Why do some people who trust in science also believe in scientific conspiracy theories?

Pro-science protesters at the second annual Portland March for Science, Oregon 2018. Png Studio Photography/Shutterstock In a world where trust in institutions is mostly in decline, levels of trust in science remain relatively high. Yet at the same time, belief in scientific conspiracy theories, such as hushed-up effects of vaccines or aeroplane “chemtrails”, is also widespread. What explains this apparent contradiction? Our work suggests we need to ask a different question – not how much…