What is missing among people who subscribe to a theory such as faked moon travel has nothing to do with intelligence, it has far more to do with the ability to think critically. There are a lot of intelligent people who have never learned how to balance conflicting claims of reality. This is one of the main functions of education. It can be learned without education, by experience, but no matter how it is learned it is always difficult. It means keeping an open mind so that you can handle ambiguities. It means not succumbing to "common sense" without examination, it means continuing to learn, and it often means foregoing the comfort of certainty when no answer is available.

Your friends? MMario, intelligent? Very possibly. However, with their ability to process information, I would not want them advising me on matters of health, love, business, etc.

Sourdough