Why is there even a conspiracy theory about a flat earth?

[Deathknightish]

Most CTs at least have some basis and you can at least somewhat understand them. Like people's fear of putting stuff into their bodies (vaccines).

The flat earth theory is just dumb though. What's even the point of this theory? What importance does it have whether it's flat, round or a bloody cube?

What benefit would mankind get if it was revealed that it was flat?

If vaccines DID prove to be dangerous like they claim, we would become healthier. If the earth is flat, we...?
This particular conspiracy theory just seems too dumb not to be someone laughing their ass off when they came up with it.

[Forgettable]

Something something "Moon landing was faked"
Something something "We can't do space travel"
Something something "Aliens are among us"

One of those maybe.

[omeomorfismo]

because cospiracies arent concerns, they are a way of thinking, the need of feel special and woken up

[SavoirFaire]

I think they just like annoying people. Is there any CT more annoying than flat earth?

[Tuor]

The Moon is round...
The Sun is round...
Io, Europa, Ganimedes and Calisto are round, so are other Moon's...
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune are round...
Pluto, Eris, Ceres, Makemake and Haumea are round...
White dwarfs are round...
Brown Dwarfs are round...
All known stars are round...
... So are Neutron Stars and even Black Holes.

Why on the freaking universe Earth would be flat?

The dump people just don't stop me amazing. I had a discussion in another forum of a guy that was telling everyone the the clima changes and global warming was good because we would no longer had winther's, i had to explain that guy that if the ice in the poles melts we would be living underwater.

Dump people are just that, dump...

[Grimbold21]

For the same reason that people hold a deeply entrenched belief for anything else?

That they're utterly convinced of their belief that any clear proof shown is dismissed in a number of rather immature ways, the most cliché one being "that's what they want you to think!!"

[tikcol]

Most CTs at least have some basis and you can at least somewhat understand them. Like people's fear of putting stuff into their bodies (vaccines).

The flat earth theory is just dumb though. What's even the point of this theory? What importance does it have whether it's flat, round or a bloody cube?

What benefit would mankind get if it was revealed that it was flat?

If vaccines DID prove to be dangerous like they claim, we would become healthier. If the earth is flat, we...?
This particular conspiracy theory just seems too dumb not to be someone laughing their ass off when they came up with it.

Well, if it's flat you can fell off which makes it substantially more dangerous.. Imagine falling off Earth and landing in the Flat Sun below.

[Endus]

Conspiracy theories fundamentally exist because people are ignorant, and afraid, and the two combined create a sense of deep insecurity.

The conspiracy theory then offers them a way to feel secure; it's not that they're ignorant of physics, physics about a round earth is just a lie and they know the real truth!

This also, perhaps obviously, stretches to political conspiracy theories like the assassination of JFK, where fear about what happened causes people to kneejerk into something, anything, that provides an explanation that settles that insecurity. It doesn't matter if the answer they come up with is terrifying in itself, what matters is that they feel confident in it, and that they know more than most because they know "the truth".

Conspiracy theories are, essentially, security blankets.

[ranzino]

Didnt humans believe that thousands of years ago and it just kinda... continued because people refuse to accept facts?

even the Almagest by Ptolemy (the canon book for geocentrism until De Revolutionibus) was ok with globe. flat earth belief is so out of time, it is just silly.

[Calfredd]

The Moon is round...
The Sun is round...
Io, Europa, Ganimedes and Calisto are round, so are other Moon's...
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune are round...
Pluto, Eris, Ceres, Makemake and Haumea are round...
White dwarfs are round...
Brown Dwarfs are round...
All known stars are round...
... So are Neutron Stars and even Black Holes.

Why on the freaking universe Earth would be flat?

The dump people just don't stop me amazing. I had a discussion in another forum of a guy that was telling everyone the the clima changes and global warming was good because we would no longer had winther's, i had to explain that guy that if the ice in the poles melts we would be living underwater.

Dump people are just that, dump...

