The human brain is hard-wired to seek out patterns — even when there are none.

When authority figures suggest foul play — our brains have a tendency to oblige.

The same brain mechanism that saved our ancestors from predators renders us vulnerable to conspiracy theories.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has announced it is probing the mysterious circumstances surrounding the deaths or disappearances of 10 U.S. nuclear or aerospace research scientists in recent years. Republican Congressman James Comer has further fueled speculation by saying, “there’s a high possibility that something sinister is taking place,” as it is hard to imagine it’s a coincidence with so many people involved. To many people, such a cluster may feel too unlikely to be a coincidence. But this reaction may tell us more about human psychology than the cases themselves. The evidence tells a different story that is rooted in how our brains process information after we have been primed to see danger.

While such claims are dramatic and headline-grabbing, the problem is that the U.S. has thousands of nuclear and aerospace scientists. Deaths in large populations are inevitable; out of such a large pool, some people will die unexpectedly, have accidents, or go missing for reasons unrelated to their work. These cases only become sinister when we try to connect them. Then there is the motive. With so many scientists working in their........

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