Lazy Minds and Laughable Searches: A Tale of Two Websites

A Tale Of Two Mindsets

Are people who subscribe to conspiracy theories dumb? I have to confess, I’ve always leaned toward thinking so—but not dumb, exactly. Perhaps "lazy-minded" is a better term. Most conspiracy theories provide a shortcut, an easier way to grasp complex topics for those who aren’t even mildly familiar with them. A curious mind will briefly delve into a subject, exploring the who, what, where, when, and why with an open mind. But for the lazy-minded, it’s easier to stick with preconceived notions.

Take the classic example: the Earth looks flat when viewed from the horizon, so it must be flat—case closed. A curious mind, however, will wonder why a mountain appears smaller the farther away you get and either test the idea or read up on it. So, I don’t think conspiracy theorists are inherently dumb, just unwilling to do the mental heavy lifting. That’s how we end up with imaginary sky daddies who supposedly enjoy watching us suffer.

So, where am I going with this? Well, I run two websites that couldn’t be more different in approach.

First, there’s StellarHistory.com, where I write about astronomy and history. For this site, I actually research my articles, striving for accuracy while keeping a storyteller’s touch. The goal is to make the content easy to digest for just about anyone.

Then there’s the antipode: EchoChamberEffect.com, where I poke fun at conspiracy theories. Many of the ideas for this site come to me after finishing a Stellar History article. It’s amusing to me that after spending hours researching and fact-checking for Stellar History, I can flip a switch, shut my brain off, and churn out a satirical “anti-article” for Echo Chamber Effect. This Jekyll-and-Hyde setup is, frankly, hilarious to me—it stems from imagining how someone who doesn’t understand the world might process it. Conspiracy theories, after all, are much easier to digest when you have no clue how things actually work.

Search Terms

Both sites have a search function, and I log all search queries into a database. No user data is collected, just the raw search terms. This gives me insights into what topics people are curious about, often sparking ideas for future content. On my admin dashboard, I display a pie chart of the top ten search terms for each site, but until today, I didn’t have a page to showcase all the search terms side by side.

So, I threw together a quick table to compare the searches across both sites. The results are… amusing.

Echo Chamber Effect doesn’t get much traffic, but people still seem to love using the search function. As you might expect, the types of searches differ dramatically between the two sites. Stellar History requires a bit of effort—actually reading the articles, for instance. On the other hand, Echo Chamber Effect mirrors sites like The Onion, filled with outrageous headlines. Most visitors don’t even bother reading the articles because the absurdity of the titles speaks for itself—and, honestly, the content is just as ridiculous as you’d expect.

They still entertain me, but I think I'm hilarious. So are the people searching for "Google," "Minecraft," or "pooping" on a satirical conspiracy theory website.

Don't Be So Serious

I’ve often thought about the curious mind versus the lazy mind and how starkly different they seem. But the more I reflect, the more I realize we all have a little bit of both in us. It’s not so much a rigid divide as it is a spectrum, and where we land can depend on the situation, our mood, or even just how much coffee we’ve had that day.

Take me, for instance. When I’m diving into a topic I’m passionate about—like the history of ancient civilizations or the mechanics of space exploration—my curious mind is in full gear. I’ll spend hours reading, researching, and piecing together information until it forms a cohesive narrative I can share. I love connecting the dots and discovering new insights. But then, there are days when my lazy mind takes the wheel. It’s easier to skim headlines, assume the gist of a story, or even chuckle at a wild conspiracy theory without digging deeper into why it’s obviously nonsense. And honestly? Sometimes, that’s just what I need.

I think that’s part of being human. We all have areas where our curiosity thrives and areas where it just… doesn’t. Maybe you’re deeply invested in learning about nutrition and fitness but can’t be bothered to read the fine print on your car insurance policy. Or perhaps you’re fascinated by history but won’t spare a moment to learn why your Wi-Fi keeps cutting out. It doesn’t make you lazy or uncurious; it just means we pick and choose where to direct our mental energy.

The trick, I’ve found, is to balance the two mindsets. Let your curious side pull you into the topics that ignite your passion and give you a sense of purpose. But also embrace the lighter moments when your lazy side says, “Hey, let’s laugh at this ridiculous flat Earth meme for a second.” The curious mind expands your world, while the lazy mind reminds you to not take it too seriously. Both are valuable, and both have their place.

At the end of the day, what matters is being aware of which mindset you’re leaning into and whether it’s serving you in the moment. Because when you strike that balance, you get the best of both worlds—a life full of learning, laughter, and maybe even a little nonsense to keep things interesting.