Is the flat earth theory the nuttiest tinfoil hat theory ever?

[On Fleek]

Seriously, I have read and heard about so many crude conspiracy theories which I can only shake my head in disbelief about. But this is the craziest "theory" I have ever heard of. I actually hoped that it only concerned evangelical circles, but in fact even two college graduate FB friends of mine believe in it.
Who are those mentally disordered people. What incites them to believe in such baloney? Who do they vote for? Are most of them even educated?
I mean that theory isn't nearly as dangerous as the anti-vaccination movement, but gosh, we're living in the 21st century, and there are some people discussing if the Earth is flat. And sane people unfortunately fall for those insane and do the biggest mistake they could do and start discussing with them. Sometimes you might come to think that you don't wanna live on this world anymore... 😟

[Ronnie]

I think (or hope) pretty much all "flat-earthers" out there don't actually believe it, and, through the use of satire, are merely trying to highlight the absurdity of other conspiracy theories in which people do actually believe.  Even if it is the case that full-blown flat-earthers do still exist, Alex Jones has floated some conspiracy theories that are in the same league of stupidity.

[Cashew]

Hilarious thread
https://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=tfdov2cc44p2l9cgmhgernat25&topic=61153.0;nowap

And they still can't explain why planes aren't falling out of the southern hemisphere.

[Figueira]

Hilarious thread
https://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=tfdov2cc44p2l9cgmhgernat25&topic=61153.0;nowap

And they still can't explain why planes aren't falling out of the southern hemisphere.

Weirdly, the flat earthers are mostly "right" in that discussion. Flying around the world doesn't really disprove their "theory" unless you're taking careful measurements along the way. Flying over Antarctica should do it, though.

[Cashew]

Hilarious thread
https://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=tfdov2cc44p2l9cgmhgernat25&topic=61153.0;nowap

And they still can't explain why planes aren't falling out of the southern hemisphere.

Weirdly, the flat earthers are mostly "right" in that discussion. Flying around the world doesn't really disprove their "theory" unless you're taking careful measurements along the way. Flying over Antarctica should do it, though.

I was pointing out that since they believe the maps are wrong , by that logic the tropic of capricorn must be longer than the tropic of cancer, and any airplane that attempts to fly this distance would fall into the ocean from lack of fuel, or land in the wrong place from incorrectly calculating distance. Even overlooking this, how many tourists have gotten lost in South Africa using their maps? Do governments south of the equator have a different definition of kilometers?

[Figueira]

Hilarious thread
https://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=tfdov2cc44p2l9cgmhgernat25&topic=61153.0;nowap

And they still can't explain why planes aren't falling out of the southern hemisphere.

Weirdly, the flat earthers are mostly "right" in that discussion. Flying around the world doesn't really disprove their "theory" unless you're taking careful measurements along the way. Flying over Antarctica should do it, though.

I was pointing out that since they believe the maps are wrong , by that logic the tropic of capricorn must be longer than the tropic of cancer, and any airplane that attempts to fly this distance would fall into the ocean from lack of fuel, or land in the wrong place from incorrectly calculating distance.

Ah, that's a good point.

[On Fleek]

I think there's also a rapper who believes in the FET.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

No, you named one yourself, the anti-vax theory. Granted, holding it to today is definitely tinfoil, but back when it was originally thought of, it wasn't.  It's not exactly intuitive that we live on a globe that has a central point that is straight down from everywhere else on it.

[RFayette]

No, you named one yourself, the anti-vax theory. Granted, holding it to today is definitely tinfoil, but back when it was originally thought of, it wasn't.  It's not exactly intuitive that we live on a globe that has a central point that is straight down from everywhere else on it.

This.  Plenty of terminology we have is also geocentric in perspective, like "sunrise" and "sunset."   Mere intuition suggests a flat Earth at the center of the universe.  What is a reasonable position to hold changes based on the extent of our collective scientific knowledge.  Obviously, flat-Earth is crazy today, but it wasn't always.  I would say that the nuttiest tinfoil hat theory ever is probably solipsism, simply because there was never a period in history where it would be excusable to hold.

[Wade McDaniel]

moon landing hoax is up there too

[RINO Tom]

Hollow Earth is my fave, as (if it were even remotely possible, at least in its most popularized form) would be totally badass.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The nuttiest belief is surely the one that suggests that people thought that the Earth was flat until Columbus. They did not. It was widely accepted in Europe throughout the Middle Ages that the Earth was spherical. The idea that people thought otherwise is a 19th century canard created to bolster belief in linear Progress.

[dead0man]

I think (or hope) pretty much all "flat-earthers" out there don't actually believe it, and, through the use of satire, are merely trying to highlight the absurdity of other conspiracy theories in which people do actually believe.

This is true.  It's like the Satanists, they don't actually worship Satan, they just enjoy mocking God and trolling the churchies.

[Enduro]

Not when there was a lack of proof against the theory. Believing in it now makes you a weirdo.

[they don't love you like i love you]

Not when there was a lack of proof against the theory. Believing in it now makes you a weirdo.

There's basically never been a lack of proof against it. As Al noted, virtually no one in Columbus' time believed the world was flat. The Ancient Greeks wrote about the world being a sphere, one noting how ships appear on the horizon itself being proof of that.