Flat Earth theory gaining converts???

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Please tell me this is just a massive internet troll attempt.  Please:

http://www.express.co.uk/news/science/629355/Flat-Earth-News-Thousands-believe-madcap-theory-world-is-REALLY-a-dome-topped-disc

From the article:

 

It is run by Mark Sargent, an IT specialist, from Boulder, Colorado, who last year in his own words began looking into "what is no doubt the most ridiculous conspiracy ever, called (the) 'Flat Earth Theory.'

But rather than disprove it, Mr Sargent became a convert and then one of its greatest supporters.

His website says: "Through extensive research, (he) discovered that it wasn't so laughable after all.

"Early in 2015, he released a series of youtube videos titled Flat Earth Clues, which delve into the possibility of our human civilisation actually being inside a 'Truman show' like enclosed system, and how it's been hidden from the public since 1956.

"Mark's hope is that one day the 100th Monkey scenario will occur, the majority of the population will start seeing things with new eyes, and the world will literally change."

So what about space travel?

Well that is the conspiracy within the conspiracy.

Mr Sergeant now believes in the moon landings being faked conspiracy.

 

Eratosthenes successfully estimated the Earth's circumference in the third century BC.  We've know for thousands of years that the Earth is a sphere (or sphereroid as it isn't perfectly speherical) and that shape is a large reason why we have the weather we do.  Why are people, if this isn't a troll attempt, really buying into this crap?

[The Marquis de Leech]

The Daily Express is a joke newspaper, a la The Daily Mail.

Meanwhile, Flat Earth Societies have been in existence since the nineteenth century:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_flat_Earth_societies

 

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Ahhhhhh.... thank you.

 

[Fragile Bird]

I think you have punked yourself, Ser Scot.

Sooner or later, the internet sucks us in....

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Saw it on facebook from a very bright person I trust.  Don't know if she was teasing or not.

[drawkcabi]

Check out flat earth conspiracy theorists on You Tube. It's entertaining for a moment...a brief one.

[Larry of the Lawn]

Sounds good to me, I've always understood the world to be the giant spread of a massive turtle's shell, which is basically a domed disk.  Thanks for confirming my suspicions.  

 

Now if people would only realize that the moon is really just the back of the sun, maybe you could convince me we're making some educational progress.

[HexMachina]

Sounds good to me, I've always understood the world to be the giant spread of a massive turtle's shell, which is basically a domed disk.  Thanks for confirming my suspicions.  

 

Now if people would only realize that the moon is really just the back of the sun, maybe you could convince me we're making some educational progress.

I'm sure elephants come into it somewhere. Also tortoise reproduction.

[Larry of the Lawn]

I'm sure elephants come into it somewhere. Also tortoise reproduction.

Ixnay on the elephantsay.  From what I understand, it's turtles all the way down.

[drawkcabi]

I want to see if I can make Scot's head explode, or at least give him a nosebleed

 

[Disturber of Peace]

What the deuce is it to me?

You say that our world is a ball. If it was a square it would not make a pennyworth of difference to me or my work.

I shall do my best to remove that information from my brain-attic so that it does not take space away from things of higher importance.

[Altherion]

Ixnay on the elephantsay.  From what I understand, it's turtles all the way down.

But what about Berilia, Tubul, Great T'Phon, and Jerakeen?

Somewhat more seriously, these people have no imagination. You could trivially have a "Truman show" type of universe without any conspiracy theories by simply extending the range of observation beyond the edge of the universe. It would be pretty future-proof as we're not likely to explore space that is, say, 1 light year away anytime soon so all we have as evidence to the contrary is light which is trivial to counterfeit for a sufficiently advanced civilization.

[Darzin]

So is that video serious? Or just a joke? I mean it seemed pretty serious but can people really believe this in 2015?

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Darzin,

That's why I ask if this is just a massive troll attempt.  Isn't is "Poe's Law" that says we can't tell the difference between sarcasm and sincere belief online?

