024/04/05/nothing-true-under-the-sun-why-solar-eclipses-are-a-breeding-ground-for-conspiracy-theories/

As a total solar eclipse approaches North America on April 8, Americans are gearing up for a spectacular celestial event. But some individuals are using the eclipse as a way to float unhinged conspiracy theories.

Alex Jones, for example, is claiming that the government is planning to use the event as a practice run for declaring martial law during the eclipse, which will allegedly be enacted if former president Donald Trump wins the 2024 presidential election. And of course, it’s not just Jones. As Quartz reports, there are quite a few people on TikTok claiming the solar eclipse will mark the end of the world, drawing nonsensical parallels to biblical events. And apparently Carbondale, Illinois (population 25,000) is predicted to be doomsday's epicenter, because it sits the center of an X of the totality paths from both this year's eclipse and the one that graced North America in 2017.

But like Miranda Priestly once said: "Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking." The same can be said for conspiracy theories for a total solar eclipse. The two go together like peanut butter and jelly. In fact, humanity has a long history of stirring up conspiracy theories around the time of a solar eclipse — and this year is no different.

“There are so many of them,” cult mediation specialist, Patrick Ryan, told Salon in a phone interview. “There are the purveyors like Alex Jones, who make money off these, then religious folks, who put together a story that can somehow make sense of the world, and it's not new.”

*snip*

[RockRaven]

1. I wonder if any of these dummies also build conspiracy theories around

the sun rising or setting, the moon waxing or waning, or days lengthening or shortening...

[Deep State Witch]

2. I think fear of eclipses is baked into our psyches

From the time that proto-humans were cognizant of a sun and moon. The Sun was probably one of the first deities. If suddenly the Sun disappeared, it would cause early humans to think that it was going to go out permanently. Plus, animals act strangely during an eclipse. That could be construed as another sign of doom.

[BootinUp]

3. Carbondale to be raptured. lol. nt

[ProfessorGAC]

5. They Can Take All Of Illitucky

Have all the serious students & educators on campus. That will protect them from the the "taking".
That moron who ran against Pritzker came from round those parts. (Actually a bit north of Carbondale.)
The rapture can take the whole lot of them down there. Average IQ of the state would go way up.

[BootinUp]

6. Interesting to view Carbondale in the center of the map between all the major

cities around it. I once toured a GE Plastics plant in Evansville.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. I've Been To Evansville

Funny you mention that plastics plant.
I knew an engineer that ended up as the regional EH&S manager for GE polymers.
He was based out of Ottawa, but had responsibilities for about 8 plants in the midwest.
He's younger than me, so he is probably still doing it.
Because we did some work on optimizing the molecular weight & distribution of a polyester polyols for urethane foams, I toured the place that makes the fans for water heater coolers.
Also, toured a cellophane plant where the do flotation polymerization
I worked with them on changing the surfactant used to make the film uniform when the surfactants they were using fell into disfavor because of estrogen mimic concerns in aquatic life.
That plant was really interesting.
I could go on & on. I've been in a couple hundred manufacturing sites in the chemical & consumer product industries. But, I won't torture you like that.

[BootinUp]

8. cool, heh.

[Brother Buzz]

4. Members of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster are ready and even embrace the eclipse - Science, Baby!

[struggle4progress]

9. Ivermectin prevents solar eclipses!