It has been a well known fact for quite a long time that the Earth is round. However, a group of Conspiracy Theorists have decided to reopen the subject by claiming the Earth is actually flat.
On November 9th and 10th, the Flat Earth International Conference was held in Raleigh, North Carolina. Over 400 people were estimated to be in attendance with tickets starting at $109 and going up to $249. YouTuber and flat-Earth conspiracy theorist Mark Sargent was one of the speakers at this conference. Other presentations included "Waking Up to Mainstream Science Lies" and "NASA and Other Space Lies."
Conspiracy theories
Flat-earthers truly believe that the Earth is flat, and that scientists have been lying to the public.
The most popular theory is that the Earth is shaped like a disc with the Arctic Circle in the center and Antartica forming a 150-foot-high ice wall on the outer rim. In addition, they also firmly believe that NASA has stationed guards on this giant ice wall to keep people from climbing over it and falling into the abyss of nothingness.
To explain the day and night cycle, they believe that the sun and moon are 32-mile wide spheres that move in a circular pattern 3,000 miles above the Earth's plane. Flat-earthers also believe that there is an invisible "antimoon" that is responsible for lunar eclipses.
What do these conspiracy theorists have to say about gravity? They think it does not exist. To explain why people aren't floating off into space, flat-earthers have concluded that the Earth is moving upwards at a speed of 32-feet per second.
According to their theories, the Earth is being constantly pushed upward into space by a mysterious force they call dark energy.
Flat-earthers believe that all images from space are fabricated. They deny that humans have ever sent anything into space, and that the photos of Earth are fake.
How to respond to flat-earthers
The first thing to point out when speaking with a flat-earther is that all of the other planets are round.
These planets can be seen by anyone through a telescope. It simply does not make sense that every other planet would be round while the Earth is flat. Another thing to consider is ships on the horizon. By looking into the distance, one may see a ship far off. The ship will look as though it is rising up out of the ocean. That is because the Earth is round.
Star constellations are another point to make. After visiting Egypt, Aristotle observed that the constellations were not the same as they were in the northern region. If the Earth was flat, the constellations would remain the same.
There are many other discussion points that can be made against flat-earthers. Information and photos from NASA and other scientific institutes can be readily found through many sources free to the public. However, flat-earthers seek to charge hundreds of dollars to learn more about their theories. This is what happens when the conspiracy theorist meets the con-artist.
