Behind The Curve (Documentary on Flat Earthers)

[dad_of_jon]

but surely all photos of earth from space just show a circular object rather than a sphere.

 

[JonathanMSE]

In Inverness there is (or at least was as it closed a few weeks ago) a Flat Earth shop. The owner hands out Flat Earth literature as well as promoting a vast array of other conspiracy theories, chemtrails, geo-engineering and of course covid related.

Up and down the Highlands there is loads of graffiti on road signs imploring us to "research flat earth" So yes, apparently people really do believe this stuff. And do not like it one bit when challenged on it.

 

[Clint]

It's obvious they haven't heard of Phillius Fogg..

 

[An Ankoù]

The Earth is flat, but it is also very heavy for its size since the entire core is made of iron and nickel. Everybody knows that time and space curve around very dense objects giving the impression that the earth is roughly spherical, but it really does depend on your perspective- flatten out space and you've got your flat Earth back.

So much for the orthodox line. The more enlightened among us are aware that the Earth is entirely hollow and is populated by alien creatures in vast cities which were established eons ago by denizens of the Beyond. All this is ruled over by none other than Rigden Djhappo, the Great Horseman and Lord of Shambhala.

 

[Jim Brewster]

There's a road sign on the A1 South somewhere between Grantham and Peterborough that's been graffitied with "Flat Earth", for East Anglia it's probably about right though

 

[chopps]

 

[FirebladeAdam]

Unbelievable! I thought I'd made that up! I was proud of that!

 

[marshbrewer]

How do these people explain things that orbit the earth, like satellites, then? For instance, GPS satellites that are in geostationary orbit? That wouldn't be possible if the earth was a disk. How come nobody has a photo of the end of the earth? I mean, seriously, what!?!?

 

[Clint]

How do these people explain things that orbit the earth, like satellites, then? For instance, GPS satellites that are in geostationary orbit? That wouldn't be possible if the earth was a disk. How come nobody has a photo of the end of the earth? I mean, seriously, what!?!?

There are parts of the Earth that you just can't "visit" even if you had the means...I think you need to get permission. The polar regions are like this..more so Antarctica and some place in the tropics..maybe an island..not sure.

 

[FirebladeAdam]

In the case of FE it's pretty harmless. The whole belief with limited proof thing. But dangerous when it comes to anti- vaxxers and covid conspiracy stuff. Britain is no longer Polio free thanks to anti-vaxxers nonsense, according to WHO. Dangerous times

 

[MrRook]

I saw the documentary on the subject yesterday. According to it, a great many people believe the Earth is flat.

A great many people are kind of dumb.

 

[The Baron]

I have my own thoughts on most but not all of these Flat Earthers Anti Vaccers etc and that is that they are generally ant establishment and do not like authority so they use these issues to promote ant establishment propaganda.
Having said that some of them are very intelligent and it makes you wonder how they can believe this info they are promoting unless they are trying to be the controlling force amongst the lesser believers

 

[FirebladeAdam]

I don't think it's a question of intelligence. I think lots of people believe what suits them, irregardless of intellect. See post #20. As John Lennon said, 'Whatever gets you through the night'

 

[Clint]

I got lots of John Lennon records.

 

[johncrobinson]

Some it seems really do believe it.
I met the owner of the shop in Inverness. When I visited I was invited in.The "owner" said he was previously a forester.
After a few cups of (free) coffee and a bit of healthy debate i needed to use the "facilities" I was surprised to find newly installed showers fitted in the loo.
His then late teens son and his mates came in and it became obvious the place was a "crash pad" for these guys.

The owner himself was a smooooooooth patter merchant who could probably sell ice to Eskimos.
However he did become a bit disjointed when i told him I had seen the curvature of the Earth for myself as an air cadet during a high altitude flight in a Lightning interceptor during the early 1970s

Retail property in Inverness is not cheap so again I ask where did the money come from,The property was previously a Chinese herbalist,And was in fact semi-derelict before been taken over.

 

[chopps]

In the case of FE it's pretty harmless. The whole belief with limited proof thing. But dangerous when it comes to anti- vaxxers and covid conspiracy stuff. Britain is no longer Polio free thanks to anti-vaxxers nonsense, according to WHO. Dangerous times

Yep. Harmless enough as a stand-alone conspiracy theory. But based purely on my own experience, and so not at all a scientific study, the FE people often seem to be the exact same guys as the chemtrail/antivaxxers. Look at the posters in that window for example.
I have an old friend who swallows all of these theories from Area 51 to reptilian rulers. Lovely bloke but something is missing up there…

 

[DavidDetroit]

chemtrails

That's a fun conspiracy. I just hold my breath for an hour when I see one overhead.

 

[user 41945]

I met a guy with a Flat Earth Society T-shirt one day and got chatting. He seemed very down to earth (!) and said they were mostly a bunch of people with a particular sense of humour and didn't actually believe the earth to be flat. But that was in southern UK, other territories are available.

 

[johncrobinson]

Its fun to dismiss these cranks,Personally I take no pleasure in it.
However the dismissal of centuries of learning and sacrifice is not to me a pretty picture

 

[marshbrewer]

I'm all for questioning everything, always. We are post enlightenment, after all.

However, five minutes of thought or research disproves the flat earth theory. There just aren't any areas of doubt. So it kind of mystifies me why people persist with it.