Of course, we rarely get to find out whether the theory has any truth or is nothing more than a fanciful narrative created by someone with too much time on their hands.
Russian Orthodox Church leaders say they asked the question not because they suspect there's any truth in the Jewish conspiracy theory, but because they want the government to help them put an end to any lingering doubts in the minds of Russian believers.
Brave scientists soldiering on in pursuit of the objective truth are increasingly demonstrating the falsehood of the theory that human activities are threatening the planet with potentially catastrophic global warming.
But as the layers of official fabrication were peeled away to reveal the bitter truth, the Russian Navy dreamt up another theory to cover its embarrassment: the Kursk had been struck by a foreign vessel.