[Lordsteve666]

I have a friend at work who is in to all manner of loony conspiracy theory nonsense and even he thinks flat-earther's are a bunch of nutters. 

Shows how seriously even their own kind of people and the rest of world takes them. Their website is worth a read if you like a good laugh though! I cannot believe people take this stuff seriously in this day and age though.

[Ser Arthur Hightower]

I had the misfortune to stumble across the flat Earth wiki a few years ago, I really wasn't sure if it was just a big joke at first, but it is now fairly clear to me that it isn't; there are genuinely people in industrialised nations in 20162015 who believe that the Earth is flat.

It just goes to show the dangers of anti-conformist motivations if left unchecked.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

I had the misfortune to stumble across the flat Earth wiki a few years ago, I really wasn't sure if it was just a big joke at first, but it is now fairly clear to me that it isn't; there are genuinely people in industrialised nations in 20162015 who believe that the Earth is flat.

It just goes to show the dangers of anti-conformist motivations if left unchecked.

SAH,

How would you "check" what you label "anti-conformist" motivations?  What else would you call an "anti-conformist motivation" that you haven't named here?

[Lordsteve666]

I think things like this can fall into two categories really. 

On the one hand you've got a group of people who for some reason seem to want to refute one of the most easily proven scientific facts there is, for whatever their own reasons are. Maybe they mistrust science or maybe they just all group together with like minded people who want to get attention, no idea. 

Their basic idea doesn't do any harm really as it is at the end of the day just plain ridiculous and even school kids can disprove them in a debate. If they want to group together and believe that  stuff fair enough. 

But then there's the other side to non-conformist ideology which is when things that can actually do harm become the focus of these sorts of people. It all well and good believing something yourself but once it can potentially do harm to others and you start pushing it then it becomes an issue.

That friend of mine who thinks flat earth people are nuts because there's ample scientific evidence to rubbing their theories also happens to be an anti-vaccine follower. And when you talk to him the stuff he says could come from the mouth of a flat-earther if you changed the subject words. He believes his side is right because he doesn't trust the science community, he thinks it's all a big con or evil deception, and he willingly ignores or avoids clear, recognised and peer reviewed scientific evidence because it doesn't fit his view of the topic.  One is a bit of harmless silliness, the other is a potentially life threatening bit of ignorance whilst at the same time both display a huge disregard for overwhelming scientific and physical evidence. Do these people continue to push their ideas despite evidence to the contrary simply because they don't want to conform to the generally accepted view?

I think that's a good comparison for how this sort of thing can do damage if unchecked. 

[Ser Arthur Hightower]

SAH,

How would you "check" what you label "anti-conformist" motivations?  What else would you call an "anti-conformist motivation" that you haven't named here?

Anti-vaxers, climate change deniers, Truthers, Birthers, David Icke-ites and general conspiracy theorists and quacks. Essentially anyone who is likely to use the term "sheeple" who think that there is a negative correlation between general acceptance of something and likelihood of that thing being true.

It can be checked by proper use of critical thinking and a generally skeptical attitude that treats ideas based on merit rather than how the general population responds to said idea.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Anti-vaxers, climate change deniers, Truthers, Birthers, David Icke-ites and general conspiracy theorists and quacks. Essentially anyone who is likely to use the term "sheeple" who think that there is a negative correlation between general acceptance of something and likelihood of that thing being true.

It can be checked by proper use of critical thinking and a generally skeptical attitude that treats ideas based on merit rather than how the general population responds to said idea.

SAH,

You make me uncomfortable with the use of the terms "check" and "non-conformist".  Once upon a time believing the Earth orbited the Sun was a "Non-Confirmist" attitude as was the belief in the existence of the atom and   the fact that microbes can cause disease.  Just because something is "non-conformist" doesn't make it wrong or bad.  

I, personally, think the things you list as "non-conformist" are bad ideas but not because they don't "conform" and the idea of using some kind of force to demand people set those ideas aside, quite frankly, frightens me.