To be amazed that some people actually believe the earth is flat.

[Sweetlittlepug]

Just that really, and they also believe NASA is fake and man didn't really land on the moon. It's like they don't believe anything.

Yeah, I’ve often wondered at the why! Why would everyone be conspiring to lie about the earth being round?

I was in a staff room a couple of weeks ago and one of their teachers had left to go to New Zealand and she was going Via Los Angeles and two of the TAs refused to believe it was possible as it's the wrong way.

I read of someone who was detained by US immigration in California because they did not believe his claim that he was departing California for New Zealand without going via London. (His plane was a direct flight from the airport he was detained at!)

@BernardsarenotalwaysSaints 😂

Don't bring the ancient aliens into flat earth though - those shows are interesting and there are lots of big coincidences that give you pause for thought.

The flat earth thing is just weird though - I wonder whether they do it for a joke. I do love that Australia doesn't exist, the people pretending to be Australian are all actors and the pilots are 'in on it'.

They seem to have taken it down, but at one point the Flat Earth website had said that 'they have many members across the globe'. Had to be reminded that they don't believe there is a globe!

How do they cope with photos of the earth from space? Or do they not believe they're real either?

They believe the photos are all a conspirary. They don't seem to believe anyone has been to space or they have had that NASA is keeping it all covered up.

Apparently lunar eclipses are because there is an antimoon which is a satellite for the sun. We can't see it as it is too close to the sun (!) but can get in the way and that is what causes a lunar eclipse. That and the earth is the centre of the universe and the sun circles around the earth.

Yeah, I’ve often wondered at the why! Why would everyone be conspiring to lie about the earth being round?

Exactly! Massive collusion between all national governments, transport companies, scientists, aerospace companies etc. etc. and for what? Who benefits? Where's the money? I don't get it.

@M3lon - during a lunar eclipse, the sun, earth and moon are aligned such that the shadow of the earth (in the middle) is cast over the moon.

A solar eclipse is when the moon is in the middle (ie between earth and sun) and blocks the light from the sun.

Yeah, I’ve often wondered at the why! Why would everyone be conspiring to lie about the earth being round

Yes and in all those years of such a gigantic cover up, which would take the collusion of vast numbers of people, as if someone wouldn't have blown the whistle at some point.

ori I think you have to assume we are the only disk...because there is no other way to explain the crescent moon....

Funny that. I don't understand why then they think s moon can be spherical but we are definitely a disk 😂

Yes and in all those years of such a gigantic cover up, which would take the collusion of vast numbers of people, as if someone wouldn't have blown the whistle at some point.*

Yes, people aren't that clever to hide it and for no one involved to let slip. It's like all Government conspiracies...I think recent events have shown, they're just not that clever.

Flat earth belief is not new, it was quite popular before Columbus , it's only recently where the internet allows stupid to talk to crazy that it is gaining traction with the logic impaired.

Gotmychocolateimgood
Its 'Behind the curve' on Netflix

Unfortunately my husband is one of these believers. He has finally given up flat earth but I -don't- listen to all sorts of crap. He wasn't like this when we got married and fortunately he does have some redeeming qualities so I don't feel the need to divorce him -yet-.

Strike through fail there 🤦‍♀️

I have no idea!

Basic science means gravity would be so heavy and dragging at the 'edge' that you'd literally be ripped from the spot.

Not to mention which country is at the end?

I think there are people who believe this kind of thing as they were raised that way and others who want to believe everything is a conspiracy.

I work with a flat earther. Believes there is no such thing as gravity, anti vaxxer, believes in chemtrails etc. Believes in homeopathy, spends a fortune on vitamins and homeopathic stuff, doesnt believe in any conventional medicine at all. The crap she spouted when another colleagues step daughter was diagnosed with a tumour and recieving chemo was awful. She believes the cure for cancer is found but covered up by the government for population control. Flouride in the water is the way the government conduct mind control over the population or something. Has she seen our government? And polititians in general? They couldnt organise a picnic, never mind some mass mind control/ population control programme. The worst thing is the way she talks to us and rolls her eyes if its obvious common sense and we are all stupid believing otherwise.

Believes there is no such thing as gravity,

This made me laugh with tears.

The why is obvious isn't it? Over the edge of the disc lies a vast glorious landscape free from idiots and with an abundance of cake.

They don't want us to know as it keeps us up here paying taxes 😙

I had this discussion with a colleague at work the other day (it was regarding anti-vaxxers, but the mentality is the same). I will repeat here what we agreed then: the belief in these sort of things seems to be tied into these individuals' sense of ego and self importance. It is somehow crucial to them to perceive themselves as the beneficiaries of some sort of enlightened, arcane truth that lesser minds cannot comprehend. In order to protect this logical fallacy and preserve their self-appointed sense of superiority, they will ignore or attempt to discredit any amount of evidence-based data that contradicts their (often absurdly flimsy) arguments.

@AlaskanOilBaron my daughter is becoming an estate agent. I can feel their pain

Sci-man Dan, the debunker mentioned above has a great you tube series on this sort of bonkersness and a weekly debunking of other bollocks. What is most worrying is the level of abuse and threats he gets from flat earthers and others...mostly American but not exclusively.
I wonder whether they really believe it...

If the earth is flat then what is on the other side?

Thing is, I can see how some conspiracy theories could seem plausible e.g. Marilyn Monroe death or even Diana or that 9/11 was suspected/known about by the government or that Dr Kelly was murdered, ditto the bloke in the suitcase.

Even aliens, while I don’t believe that aliens came to earth and did whatever I do think that in the multitude of solar systems out there it seems unlikely that earth is the only one where there is any kind of life. Even if there isn’t life in our solar system there are millions of other planets out there and I do find it inconceivable that ours is the only one with life, so I do technically believe that aliens (if you can call them that) exist but I don’t think that they’re little green men who came to earth.

But the completely out there ones like flat earth or that the queen and co are all actually lizzards? nope. Can’t get my head around any of that.

Equally I had a conversation with someone only yesterday about the bible and said that even if you believe that there is a god out there, what is written in the bible cannot possibly be true in many instances e.g. Noah and the ark for instance. That kind of literal belief is up there with flat earth IMO.

Actually even anti vaccers I can see how they might arrive at their thought processes although I don’t agree with them. But I do think there is more middle ground i.e. there are absolutely crucial vaccinations out there which I would never dream of not giving my children. However I do think we over vaccinate to a degree and that mindsets have been changed to suit an agenda e.g. chicken pox is a mild childhood illness but it seems to have been re-categorised into a serious illness with the potential to cause death and serious complication on a regular basis and all children should be vaccinated when IMO this really isn’t the case. In fact flu causes far far more deaths and complications than CP and even then you can’t just have a flu jab you have to meet certain criteria to qualify for it.

I read that "Flat Earth" was originally created as a debating exercise. The idea being for people to see how well they could debate in support of a theory that was completely ridiculous and that they themselves did not actually believe. Many of the people that promote it publicly see themselves as being in on the joke but it has clearly attracted a raft of complete loons as well.

Yeah that's true, I've a member of the Flat Earth Society and it's a place for people to practice defending an impossible position