Best Conspiracy Theories

Sometimes, the simple answer isn’t very satisfying.

Lee Harvey Oswald did it alone. Drug companies try to make people well. That crash in Roswell, N.M., was just a weather balloon, or maybe a spy plane.

Obviously, none of that is nearly as sexy as believing in a second gunman (who got away), “Big Pharma” conspiring to keep you sick all the time, or little green men running into some technical difficulties while paying a visit from another planet.

Conspiracy theories abound, and some of them have longer legs than others.  LiveScience compiled a Top 10 list of some of the real doozies.

Here are the Top 5:

5. Paul McCartney’s Death: The Beatle supposedly died in 1966, but the band kept dropping hints in messages on subsequent recordings.

4. Moon Landing Hoax: Some persist in believing that NASA faked the 1969 moon landing…and, presumably, all that came after it.

3. Subliminal Advertising: Does mass media plant thoughts in your head via subtle messages?

2. Princess Diana’s Murder: Many in England still believe the Royal Family wanted her out of the picture.

1. 9/11 Conspiracies: Some skeptics insist the attackers were aided by U.S. insiders, up to and including the White House.

To read more about these, and to see the rest, visit LiveScience.com