Dead reckoning is a nautical term for navigating a lost ship that has gone of course - without the use of reliable methods such as landmarks, astronomical observations, or electronic navigation methods. A metaphor for working backwards from a premise instead of forward through rigorous scientific process. And the pitfalls of logic we are all prone to as human beings with fallible reasoning.

This list explores the thinking and culture behind conspiracy theories both left and right, and how we can all learn to think better for ourselves and understand how our world works.

To paraphrase L.M. Montgomery and others : Conspiracy theory, much like gossip - is one third right, and two thirds wrong. It's what rushes in to fill the gaps in peoples thinking [or knowledge].