it's a decent piece, although it doesn't really follow its own conclusions through.
If 'belief in conspiracy theories is associated with feelings of
powerlessness, uncertainty and a general lack of agency and control'
surely the author should be asking
why there has been an increase in such feelings. The partial answer given - basically, cos the consequences are scary shit - only goes so far. That was just as true fifty years ago (people believed the Cuban missile crisis would mean the end of the world), so what's changed?
I think there are three things. Firstly scientific advances has explained even more than ever before, rendering religion less and less meaningful or central to peoples lives. So religion is waning. But, at the same time, science seems to be being abused (eg GM crops) and/or (depending upon the CTer) going too far in trying to control the uncontrollable. Plus most scientists (according to CTers) work for big corporations and are only interested in making them money, so science is out as an alternative. Which is where the third thing comes in. Many CTs include a very crude anti-capitalism, but, with the defeat of 'actually existing communism' combined with the usual yankee fears of anything that might be termed communism, there is no coherent political alternative.
And then they follow the Holmesian dictum ,when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains,
however improbable, must be the truth. Thus, only CTs remain.
... and loads and loads ... 
