Who Started the Flat Earth Conspiracy Theory, How Many Believe This, and What Do They Believe?

In this video:

In this video we start by looking at who the first humans were to figure out the world was round, then jump into who started the modern Flat Earth conspiracy theory, how many Flat Earther's there are in this round world, and what exactly Flat Earthers believe.

[patrickdurham]

I saw a meme stating if the world was flat cats would have already knocked everything off the edge. That's irrefutable logic right there.

[flwridr]

“It’s hard to win an argument with a smart person, its impossible to win an argument with a stupid person” -Bill Murray

[zakbzak]

The only thing to fear is sphere itself.

[SleekDiamond]

I have a neighbor that’s a flat earther

He watches videos on it, does his research… and has the balls to laugh at people for thinking the earth is round. He literally says that “people would know it’s flat, if they just had a little basic understanding of science”

These people are fascinatingly stupid.

[robote]

"Never argue with a stupid person. First they'll drag you down to their level, then they'll beat you with experience." Mark Twain

[Maikeru]

One of my favourite Flat-Earther statements is that they have thousands of members around the globe.

[TheChillimouse]

Come on. Everyone knows ships disapear because of being outside of the render distance.

[SleekDiamond]

The Netflix documentary Around the Curve has my favorite example of flat earthers

They came up with a surprisingly scientific experiment involving a gyroscope to measure the actual curvature of the earth. They laid out the explanation for what evidence would prove that the earth is round, and what would prove the earth is flat

It proved the earth is round

Their conclusion: magical sky beams interfered with their measurements

[Plaguebearer]

The fact we are discussing this in the 21st century is worrying.

[isaacgraff]

I once asked a flat earther about 'If you keep going west, why do you end up in the east?" His answer boiled down to, shit you not, Pac-Man Physics. If you leave the left side of the screen you appear on the right side of the screen. I still do not understand how this could possibly work.

[neonclear]

6:04 You could run a survey in which the only question is "Are you currently taking a survey?" and 5% of people will still answer "Not sure"

[uka]

"Only believe in things you can see for yourself. Also, there's an ice wall around the disc that no-one has ever seen for themselves, but trust me bro."

[marccolten]

I'll tell you who is most pissed by the Flat Earth theory - the Hollow Earthers. No one even talks about their crackpot theory any more.

[Kenxclout]

A flat-earther's greatest fear is...




Sphere itself.

[garrettwhitener]

The funny thing is if we took a champion of champion among the flat earthers to space and they confirmed the earth is round they would then be written off as bought by NASA.

[RobRoss]

Like all cult beliefs, some people need to believe they have secret knowledge that only they and their in-group possesses, to make them feel whole.

[gravity]

How to debate a Flat Earther - walk away in a straight line until you disappear below the horizon. QED.

[ShadowAkatora]

"Only trust what you can see with your own eyes"

Hasn't seen the edge of the Earth.

[WilcrezTheWanderer]

My favorite part of flat earth people is that Bob Knodel made a whole-ass documentary and bought a $20, 000 gyroscopic laser to prove the Earth is flat... only to discover it WASN'T flat, and decided that since he didn't like that, the evidence didn't matter.

[MegusKhan]

Here are five undeniable scientific facts that make flat earth theory an impossible model.

1. Size of the sun observed in the sky: When observed the sun takes up the same “degrees of space” in the observable sky. This is only possible for a very large object being very far away. In all flat earth theories the sun is a small object moving relatively close to earth shining a spotlight of “day time” upon the surface of the earth. The relatively observed ”degrees of space” taken up by the sun should start as very small at sun rise, be observed to be 3x-5x times larger in the sky at Noon (based on theorized size of the sun and distance from the earth’s surface proposed in the various versions of flat earth models). The sun would then get smaller and smaller in the sky as it approaches sunset.

2. The pattern of the tides. The double low and high tide patterns as seen on earth are only possible if the moon is rotating around a spherical earth. No math models in any flat earth theory can explain the observed tide cycle.

3. Sky Rotation changing. From time lapse studies, we know from the observable sky at night what appears to be a sky rotating counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. This is only possible on a rotating globe. In fact in flat earth models, the sun and northern star (Polaris) should ALWAYS be visible at night.

4. Shadow angles at Noon. Put two tall sticks in the ground 100 yards apart. Watch what happens at Noon. In a flat earth model there should be a time when the shadows cast by the sticks are pointing in opposite directions as the small relatively close sun passes over head. This doesn’t occur the shadows are cast at always the same angle of projection. This is only possible with a globe rotating to reveal a very large very far away sun.

5. Sundials move “clockwise” north of the equator. Sundials move “counter clockwise” south of the equator. This cannot happen on a flat earth with a small sun flying through the sky.