Flat Earthers
I'm watching Behind The Curve as I type this.
I just want to say that these people are, undeniably, irrevocably, delusional. If you're a flat earthier and you're reading this, listen carefully, ask questions later.
I studied physics in higher education, which already makes me more qualified than 99.999% of flat earthers. I also studied psychology, which plays a big role in why exactly people are coming to this belief.
A lot of it is to do with religion more than science, people believe what they want to believe, it really is that simple. I believe the earth is a globe. I base my beliefs on facts and on logic, and on science. Flat earthers base their beliefs on a lack of trust in authority, and the sense of community that comes with being a flat earther.
In many ways, us crypto people are exactly the same, deep down, we know that our way is the best, that it'll overthrow the establishment, and usher in a new era. Then we'll get to say "I told you so". Difference being, that crypto is real, you can own it, it does threaten current power structures. Believing that the earth is a disc does not change anything, it is a conspiracy theory, and it can not be proven, because it is wrong.
Please prove the earth is flat by falling off the edge. Better yet, why don't we send all the flat earthers out on an expedition to find the edge of the world! (I've heard it's meant to be in Antarctica or something?)
Flat earthers will often say that scientists are government puppets that have been brought up in education to believe that the earth is round, and therefore, their worldview is closed and cannot comprehend that we live in a two dimensional world. What they fail to realize is this:
Science - The intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.
Scientists are not there to push an agenda, they are there to test, and to work out what the truth is. Sometimes they realize they were wrong when sufficient evidence becomes available, such was the case in the creationism vs evolution controversy in the 19th century.
What flat earthers do, is they look for the slightest thing that'd prove what they believe, if they don't find it, they'll try again elsewhere. In Behind The Curve, we witness many attempts to do scientific experiments to prove the flatness of earth. They all fail. The most notable one is where one of them spends $20,000 on a laser gyroscope, only for it to read a 15o rotation. They don't like the results, so they put the gyroscope in various containers made from various materials (already, this is unscientific, because they've ignored evidence after testing a hypothesis for themselves).
Later on, they try to use a laser to measure a curvature of the earth. The guy dosen't get the results he wants and instead of saying "Oh, I must be wrong.", he goes "We're gonna have to try again tomorrow, I think there's something wrong with the test.".
"I only see what I want to see." Is essentially what he just said there. Which is funny when you take into consideration how much conspiracy theorists like to say "question everything" - while often believing near every conspiracy they're told (chem-trails, big-foot, fake 9/11, fake moon landing, vaccines are bad, etc).
Delusional.
I'm fucking done with Americans. Watch behind the curve on Netflix.
Flat earth is quite a rabbit hole for many people. I wonder if they are so wrapped up in it that it becomes part of their identity making it very hard to let go, to the point of being intellectually dishonest with themselves.
A few of the big players in flat earth are known to be dishonest. For example Bob Knodel who featured in the gyroscope experiment you mention was previously caught out lying about being an professional pilot (and his claim of being an engineer is probably also a lie). I suspect there are also a lot of people in it who are not really flat earther's but are doing it for attention/views, etc.
From what it looks like in that film, yes, it becomes their identity.
Gradually their friends and family no longer see John Smith, but John the flat earth guy. If they then reject their flat earth community, regular society is hesitant to accept them back.
Some of the people in that film, I was looking at them and thinking "if it wasn't for flat earth, you'd be alone and definitely not famous". And it is truly sad to see people building communities around and worshipping a poor understanding of science.
It reminds me of when butters from South Park sets up a church in his local DVLA office 😂
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you're right - this film, and the flat earth 'leaders' together with the cult community they have built around these dishonest personalities, are designed to stop people questioning the ridiculous idea of living on a ball rotating at 1038 mph (etc.)
if you are an honest scientific researcher, you might want to take a look at 'kings dethroned' by early 20th century astronomer and author Gerrard Hickson, and he was by far not alone.
history is written by the victors, right?
I'll take a look at that, it is good to question what we've been told, but if the earth isn't flat, or spherical, what could it be?
However that astronomer did not have access to modern technology such as lazer gyroscopes, satellites, and high powered telescopes which can detect the movement of earth among other things.
no idea as yet - but i agree, it is good to question everything, and not accept half-baked answers as the truth because of either the source or just because 'everyone knows that.'
if you have come across any scientific experiment that has proved the earth is in motion i would love to know about it. most empirical science like this died out in the early 20th century, hence michelson-morley, sagnac's turntables and airy's 'failure' are some of the only experiments i know of which tried to detect earth's movement, and failed.
peace.
Not experiments per se, more observations, they don't prove that the earth does not move, but they do prove that the stars move relative to earth. It cannot be said for sure that it is the earth moving, rather than the rest of the universe orbiting earth however it does seem far fetched that earth is the centre of the universe.
Parralax, Abberation, Dopler Effect.
thanks for your reply. yes, the claim of stellar parallax: you're going to love this discussion, eye-opening for those seeking truth -
https://forums.catholic.com/t/negative-stellar-parallax-proof-of-geocentrism-and-a-smaller-universe/199954/21
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