Home Lifestyle Friday Debate: It’s 2017, why do so many people believe in a flat Earth?

Friday Debate: It’s 2017, why do so many people believe in a flat Earth?

1 min read
88

DEbateearth

Yesterday, because of an offhanded and silly Twitter joke from Elon Musk, I got linked to the Twitter account of the Flat Earth Society. Though the society itself has existed for ages, I’ve seen a growing number of seemingly regular people start questioning the established model of the blue planet we live on.

An alarming number of people buy into the belief that the world we live on is not, in fact, an oblate spheroid – but flatter than Wile E Coyote after yet another failed attempt to catch the roadrunner.

I honestly can’t believe it’s a debatable topic in the year 2017, but given how much else there is about this year that makes no sense, I guess it’s not that out of the ordinary. The biggest bit of evidence that they all seem to have for their belief is that it’s impossible to spot the curve in the so-called globe, even from high altitudes. They believe that the earth looks like this:

flatearth

And it’s not some fringe. There are many people who believe this. Rapper B.o.B is probably one of the most high-profile flat-earthers right now.

“You can’t really say technically the Earth is flat, because there are mountains, but to say that it’s a sphere, I haven’t found one piece of evidence that would lead me to believe that,” B.o.B says. “But what I do have are accounts dating back to ancient Egypt suggesting there’s a dome cover over the planet.”

Well okay then. From my perspective, here’s a table covered with all of the compelling, accepted scientific evidence for a flat earth:

table

But here’s the question? Why do so many people believe in a flat earth? And if you’re one of those people, tell us why.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Critical Hit as an organisation.

Last Updated: December 1, 2017

88 Comments

  1. Spathi

    December 1, 2017 at 10:35

    I’m not sure whether or not to get out the popcorn, or rather leave now while my brain is fairly intact…

    Reply

  2. Milesh Bhana

    December 1, 2017 at 10:36

    How the f**k can you cite a rapper as a high profile endorsement of a basic scientific principle. What next? Jenny McCarthy and Gweneth Palltrow join the frey?

    Reply

    • Milesh Bhana

      December 1, 2017 at 10:38

      Ohh “high” profile.. I see what you did there.

      Reply

    • Sageville

      December 1, 2017 at 10:43

      Look, this is only basic science, that’s why Rapper B.O.B. stepped up, if you want advanced science opinion, you hit up Ja Rule….

      Reply

      • Milesh Bhana

        December 1, 2017 at 10:46

        And for Quantum Physics we get Eminem or Kendrick Lamar.

        Reply

  3. RiDiquelous

    December 1, 2017 at 10:38

    So what you are saying is that there are “Flat Earthers” all AROUND the world!?

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Silver Dragon

      December 1, 2017 at 12:32

      LOOOOOOOOOOOL

      Reply

  4. Original Heretic

    December 1, 2017 at 10:39

  5. Alien Emperor Trevor

    December 1, 2017 at 10:40

    I don’t see why this is so controversial or difficult to understand. If the Earth was round firstly it’d roll off the turtle’s back, and secondly the Great Space Dog Grum would try to play with it because he’d think it was a ball, which he vastly prefers to frisbees, thus dooming the planet in the process.

    Reply

    • Praise KEK

      December 1, 2017 at 10:41

      Solid logic. I must concur you have it nailed down lol

      Reply

    • RinceThis

      December 1, 2017 at 12:43

      this!

      Reply

  6. Ottokie

    December 1, 2017 at 10:43

    I don’t get why people can’t see that we are being lied to by scientists. SA students already made it clear science is fake and made up. So the earth is flat.

    Reply

    • Original Heretic

      December 1, 2017 at 10:53

      You raise a good point, actually.
      It’s due to some scientists talking kak in other fields that made people disbelieve all science.

      Reply

  7. Caveshen Rajman

    December 1, 2017 at 10:53

    So there are a few fallacies in play here but the most basic way to explain it is this:

    1. The “In 2017” thing is your personal confirmation bias based on what you perceive to be the cultural norm, or the zeitgeist or whatever. It is not necessarily shared by everyone, but because you are surrounded by people who do share it, you infer an implicit agreement on the “way of things” which is why anyone with an alternative viewpoint would look so alien to you.

    2. Those people who have alternative viewpoints tend not to think of it as an incorrect viewpoint, but rather as a confirmation of their own biases. For example, they might have authority-related issues which leads to them thinking the government is lizard people, or they might have issues with science, or change, or their own beliefs being attacked. In some instances, they simply find a bogus concept to be revolutionary, because finally something makes sense *to them* without realising that life doesn’t have to necessarily make sense. Unfortunately when we mock and belittle them for their alternative viewpoints, it doesn’t lead to the intended outcome, ie. changing their minds (big surprise). Rather it just makes them want to double down on their version of the truth.

    3. With knowledge and knowledge-sharing, there are always going to be a few steps backwards. This is kinda why we have sea-faring mammals (fuckin’ dolphins, man). In our example, our knowledge of the world being a sphere comes from a pretty much exact science but science has been demonstrably proven false before so how can we be so sure, right? After all, we are taking for granted the words of a bunch of old men who may or may not have faked the moon landing (see: point 2, above). Why should we believe science, especially when it’s always changing the rules?

