Pareidola; the science of conspiracy theories

http://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2013/sep/05/conspiracy-theories-science-belief-secret-plots

This is a really interesting article on something Professor Harris touched on the other day, which is the tendency for your average human to be susceptible to conspiracy theories. This susceptibility comes from the brains desire to seek patterns. This pattern seeking component was extremely helpful in early human evolution because it helped us detect enemies and defend ourselves. It is known formally as Pareidola. 

Conspiracy theory believers often already have anxiety and worry about trusting the government, therefore when a pattern is detected that suggests a conspiracy, they are more inclined to believe it.

I think it's important for humans to keep our Pareidola in check in order to avoid jumping to rash conclusions about situations. However our brains tendency to be skeptical is also very important in modern times.