Prologue: The conspiracy effect : why smart people believe blatantly wrong things for apparently rational reasons -- Why People Believe Conspiracy Theories. Conspiracies and conspiracy theories : the difference in thinking and the difference it makes -- A brief history of conspiracy theories and conspiracists : toward a science of conspiracism -- Proxy and tribal conspiracism : how conspiratorial beliefs are reinforced as truths -- Constructive conspiracism : paranoia, pessimism, and the evolutionary origins of conspiracy cognition -- A case study in conspiracism : the sovereign citizens conspiracy theory -- How to Determine Which Conspiracy Theories Are Real. The conspiracy detection kit : how to tell if a conspiracy theory is true or false -- Truthers and birthers : the 9/11 and Obama conspiracy theories -- JFK blown away : the mother of all conspiracy theories -- Real conspiracies : what if they really are out to get you? -- The deadliest conspiracy in history : the trigger of World War I and how conspiracies really work -- Real and imagined enemies : conspiracies in reality and in our imaginations -- Talking to Conspiracists and Rebuilding Trust in Truth. How to talk to conspiracy theorists : engaging with people with whom we disagree -- How to rebuild trust in truth : reason, rationality, and empiricism in reality-based communities -- Coda: What people believe about conspiracy theories and why : results of the Skeptic Research Center survey.