Conspiracy #9: MYTHS VS MODERN TECH

Welcome to our conspiracies library. Every month we will upload a new conspiracy for debate where we will objectively present you the evidence and let you weigh in on the case.

Conspiracy #9: myths vs modern tech

For this conspiracy we cover a range of classic myths and urban legends and discuss how well the claims have held up over the years, especially with newer technological advancements in geo-mapping, camera resolution, availability and of course, the internet. How do all of these factors play in and do they help support or debunk the claims? Let us know what you think below!

urban legend #1: nessie the loch ness monster

The Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie (Scottish Gaelic: Uilebheist Loch Nis), is a cryptid in cryptozoology and Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or more humps protruding from the water. Popular interest and belief in the creature have varied since it was brought to worldwide attention in 1933. Evidence of its existence is anecdotal, with a number of disputed photographs and sonar readings.

The scientific community regards the Loch Ness Monster as a phenomenon without biological basis, explaining sightings as hoaxes, wishful thinking, and the misidentification of mundane objects. The first modern discussion of a sighting of a strange creature in the loch may have been in the 1870s, when D. Mackenzie claimed to have seen something “wriggling and churning up the water”. This account was not published until 1934, however. Research indicates that several newspapers did publish items about a creature in the loch well before 1934.

The best-known article that first attracted a great deal of attention about a creature was published on 2 May 1933 in Inverness Courier, about a large “beast” or “whale-like fish”. The article by Alex Campbell, water bailiff for Loch Ness and a part-time journalist, discussed a sighting by Aldie Mackay of an enormous creature with the body of a whale rolling in the water in the loch while she and her husband John were driving on the A82 on 15 April 1933. The word “monster” was reportedly applied for the first time in Campbell’s article, although some reports claim that it was coined by editor Evan Barron.

The Courier in 2017 published excerpts from the Campbell article, which had been titled “Strange Spectacle in Loch Ness”.^[13]

“The creature disported itself, rolling and plunging for fully a minute, its body resembling that of a whale, and the water cascading and churning like a simmering cauldron. Soon, however, it disappeared in a boiling mass of foam. Both onlookers confessed that there was something uncanny about the whole thing, for they realised that here was no ordinary denizen of the depths, because, apart from its enormous size, the beast, in taking the final plunge, sent out waves that were big enough to have been caused by a passing steamer.”

Source: Wikipedia

urban legend #2: mothman

In West Virgina Folklore, the Mothman is a creature reportedly seen in the Point Pleaseant area from November 15, 1966, to December 15, 1967. The first newspaper report was published in the Point Pleasant Register dated November 16, 1966, titled “Couples See Man-Sized Bird … Creature … Something”. The national press soon picked up the reports and helped spread the story across the United States.

The Mothman was introduced to a wider audience by Gray Barkerin 1970 and was later popularized by John Keel in his 1975 book The Mothman Prophecies, claiming that there were supernatural events related to the sightings, and a connection to the collapse of the Silver Bridge. The book was later adapted into a 2002 film, starring Richard Gere. There have only been a few sightings of the Mothman since his first debut in 1966 until recently in 2016 when a man driving along State Route 2 in Point Pleasant, WV took photos of a creature jumping from tree to tree. The man allegedly didn’t know of the Mothman when this event occurred.

An annual festival in Point Pleasant is devoted to the Mothman legend. Many still give this myth validity with modern technology due to the fact that the increase in smartphone camera usage made no difference in the frequency of sightings, and the majority occurred during an era without smartphones.

Source: Wikipedia + Internet Accounts

urban legend #3: bigfoot

Bigfoot AKA Sasquatch is an ape-like creature that is purported to inhabit the forests of North America. Supposed evidence of Bigfoot’s existence is based on a number of disputed video recordings, audio recordings, photographs, visual sightings, casts of large footprints, etc. Some of these are speculated or known to be hoaxes.

Folklorists trace the figure of Bigfoot to a combination of factors and sources, including folklore surrounding the European wild man figure, folk belief among Native Americans and loggers, and a cultural increase in environmental concerns. Within the fringe subculture of cryptozoology Bigfoot is considered a cryptid, but the majority of mainstream scientists have historically discounted the existence of Bigfoot, considering it to be a combination of folklore, misidentification, and hoax, rather than a living animal.

According to David Daegling, the legends existed before there was a single name for the creature. They differed in their details both regionally and between families in the same community. Thousands of people have claimed to have seen a Bigfoot which is commonly described as a large, muscular, bipedal ape-like creature, roughly 1.8–2.7 metres (6–9 ft), covered in hair described as black, dark brown, or dark reddish. A pungent, foul smelling odor is sometimes associated with reports of the creature as well.

The enormous footprints for which the creature is named are claimed to be as large as 24 inches long and 8 inches wide. Some footprint casts have also contained claw marks, making it likely that they came from known animals such as bears, which have five toes and claws. Many speculate that with all of the advancements in Nat Geo cameras and forest-mapping technology that we should’ve seen it in higher resolution by now, knowing how iconic the forest monster is.

Source: Wikipedia