Forget conspiracy theories – here's why Google's 'Conservatives are' blacklist is worrying

Theories about sweetheart deals over tax only help Google avoid answering the real questions about when and why it edits its search engine

Conspiracy theories stem from a desire for a world which operates through consistent, logical motives, rather than random chance. But they often have at their core something really worth examining.

The reason why some people conclude "the world is run by lizard people" from the observation that "there is a self-reinforcing political and cultural establishment largely formed of people with similar backgrounds" is that the actual explanation is complex, obfuscated and largely unsatisfying.