Flat earth, a conspiracy to discredit conspiracies?

Flat earth, im sure there are many well meaning people who genuinely believe it. Flat earth also has a long history, although the globular earth model is also much older than most people realize. I do not think that Flat earthers are all glowies or paid shills, however...
I have noticed that flat earth has been wildly reported on by the media in recent years. And the movement has (probably because of that) boomed in popularity. Flat earth seems to be one of the fastest growing conspiracies out there. Why is there such a spotlight on this (in my opinion crackpot) theory?
I have discussed it with some of my more conspiratorial minded friends and we kind of concluded its a way for the media to portray all conspiracy theorists as crazy and to make everyone accept the couple of 'allowed' narratives. This is probably not a new thought and i would like to hear other peoples perspectives about it. Why do you think there is such a focus on flat earth theory? Is flat earth theory a false flag?

a reply to: futurehobo

I've thought the same thing myself. Something they put out there for a "he's crazy" talking point. Then use that to discredit anything thats hitting the truth.

a reply to: futurehobo

Some people actually believe in FE but I think a lot of them just want to pick an argument just for the sake of it.

a reply to: futurehobo

I thought it all got started as a debate topic at a University if I remember right.

Then it grew into a monster from there.

Some of these FE'rs do make a good argument. It is odd that even at 35000 ft in a plane you can't see the curvature of the Earth.
It is also odd that pilots don't have to adjust for the curvature.
However, imo, the earth is a globe, and is spinning. That's my personal experience. Once when I went to watch the sunrise at Ha'aleakala crater in Maui. That was pretty trippy. As you can see how the earth is rotating and the sun rising as it does.
The other experience one has that prove imo the earth is spinning, is when looking through a telescope at the moon, or other planets. You have to constantly adjust to keep them in your lens and focused.

a reply to: futurehobo

I don't think the earth is flat, but we once did. I find it interesting, that we could agree on a completely false geometry.
I sometimes wonder if we could still be similarly wrong?

If memory serves correctly, which it probably doesn't, I seem to remeber the flat earth craze started, shortly after the hollow earth thing got traction...

While in the navy I could look out on the horizon and watch ships appear and disappear. I think that's pretty good evidence the earth has a curvature and is round.

I'm inclined to think we need to look closer at why things are censored.

a reply to: igloo

Like what?

originally posted by: Oldcarpy2
a reply to: igloo

Like what?

It's complex so I may not be able to explain well.

Flat earth is somewhat censored and it might simply be to build intrigue around it and then those who are interested get used as a laughing stock. It takes up these people's time to research it, time that they might put into other research which those in power want to keep hidden. A decoy of sorts. I think mostly of things like the antarctic treaty, banning average people from going south and various areas on Google earth that are clearly blacked out. Obviously, some of this is genuinely sensitive military info but it could be other than that. Research wasted is research prevented.

On the other hand, as previously mentioned, the flat earth people have some decent arguments. The one that stands out for me is topic of emergency flight patterns and the fact that pilots use a flat earth map. It could be argued that it's designed that way as most air traffic/population is in the north so it's used as a form of mental ergonomics and is the logical answer to mapping a round ball.

The main thing to me is that NASA gets caught out lying about their CGI versions of the earth. There are contrasting versions where the continents are literally the wrong size. A particularly stunning fake involves the US taking up most of the globe. So until those jokers give us the real goods, people will continue to speculate.

I kind of drifted off into another subject but simply as long as the agencies in charge keep feeding us propaganda people will fill in the gaps and that may just be intentional.

a reply to: futurehobo

And then you have yer Moon Landing Deniers.

A similar breed.

Pretty sure some of them are just up for an argument, too.

I thought flat earth was crazy but started looking into it about seven years ago.
The earth doesn’t rotate and there’s no curvature so it’s flat in my opinion.
If you do the research you’ll find it really hard to prove the earth is a globe other than what you get from space agencies.
Any of you willing to look into it should take a look at Globebusters 24/7 on YouTube. Loads of proof of a flat non-routing earth.
Don’t bother with “The flat earth society “. You’ll give up after five minutes.
Flat earth Dave interviews is good too. Loads of videos but you’ve really got to look into it. The movement has really picked up.

a reply to: Terpene

The ancient Greeks knew our Earth to be a globe.

They even managed to calculate our the earth's circumference and not be to far of the mark.

a reply to: lambros56

Nah, I'm a physicist and can confidently say that we can and do observe mechanics that prove the earth is rotating. These "agencies" are not providing the proof but a result from the proofs. If one is so inclined to believe the earth is flat they should study physics. They'll be surprised by how much is dependent upon the shape of the earth.

a reply to: andy06shake

where do the stories of the edge of the world come from? Is it all Terry Pratchett?

We did belive in flat eart up until the 6 century bc. That makes roughly 8000 years, of the 315'000 years homo sapiens been around. It might take us another 307'000 years to get another of these eureka moments, or not.

I'm not saying the sphere isn't the most effective geometry when dealing with infinity. Add on movement, and you'll end up with a torus...

a reply to: futurehobo

a way for the media to portray all conspiracy theorists as crazy and to make everyone accept the couple of 'allowed' narratives

This ^

We are quickly getting to (at least in the media) If you question the narrative, you are a conspiracy theorist. And they are also trying to associate Conspiracy Theorist with Right Wing... which makes sense because the media and their narratives are usually left-leaning.

So if you are a conservative who questions the narrative, you will be labeled a right wing conspiracy theorist.

The media loves labels and putting portions of the population in nice little boxes so that others may cast stones.

a reply to: Terpene

where do the stories of the edge of the world come from? Is it all Terry Pratchett?

Same place hollow Earth stories come from is my bet Terpene.

Thats being the imaginations of Man.

We did belive in flat eart up until the 6 century bc.

How do you know what people believed up until the 6 century BC?

That makes roughly 8000 years, of the 315'000 years homo sapiens been around. It might take us another 307'000 years to get another of these eureka moments, or not.

Considering there is not much recorded history that still around from that period.

And recorded history certainly don't stretch back anywhere near 315,000 years, i have to wonder why you assume to be able to state what they thought.

I'm not saying the sphere isn't the most effective geometry when dealing with infinity. Add on movement, and you'll end up with a torus...

Its not even a sphere per say, our Earth that is, but an oblate spheroid.

People are intitled to choose to believe as they wish Terpene good luck with flat Earth theory through.

Because its been done and disproven time and time again.






This dude does a good job of pulling apart the nonsensical theory without even using much science.

a reply to: lambros56

I have looked into all that.

It's all bollox.

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

It will be ice walls, UN maps, the firmament nonsense next.

a reply to: andy06shake

And how you can't go near the ice wall or go to Antarctica because you'll get shot?