Lee McIntyre, from the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University, explained to Bored Panda during a previous in-depth interview that Flat Earthers should be commended for actually testing out their hypotheses, but they don’t actually understand how science works.
“One of their main arguments was that if the Earth was spinning, the water would fall off. Do they not understand that gravitational pull comes from the center, is based on mass, and works on water too?”
According to McIntyre, many Flat Earthers beliefs aren’t based on evidence in the first place. They keep moving the goalposts when debating scientists. For instance, if you ask a conspiracy theorist what kind of evidence would be sufficient to prove them wrong, the answer you get might reveal a lot about how they think.
“I used that question in person at FEIC [Flat Earth International Conference] 2018 and it was very telling. Most of them just said ‘proof’ and I said ‘proof of what?’ They couldn’t be specific,” McIntyre told Bored Panda.
#25 The Vasyugan Swamp Is The Largest Swamp In The World, Which Is Located In Russia. The Swamp Is The Same Size As Switzerland. There Are Legends That Atlantis Is Located Here
“At one session, I heard many Flat Earthers talk about losing family members, getting kicked out of their churches, losing jobs… who would do that for fun? These are hardcore science deniers. As hard as it might be to accept, there are people who believe this stuff and are willing even to put their lives on the line for it! One rocket guy crashed trying to prove Flat Earth. They aren’t pretending,” the expert said that there are quite a few people who genuinely believe in the conspiracy. So much so that they’re willing to risk their finances and reputation.
“Conspiracy theories have been around since Nero in the Roman Empire. They pop up in times of turmoil or mass unrest when people try to make sense of the world, but can’t. Flat Earth is in some ways just a run-of-the-mill conspiracy theory. They’ve all grown in popularity because beliefs (even fringe beliefs) are reinforced by peer approval, and that is now readily available on the internet. Virtually all of the flat earthers I met were converted based on YouTube videos. Some then went to the conferences. After that, they were ‘down the rabbit hole.'”
According to McIntyre, Flat Earthers try to convert others to their cause. “It’s important to remember that these pathologies of human reasoning exist not just to defend themselves but to proselytize new members. They are virulent. They are infectious. I wish Flat Earth were the worst of them, but it isn’t. It’s the scourge of our age. And it will only continue to get worse.”
#32 Egypt's Pyramids Of Giza May Be Considered One Of The Wonders Of The World, But Sudan Has Nearly Twice The Number Of Pyramids. Sudan Touts 200-255 Known Pyramids, Built For The Kushite Kingdoms Of Nubia, Compared To Egypt's Relatively Paltry 138 Pyramids
#33 How Come We Aren’t Taught About The Mongol Empire That Much In School
#36 This Is Isla Incahuasi: A Small Rocky Outcropping In The Middle Of The Largest Salt Flat On Earth
#37 This Map Shows All Of The Earthquakes With A Magnitude Greater Than 5.0 Over The Last 20 Years
#38 Since Some People Didn't Know What Landlocked Countries Were, I Decided To Make A Map
#40 When, As An American, You Think How Strange It Is For Russia To Have This Little, Unconnected Piece Of Land Surrounded By Another Country… Then Remember Alaska