Well if our resident flat-earther Hammerfest is to be believed, there are no other planets. We're covered in a black, cloth-like veil. Those other planets and stars are nothing more than decoration and all those rocket launches are fake because we can't actually pierce that veil. So yeah, they just invent more stupid stuff to explain away their theory holes.

[Pony Soldier]

Because we don't punish people for lying.

It's not that they're lying it's their BELIEF that the Earth is flat. Even when you show them evidence that it's obviously not they'll still believe it's flat.

Honestly though even though their belief is stupid and wrong we shouldn't punish or censor people for what they believe in. It's not up to us or the government to tell people what they should and should not believe in. Once we start doing that we would be no better than places like North Korea where people aren't allowed to have their own beliefs. If they want to believe the Earth is flat and preach it online or to other people then that is their right to do so no matter what we think of it. If other people choose to believe in it then that is their freedom to do so.

This would be like punishing people for their religious beliefs. If I'm Christian and the other person is say Jewish do I have the right to punish or censor that person because I consider his beliefs to be wrong? No.

[Daedius]

Life would be boring without conspiracies.

[beanman12345]

Idiot's need attention.

[jonnysensible]

wheres that hammer guy so we can ask him.

[LeGin Tufnel]

Money.

- Alex Jones: cottage industry
- Andrew Wakefield: fraud
- Loch Ness Monster: tourist attraction

etc.

I'm sure if you look, prominent flat-earthers (or at least those pushing it) will have some kind of financial impetus.

[cubby]

Most CTs at least have some basis and you can at least somewhat understand them. Like people's fear of putting stuff into their bodies (vaccines).

The flat earth theory is just dumb though. What's even the point of this theory? What importance does it have whether it's flat, round or a bloody cube?

What benefit would mankind get if it was revealed that it was flat?

If vaccines DID prove to be dangerous like they claim, we would become healthier. If the earth is flat, we...?
This particular conspiracy theory just seems too dumb not to be someone laughing their ass off when they came up with it.

If you release enough of your critical thinking skills, the Flat Earth conspiracy theory has some attraction. Most conspiracy theories do, of course. And there is an intellectual attraction to any "reasonable" conspiracy theory, because it emboldens our desire to find something that no one else knows, and/or prove a point that has been continuously disproven.

Probably more than anything, people need a hobby.

(please note, I'm just trying to explain them, I don't even remotely follow them)

[s_bushido]

This would be like punishing people for their religious beliefs.

You say that as if religious belief isn't part of the same problem. If exploiting people's credulity to believe in magic is seen as something that should be protected (or even valued) in society, there's literally nothing preventing people from applying that same credulity to conspiracy theories.

[Pony Soldier]

You say that as if religious belief isn't part of the same problem. If exploiting people's credulity to believe in magic is seen as something that should be protected (or even valued) in society, there's literally nothing preventing people from applying that same credulity to conspiracy theories.

Ok and what is problem with that? If people want to believe in magic, let them. Why should we tell them that magic is fake and they're not allowed to believe in it? If you think those beliefs are wrong and stupid then just don't pay any attention to it. What if I were to say whatever you believe in is stupid and untrue and whatever you post or say about it is silenced and censored where ever you go to share it? Would you be ok with that?

My point is people should be able to believe in whatever they want to believe in and share their opinions freely and if other people choose to believe in it then let them. If there belief or opinion is truly wrong like the flat Earth theory is then the people who are smart enough to know better will ignore it. There's no reason to "punish" or censor people simply because we don't share their beliefs or opinions. We're not that kind of country. At least we shouldn't be.

[crewskater]

We absolutely should punish people who are dumb enough to think the Earth is flat.

What would be the appropriate punishment? That's a dangerous game you're playing and I hope you can see why.

[Corvus]

Didnt humans believe that thousands of years ago and it just kinda... continued because people refuse to accept facts?

A lot of ancient cultures knew the world was round. The ancient Greeks did and one of their mathematicians had actually calculated the size of the Earth almost exactly right.