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In an age where humanity has sent probes to the edges of the solar system, mapped the deep universe, and developed technologies beyond imagination, a peculiar belief still persists: the Earth is flat. This isn’t just a fringe idea lurking in obscure corners of the internet—it has gained traction, drawing in thousands who are convinced that centuries of scientific discovery are nothing more than deception. But why?
The flat Earth movement is not merely about the shape of the planet; it’s a symptom of something larger—a deep skepticism of institutions, a yearning for simple, firsthand understanding, and a reaction to a world increasingly built on complex, unseen knowledge.
How did we get here? Why do people, even in the 21st century, reject what seems like an indisputable fact? And what does this tell us about the human mind, science, and our relationship with truth? Click through this gallery to find out.
Looking through the eyes of a flat-Earther, the world is a fixed plane with the North Pole at the center and a towering ice wall at the edges, guarded by NASA employees with weapons who prevent anyone from exploring further.
Flat-Earthers claim that those who attempt to explore beyond this icy barrier are met with hostility, turned away at gunpoint, and even imprisoned, ensuring that no one uncovers the 'truth' about the shape of our world.
According to flat-Earth beliefs, the sky is a massive dome encasing our reality. The sun, moon, and stars are merely small lights moving just above the Earth’s surface, all of which is contained in a geocentric, enclosed world.
Despite centuries of scientific consensus, flat-Earth theories have gained traction online, with thousands of followers on social media. A worrying trend suggests that belief in a round Earth is fading, especially among younger generations.
Polls reveal that only 84% of Americans confidently affirm that they have always believed in a round Earth. Even more alarming, only 66% of young adults (aged between 18 and 24) share this conviction, which brings the belief dangerously close to an even split.
The rise of flat-Earth belief is perplexing. Why do people still cling to this outdated idea? Instead of meaningful explanations, mainstream coverage tends to focus on flat-Earth conventions and interviews rather than deeper analysis.
Some flat-Earthers claim to 'prove' their theory with simple tests. One involves carrying a spirit level onto an airplane. If the level remains balanced, they argue, the plane isn’t compensating for the Earth’s curvature by tilting its nose forward, which supposedly proves that it's flat.
But the spirit level experiment ignores basic physics. Gravity and the nature of flight (which includes aerodynamics) ensure that an airplane experiences a smooth ride without visible tilting, regardless of Earth’s curvature.
Flat-Earth belief wasn’t always a thing. By 205 BCE, Greek scholars had already demonstrated Earth's roundness. Contrary to school myths, even in medieval times, educated people widely accepted that the Earth was a globe.
The notion that Christopher Columbus set sail to prove the Earth was round is a complete myth. The Catholic Church, Spanish patrons, and Columbus himself already knew it was round—yet, somehow, this legend persists in education today.
Ironically, flat-Earth theories reemerged in the 1800s during a time of rapid scientific progress. As new discoveries in biology, physics, and astronomy flourished, some people resisted, yearning for a return to simpler, firsthand observation-based science.
As science advanced, some skeptics feared that it was becoming too abstract, too reliant on complex instruments and calculations. They longed for the days when anyone could simply look at the world and understand its nature through direct observation.
Enter Samuel Rowbotham, known by the pseudonym "Parallax." In 1838, he set out to prove that science had gone astray, using an experiment that he believed would conclusively demonstrate that the Earth is flat.
The Old Bedford River, a perfectly straight six-mile (10-kilometer) canal in England, became Rowbotham’s laboratory. His experiment involved him standing on one end of the canal and watching as a boat (equipped with a flag on a pole) drifted down the canal. Rowbotham theorized that if the Earth were truly curved, the boat would disappear below the horizon.
Unsurprisingly, the boat did not disappear, and Rowbotham saw it as irrefutable proof that the world was flat. What Rowbotham failed to consider, however, was atmospheric refraction—the bending of light due to temperature and air density. This natural phenomenon can make distant objects appear visible even when they should technically be obscured by curvature.
Rowbotham’s experiment was flawed but compelling. His method felt simple and intuitive, which made it an attractive alternative to complex scientific explanations. He later published his findings, which fueled an early flat-Earth movement.
The real issue wasn’t the experiment itself—it was Rowbotham’s refusal to consider scientific principles like light refraction. He wanted knowledge to be tangible, and so he rejected anything too abstract or theoretical for the average person to grasp.
Rowbotham’s approach became known as the Zetetic method: a philosophy that rejected complex theories and instruments, insisting that truth should come only from direct human observation. He urged people to trust their eyes over institutions or scientific advancements.
While the Zetetic movement gained some traction, it ultimately faded as scientific progress continued. The idea of a flat Earth, once reignited, dimmed again—until the internet era brought it roaring back.
Today’s flat-Earthers employ modern tools (high-powered cameras, YouTube videos, and memes) to spread their message. They manipulate images, misinterpret optical effects, and find 'proof' in easily debunked visual phenomena.
The internet has made it easier than ever to share eye-catching, misleading claims. A single convincing-sounding assertion can spread faster than a carefully researched rebuttal, which simply reinforces false beliefs and ingrains skepticism.
Like their predecessors, modern flat-Earthers rely on their senses. They dismiss astrophysics, complex measurements, and scientific instruments, believing that only firsthand observation provides truth—despite centuries of evidence to the contrary.
Many flat-Earthers view traditional education and scientific institutions with suspicion. They argue that mainstream scientists are brainwashed and are merely repeating what they were taught, without questioning or testing it for themselves.
Flat-Earthers frequently misinterpret map projections, mistaking distortions used for practical cartography as proof that the Earth is not a sphere. For example, the azimuthal map projection (which is used for the logo of the United Nations) is often misrepresented as a "flat-Earth map."
Flat-Earth belief is deeply tied to a broader mistrust of institutions. Many flat-Earthers have an affinity for George Orwell’s dystopian novel ‘1984,’ which they interpret as a warning against a shadowy elite that manipulates public knowledge to maintain control.
Flat-Earthers don’t just reject science—they rebel against authority. Their skepticism isn't only about the Earth's shape; it’s about resisting a world they feel is controlled by distant and untrustworthy individuals.
Scientific progress is like a tower, built brick by brick. No single person understands every field, but through rigorous peer review and debate we create a collective body of reliable knowledge that advances humanity.
Our world relies on trust in scientific institutions. This system works, but it is imperfect—leaving room for doubt, misinformation, and movements like flat-Earthism to exploit gaps in public understanding.
Flat-Earth belief is not merely a question of the planet’s shape—it reflects a broader resistance to authority and a discomfort with knowledge that requires trust in unseen mechanisms. But despite the movement’s persistence, science continues its relentless march forward.
Sources: (Scientific American) (Live Science) (BBC Earth)
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In an age where humanity has sent probes to the edges of the solar system, mapped the deep universe, and developed technologies beyond imagination, a peculiar belief still persists: the Earth is flat. This isn’t just a fringe idea lurking in obscure corners of the internet—it has gained traction, drawing in thousands who are convinced that centuries of scientific discovery are nothing more than deception. But why?
The flat Earth movement is not merely about the shape of the planet; it’s a symptom of something larger—a deep skepticism of institutions, a yearning for simple, firsthand understanding, and a reaction to a world increasingly built on complex, unseen knowledge.
How did we get here? Why do people, even in the 21st century, reject what seems like an indisputable fact? And what does this tell us about the human mind, science, and our relationship with truth? Click through this gallery to find out.