10 Wacky Conspiracy Theories You Will Need to Sit Down For

Chances are, you’ve heard some of the major conspiracies that have been circulating for years. You’ve probably encountered someone who believes the Earth is flat. Or perhaps you’ve read about people convinced the moon is a hologram. Some insist public tragedies are hoaxes, while others genuinely argue that Finland does not exist. But those theories are mild compared to some of the more determined beliefs thriving online.

As you read through this list, you might want to hold on to your hat and sit down in the nearest chair. You may find yourself rereading certain lines just to make sure you saw them correctly.

Related: 10 Crazy Conspiracy Theories from Early American History

10 Earth’s Gravity Is About to Disappear for 7 Seconds

NASA has been at the center of conspiracy theories for decades. If the agency is not accused of faking the moon landing, it is supposedly fabricating the International Space Station or hiding ancient alien satellites. Now that those claims have grown stale, a newer viral video insists NASA is secretly working on a project that will cause Earth to lose gravity for seven seconds on August 12, 2026.

The alleged operation, dubbed “Project Anchor,” claims that NASA knows two gravitational waves from black holes have a 94.7% chance of intersecting in a way that will temporarily shut off Earth’s gravity. According to the theory, everything would float for exactly seven seconds before returning to normal.

Fortunately, this scenario is pure fiction. Gravitational waves—ripples in spacetime confirmed in 2015—cannot switch off gravity, nor can gravity simply be “turned off.” The only confirmed astronomical event scheduled for August 12, 2026, is a total solar eclipse visible in parts of Europe and the Arctic.^[1]

9 Tartaria Was Wiped Out by a Mud Flood

Some conspiracy theories use historic architecture as supposed proof of hidden civilizations. One enduring claim argues that a highly advanced empire called “Tartaria” existed until the 18th or 19th century and constructed much of the ornate architecture seen around the world. Believers insist this civilization was erased from official history, pointing to old European maps that labeled parts of Central and Northern Asia as “Tartary.”

The theory extends to 19th-century buildings in cities like New York, Chicago, and St. Petersburg, which are described as remnants of Tartarian technology. Proponents also argue that the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago featured structures too elaborate to have been built so quickly with contemporary technology. According to them, fair organizers merely uncovered pre-existing Tartarian buildings and later destroyed them to hide the evidence.

As for what happened to Tartaria, believers claim a massive global mud flood buried cities and reset civilization.

In reality, “Tartary” was a broad cartographic term used by Europeans to describe vast, largely unmapped regions of Central Asia and Siberia. It was not the name of a secret lost superpower.^[2]

8 Washing Machines and Dryers Cause Space-Time Disruptions

Ever had a sock go missing after pulling laundry from the dryer? According to one bizarre theory, it is not carelessness or static cling at fault—it is your appliance creating tiny wormholes in spacetime.

The claim suggests that washing machines and dryers spin at such high speeds that they generate electromagnetic fields capable of bending spacetime and opening portals that selectively swallow socks.

While appliances do generate small electromagnetic fields—as all powered devices do—the idea that they create wormholes belongs squarely in science fiction. Wormholes themselves are purely theoretical predictions arising from Einstein’s general relativity, and there is no evidence that household machines can distort spacetime in any measurable way.^[3]

If your socks disappear, they are almost certainly trapped in a fitted sheet, lodged in a pant leg, or caught in the machine’s inner workings—not transported to another dimension.

7 Flavor Enhancers Are Made from Aborted Fetal Tissue

Around 2001, biotech company Senomyx unintentionally sparked one of the internet’s most disturbing conspiracy theories. The company developed flavor-enhancing compounds that allowed food manufacturers to reduce salt and sugar while maintaining taste. During research, Senomyx used a laboratory cell line known as HEK-293 to study how compounds interacted with human taste receptors.

HEK-293 cells originated in the 1970s from a legally performed abortion. However, the cells used in modern laboratories are descendants replicated for decades. No additional abortions are involved, and the cells themselves are not ingredients in food products.

Despite this, viral posts began claiming that flavor enhancers were made from aborted fetal tissue and that such material was present in everyday foods and beverages.

Fact-checkers have repeatedly clarified that HEK-293 cells were used only in laboratory testing and are not present in consumer food products.^[4]

6 Dinosaurs Were Demons

Dinosaur conspiracies come in many forms. Some claim dinosaurs never existed. Others insist they were actually dragons. A more fringe theory argues that dinosaurs were supernatural creations.

According to this belief, dinosaurs were engineered by the Nephilim—figures mentioned in Genesis—who allegedly manipulated life forms to mock God’s natural order. In this interpretation, Tyrannosaurus rex was not a prehistoric predator but a chimeric demon.

A related variation ties into the “Gap Theory,” which proposes a catastrophic event occurred between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. Dinosaurs, in this view, belonged to a pre-Adamic world destroyed before the biblical flood, leaving fossils as remnants of that forgotten era.

Mainstream theology and paleontology reject these interpretations. Dinosaur fossils have been extensively studied and dated using multiple scientific methods, placing them millions of years before humans.^[5]

5 Vaccines Have Microchips In Them

Just when you thought conspiracies could not get any weirder, how about those microchips in vaccines? If you have had a COVID-19 vaccine, you may be slightly startled to learn that there are people who genuinely believe these vaccines contain microchips. Social media videos have claimed that these chips make people’s arms “magnetic,” while others are convinced Bill Gates planned the entire pandemic as part of a global tracking system designed to monitor the population through injected devices.

