Robert Kirby: Why we’re such suckers for conspiracy theories

The first conspiracy theory I ever recognized as such came courtesy of my friend Leon’s Uncle Mike.We were isolated around a campfire in the dark. The conversation drifted from why no one had shot a deer yet to the distinct possibility that space creatures wandered the stars above us.Mike assured us that there were such things as Martians, flying saucers and hideous life forms that prowled the night sky looking to turn human skulls into coffee mugs.Being a serious skeptic even at age 10, I