Anyone think the Earth is flat? AIBU to think these are stupid?

[Fresta]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/41973119/why-do-people-still-think-the-earth-is-flat

I mean... really?

[hotbutteredcrumpetsandtea]

There are always a few people who believe very stupid things. Hell, there are often many people who believe in very stupid things. Flat earth isn't much stupider than crystals and homeopathy in the nonsense stakes.

This idea that in general though, everyone thought the earth was flat at some point is really stupid. The ancient greeks knew the earth was a globe, not only was it accepted as truth it was proved by scientific experiment, Eratosthenes even calculated the circumference of the Earth.
Some people through the ages believed in the disc theory, but probably not nearly as many as who knew it was a globe. A fairly cursory curiosity about the stars and the sun made it easy enough to intuit.

[Ifailed]

I doubt if anyone with any access to a decent education truly thinks the world is flat, it's more a 'Look At Me' thing, trying to show how quirky and non-conformist they are.

[Andrewofgg]

Flat earth is intelligent compared with astrology.

And at least SFAIK nobody is separating fools from their money by flat-earthery. I regard it as a harmless eccentricity.

[ButterfliesAreWeird]

I mean it's just like any religion. Take it how you will

[Seeline]

It's not quite like religion though - it has been proven that the earth is round. Pictures from space clearly show it - even from an aeroplane you can get a good idea - if you don't believe the science stuff.
No-one has actually proven that the main religions aren't based on something.

[Feckitall]

ahh...but don't forget pictures from space are part of the conspiracy...'they' are trying to control you don't you know...

[c3pu]

Flat earthers, Moon landing conspiracists, Anti Vaxxers, Holocaust deniers - they all share a common platform IMHO.

[Ifailed]

No-one has actually proven that the main religions aren't based on something
Because you can't, see Bertrand Russell's Teapot.

[TheClaws]

I read the other day that some people believe that vitamin C in an acceptable treatment for venomous snakebites. (The kind that can kill you within half an hour if an antidote isn’t administered.) So they’re out there, and they are people we think are reasonable otherwise.

[makeourfuture]

Trickle down economists....

[wasonthelist]

It’s obvious the earth can’t be flat - all the cats would have pushed everything off the edges by now

[BeyondNoone]

I actually read a physicist recently arguing that the horizon is due to refraction in the atmosphere, and not that the Earth is round...

(Google "flat earthers explanations of the horizon")

[Laiste]

Well i like the fact that not everyone toes the line and believes the same as everyone else

There's very little in our lives that we know because we've found it out or experienced it for ourselves. Most of what ''we'' know is stuff which someone else has found out and told us is correct.

After all, science and discovery begins with the idea that our knowledge is not complete.

[Laiste]

I love the cats theory wasonthelist

[Natsku]

Have said this a few times on mumsnet but I'm a member of the Flat Earth Society. It's mostly a debate society really, an exercise in defending an impossible position.

[silenceisadistantmemory]

You’re going to get told off for calling them stupid in a minute.

All views being equally valid these days etc.

[Goldenhandshake]

Flat earthers, Moon landing conspiracists, Anti Vaxxers, Holocaust deniers - they all share a common platform IMHO.

^ This.

They are all cut from the same paranoid, belligerent, idiotic cloth.

[Primaryteach87]

I know someone with this belief. I was pretty shocked! They also are very very keen to convert others to this belief.....

[TheClaws]

Golden They are all woke and educated while the rest of us are just sheeple.

[VileyRose]

I agree Natsku.

[Goldenhandshake]

TheClaws Oh Christ I forgot about all that 'stay woke' bollocks that goes with it

[WineAndTiramisu]

I'm pretty sure the flat earth society is a debating society, they don't actually believe it.

However I'm sure there are people who do... Not sure you can argue with that level of stupidity

[Guavaf1sh]

I agree with Wine - most of them are testing theories and don't actually believe it. Just seeing if there are any back doors

[Seeline]

Ifailed that was my point exactly! It has been proven and seen that the earth I not flat. This cannot be done with religion, so the two concepts are not comparable as suggested by a PP.

[TrinityBelle]

I follow some flat earthers on twitter. The batshittery from them is highly amusing.