By Tim Binnall
An odd study of online activity has produced an enlightening look at the most-searched conspiracy theories for each of the United States. The thought-provoking list was created by DirecTV dealer USDirect, who "combed through the mothership of all intrigue databases, Reddit," to determine the most popular theories discussed by users. It then took that list and harnessed the power of Google Trends to figure out which of those nine conspiracy theories were the most searched for in each of the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia. Although not exactly a scientific study, the project resulted in some rather illuminating findings.
Topping the list with a whopping 27 states was the infamous New World Order conspiracy, which posits that a nefarious group of power brokers aim to take complete control of the planet. Interest in the concept topped searches in an array of different locations across the country including Texas, Florida, Hawaii, and Maine. Among the remaining conspiracy theories, chemtrails and the Flat Earth theory proved to be particularly popular, garnering five states each. The somewhat vague concept 'black helicopters' picked up four states, including California, Illinois, and Maryland.
Among the stranger findings from the study was an inexplicably strong showing for 'New Coke,' which proved to be popular in a head-scratching five states and, one presumes, is a conspiracy theory centered around the belief that the failed relaunch of Coca Cola during the 1980s was some kind of nefarious plot. Equally mystifying is that the idea of a conspiracy involving the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010 topped the list in North Dakota, which is located approximately 1,600 miles from where the event took place. Rounding out the list were 'Lizard People' with two states and the Moon Hoax theory as well as 'Tupac is Alive,' which were the most popular theories in only one state each.