Conspiracy theories are invading pop culture

What have Dan Brown and the Internet done?

For years, conspiracy theories were regulated to underground newspapers, late-night television and Oliver Stone. Then, during the past 20 years, two things happened: The Internet became readily available to millions and Dan Brown wrote "The Da Vinci Code."

From a marketing standpoint, the book was brilliant. Brown took one of history's mysteries — did the Catholic Church hide the true story of Jesus? — and incorporated it into a book that is also full of puzzles for the reader to solve. Brilliant! Like any business, when a new concept is successful, others follow. Soon, we had a whole genre of fiction about secret societies.

Brown continues to lead the field, however, with his new book about the Freemasons, "The Lost Symbol," expected to sell millions of copies after its release this week.

Meanwhile, the Internet has given voice to those who previously might reach only the people in their medieval role-playing game group. People have jammed cyberspace with theories on Bigfoot, UFOs, 9/11, the Freemasons, the Bilderberg Group, Nazis and the occult, the Mayan calendar, the Bermuda Triangle, electromagnetism, Yeti, alien abductions, time travel, parallel dimensions, shadow governments, false flag terrorism, black helicopters, the Trilateral Commission, Roswell and the symbology on the cover of The Beatles' "Abbey Road."

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