And, as if that were not strange enough, some believers have linked the theory to 5G networks. During the height of the pandemic, telecommunications equipment and cell towers were vandalized in both the UK and the U.S. because of claims that 5G technology either spread COVID-19 or would somehow interact with microchips inside vaccines. Others have suggested that the supposed chips can connect directly to 5G towers, transmitting data about people’s movements.

It goes without saying that this is nothing more than a conspiracy theory that refuses to die. Public health agencies and independent fact-checkers have repeatedly confirmed that COVID-19 vaccines contain no microchips, tracking devices, or magnetic components. The ingredients are publicly documented and include mRNA or viral vectors, lipids, salts, sugars, and stabilizers—nothing even remotely resembling an implantable device.^[6]

4 The Moon Is Hollow

Ah, the moon. That wonderfully bright orb that seems to tug at the oceans and light up the night sky. If you think the moon is simply a rocky satellite, chances are someone you know disagrees. Just as the “fake moon landing” theory began with a real event, the hollow moon theory also traces back to an actual NASA experiment.

In 1969, when the Apollo 12 crew jettisoned the Lunar Module’s ascent stage, it crashed into the moon’s surface. Seismic instruments left behind by earlier missions recorded vibrations that lasted much longer than scientists expected. Some researchers described the moon as having “rung like a bell” for nearly an hour.

For conspiracy theorists, that phrase meant only one thing: the moon must be hollow. They argue that such prolonged vibrations could only occur if the moon were a metallic shell with an empty interior. They also claim the moon’s orbital mechanics are suspicious. Why, they ask, is the moon roughly 400 times smaller than the sun and also approximately 400 times closer to Earth—allowing it to perfectly cover the sun during a total solar eclipse? To them, that alignment can only mean the moon was intentionally positioned as some kind of monitoring station.

The scientific explanation is far less dramatic. The moon’s extended vibrations were due to its dry, rigid composition and lack of water, which on Earth helps dampen seismic activity. Extensive lunar mapping has confirmed that the moon contains a crust, mantle, and core—not an indestructible inner hull.^[7]

3 The Necronomicon Really Exists

All dedicated horror lovers know what the Necronomicon is. H.P. Lovecraft invented this fictional book in the 1920s as part of his Cthulhu Mythos. In his stories, the Necronomicon was written in the 8th century by the “Mad Arab,” Abdul Alhazred. It contained forbidden knowledge about ancient cosmic beings known as the “Old Ones.”

Despite Lovecraft’s clear statements that the book was fictional, some internet theorists insist there was nothing imaginary about it. According to the conspiracy, Lovecraft was not creating horror stories but leaking classified occult knowledge. They argue that he received visions of Earth’s true dark history in dreams and disguised them as fiction to avoid persecution.

Another popular claim suggests that the “real” Necronomicon is one of the most closely guarded artifacts in the Vatican’s secret archives. Conspiracy believers often point to the fact that several “fake” versions of the book have been published over the years—most notably the Simon Necronomicon in the 1970s—as evidence of a deliberate cover-up. If the public believes the book is a hoax, they argue, no one will search for the authentic manuscript hidden away in Rome.

Literary scholars, however, are unequivocal. The Necronomicon was a fictional device created by Lovecraft to lend depth and realism to his stories. Abdul Alhazred never existed outside those tales.^[8]

2 Hurricanes Are Created and Steered by Humans

In 2024, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton caused extreme damage across the southeastern United States. Helene brought unprecedented rainfall and catastrophic flooding, while Milton spawned a terrifying tornado outbreak that produced dozens of confirmed tornadoes. The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season saw 18 named storms and 11 hurricanes.

As if the destruction itself were not enough, conspiracy theories began circulating almost immediately. Social media posts claimed the U.S. government was creating and steering hurricanes into specific communities. Some insisted storms were directed into “blue” states for political reasons, while others claimed that during different administrations, hurricanes were steered toward “red” states.

Additional variations suggested that NOAA was secretly modifying the weather, that solar geoengineering worsened certain storms, or that NEXRAD Doppler radar systems could guide hurricanes toward targeted areas.

The conspiracies became so widespread that NOAA published a detailed fact sheet addressing and debunking the claims. Meteorologists have consistently explained that hurricanes form through natural interactions between warm ocean waters, atmospheric instability, and wind patterns. No existing technology can create or steer storms of that magnitude.^[9]

1 Bob Joyce Is Actually Elvis Presley

Finally, you simply cannot write a list like this without including at least one pop culture conspiracy. When it comes to Elvis Presley, there is no shortage of strange theories. The most persistent claim is that Elvis never died in 1977. Instead, believers argue he faked his own death because he could no longer handle the pressures of fame and quietly started a new life elsewhere.

Some versions claim he lives—or lived—on a ranch in Montana. Others suggest that Priscilla Presley regularly visited him and that he instructed her to open Graceland as a museum to ensure the Presley family would always be financially secure.

At the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, another variation spread rapidly online. Social media users began sharing videos of Arkansas pastor Bob Joyce, claiming he was, in fact, Elvis in disguise. Supporters pointed to similarities in appearance, voice, and gospel singing style as “proof.” At the same time, Bob Joyce repeatedly stated that he is not Elvis, but simply an Elvis fan.

Those denials have done little to stop the theory. Videos continue to circulate claiming Bob “revealed” his true identity, despite no credible evidence supporting the claim. When it comes to Elvis conspiracies, belief appears far more resilient than reality.^[10]