Few societies are as strangely referenced in modern society as the Flat Earth Society. The view that the Earth must be flat is not only contrary to everything we think we know about our universe and our world, it’s an extremely unpopular view. And it has been for quite some time. But as with any society with an alternative view, the Flat Earth Society actually has some interesting points to make. And while photographs of the Earth being round are enough to convince most of us, these few say it’s actually part of an even bigger conspiracy.
The idea that the Earth is round has not seen much mainstream debate in the United States, partially because the discovery of the Americas seemed to prove the idea that the world is in fact round. After all, pilots can travel in one direction around the circumference of the globe and eventually come to the same spot. Visitors to the North and south Poles have witnessed the freezing temperatures of a planet’s axis, and our entire understanding of weather, geography, geology, and most other hard sciences hinges largely on the fact that Earth is round.
But the FES has an alternative point of view. And they say it’s backed in hard science. Not deterred by round shadows on the Lunar surface, the eyewitness testimony of astronauts, or even the observations of pilots, the Flat Earthers have an interesting point of view about all of these. The reason you can travel from Australia to the United States is because you are traveling around the circle that allows you to get that far. This may explain the circular shadow on the moon as well. And the flat Earthers will tell you you’re wrong for using eyewitness testimony from NASA launches and pictures from space shuttles as well. The entire space program, according to them, is an elaborate hoax designed to confirm a made up theory.
But there are several ways the globe’s roundness can affect us on Earth. GPS satellites are positioned around the globe and are designed with a spherical Earth in mind.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the flat Earth theory is that the entire world as we know it is contained within a massive dome. This dome has a height of approximately 4,000 miles and a sun traveling through it that can curve its rays of sunlight to create the illusion of shadow and setting and to explain the lengthening of shadows at dusk.
The idea of a flat Earth may seem silly to some and downright counterproductive to others, but although I don’t agree with them, it is a dangerous path we travel when we accept the testimony of the mainstream unquestioningly. This has been demonstrated throughout history. And while the flat Earther’s may not be saving the globe, they do represent something that in its own way is extremely important. The right to disagree with just about everyone.