    I think asking the kind of question phrased like, “How are there flat-earthers in 2017?” is exactly why there are flat-earthers in 2017. Thing is, people have shitty opinions all the time (for example, people who think Destiny is a good game). Through the internet we are exposed to more and more and more of this. And it’s not that it’s “in 2017 why does X exist” but rather “in 2017 we finally understand the extent of X” and while it can be scary, I think drawing attention to it has a dual-effect of alienating those who might be on the fence about it, and also popularising it for people who enjoy going against the grain.

    So yeah, that’s my quick thoughts on the concept of frankly stupid belief systems that are practically mockable religions.

    Reply

    • Original Heretic

      December 1, 2017 at 10:57

      You call these “quick thoughts”?! It’s an essay!!
      But I did read it.
      And you raise some very good points. Especially about the part where some science has been proven false, hence there are those who just suddenly believe that all science is fake.

      Reply

    • RinceThis

      December 1, 2017 at 12:13

      It’s not an opinion though. They are saying it is an ‘IS’.

      Reply

      • Caveshen Rajman

        December 1, 2017 at 13:36

        Do you even English? Google “define opinion” and you get literally this:

        a view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

        Reply

        • Admiral Chief Silver Dragon

          December 1, 2017 at 13:38

          Rince barely even “hooman”

          Reply

    • Admiral Chief Silver Dragon

      December 1, 2017 at 12:31

      MEHstiny and lolz at your mini-essay, gg

      Reply

    • Matthew Holliday

      December 4, 2017 at 13:51

      So, the internet gives these people a voice, making more people talk about them and suddenly opinion is fact?
      Sounds about right, yeah.

      Reply

  8. Ottokie

    December 1, 2017 at 10:55

    • Original Heretic

      December 1, 2017 at 10:57

      Surprised he didn’t respond with “Just like YOUR MOM!”

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        December 1, 2017 at 10:58

        That’s because the Flat Earth Society was founded by a man.

        Reply

        • Original Heretic

          December 1, 2017 at 10:59

          Just like YOUR MOM!

          Reply

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            December 1, 2017 at 11:00

            Shut up, Elon! Your name sounds like a perfume brand.

          • Original Heretic

            December 1, 2017 at 11:00

            That’s being released next year.
            Elon’s Musk.

        • RinceThis

          December 1, 2017 at 12:14

          NO!

          Reply

  9. Skittle

    December 1, 2017 at 10:59

    Who the eff is B.o.B?

    Reply

  10. Doge Man

    December 1, 2017 at 11:01

  11. Phaezen

    December 1, 2017 at 11:10

    Final conclusive proof that the world is not flat:

    If it was flat cats would have knocked everything off the edge by now

    Reply

  12. DaxterZA

    December 1, 2017 at 11:53

    Because people are idiots, that’s all.

    Reply

  13. RinceThis

    December 1, 2017 at 12:12

    Because they are a bunch of ‘look at me’ retards.

    Reply

  14. Admiral Chief Silver Dragon

    December 1, 2017 at 12:28

    Because most people are idiots

    Reply

  15. Kromas Ryder

    December 1, 2017 at 12:51

    The earth is not round. It is a spheroid. So technically many people are wrong anyways 😛

    Reply

    • Johann

      December 1, 2017 at 14:29

      Spheroid is a damn lot closer to round than it is to flat.

      Reply

      • Kromas Ryder

        December 1, 2017 at 15:11

        True but my father always says “Amper raak is nogsteeds mis.” 😛

        Reply

        • Original Heretic

          December 1, 2017 at 15:37

          Sounds like good toilet advice.

          Reply

  16. Magu

    December 1, 2017 at 13:32

    The earth is round?!

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Silver Dragon

      December 1, 2017 at 13:35

      *spherical

      Reply

  17. Johann

    December 1, 2017 at 14:34

    An easy way to find the loonies are to check whether they all agree on their scientific method. All scientists from all walks of life agree the earth is a spheroid, they all agree that the earth and other planets orbit the sun.

    The flat earthers can’t agree on anything, they each have their own version of how day and night, the stars, planets and sun work.

    Reply

  18. EA_CommunityAssurance

    December 1, 2017 at 15:59

    Whoever takes a rapper seriously on a sort-of intellectual concept, deserves to follow rappers.

    Reply

  19. Greylingad{EXPLOSIONS!}

    December 1, 2017 at 23:16

    To start off with, we have to explore the theories surrounding “a Flat Earth” this is to say if you can find two coherent theories that have been proven true (for this, we’ll use basic scientific analysis)…

    1. “The earth is flat and is surrounded by a wall of ice, which keeps the water from falling off of the planet, the wall of ice is known as Antarctica.”
    a.) HOW!? WHAT!? JESUS….
    b.) A starting point would be evidence to support this theory, like a photograph of said wall, one would think that Christopher Columbus would have run into a few issues with said wall before his major discoveries (let’s mention the islands of West Indies and it’s navigational error, no blunder…).
    c.) One would also think that a Pilot would have trouble plotting flight paths when travelling between Greenland and the Eastern side of Russia, but this is a story for another day…
    d.) Where (just….), does the water fall to? In essence, what in this solar system, would be the force of attraction for anything to fall to? Is the planet shadowed by some massive gravitational magnet that conveniently follows the planet around?

    I’m going to stop there for now, my tolerance for this has already run out… You see, it has taken millennia to get to the point where we are scientifically and it annoys me that people are still this uneducated/ignorant or has a need to wrongfully educate themselves.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *