Flat Earth

Pinball1970 said:
Flerfers do not really do much harm as no one takes them seriously.
No Politicians, scientists or intellectuals, just YouTubers and their followers.
Anti vaxers are another matters.
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Yes. It's certainly worth mentioning that flerfers mostly harm nobody but themselves, other than to the extent to which they pass on poor thinking habits to their children, their immediately family and friends and, in some cases, to gullible fools on the interwebs.

There are worse things than flerf. If you're an anti-vaxxer, you can die from contracting an easily-avoidable disease (e.g. measles), but if you're a flerfer the biggest danger is that you might travel outside the USA by accident one day and discover that there's a southern hemisphere, or something like that. Or you might go outside one day and see a sunset. But in the meantime, you're probably just going to be advising people to watch out for that massive ice wall if they ever travel to Antarctica.

Also worth repeating, however, is that if you're sufficiently gullible to be sucked into the flerf black hole of error, then chances are high that you'll also be sucked into belief in about 20 other conspiracy theories, some of which will probably harm yourself and your loved ones, sooner or later.
 
James R said:
Yes. It's certainly worth mentioning that flerfers mostly harm nobody but themselves, other than to the extent to which they pass on poor thinking habits to their children, their immediately family and friends and, in some cases, to gullible fools on the interwebs.

There are worse things than flerf. If you're an anti-vaxxer, you can die from contracting an easily-avoidable disease (e.g. measles), but if you're a flerfer the biggest danger is that you might travel outside the USA by accident one day and discover that there's a southern hemisphere, or something like that. Or you might go outside one day and see a sunset. But in the meantime, you're probably just going to be advising people to watch out for that massive ice wall if they ever travel to Antarctica.

Also worth repeating, however, is that if you're sufficiently gullible to be sucked into the flerf black hole of error, then chances are high that you'll also be sucked into belief in about 20 other conspiracy theories, some of which will probably harm yourself and your loved ones, sooner or later.
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There is a nice summary of the psychological factors behind the conspiracy theorist mindset here:

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From: https://www.protagonist-science.com/p/the-conspiracy-mindset

Having looked at at this and some similar articles, it seems everyone agrees that the growth of social media plays a big role in playing on these tendencies in people and validating them, thereby increasing the reach of conspiracy theories.

The internet puts far more information directly in the hands of the reader, creating the feeling that they don't need experts any more as they can decide for themselves. And in some ways this is a good thing. However, the internet has also had a disastrous effect on people's attention spans, depriving them of the patience and analytical skills to work a theory through, before deciding to adopt it for one of the emotional or psychological reasons outlined.
 
James R said:
Also worth repeating, however, is that if you're sufficiently gullible to be sucked into the flerf black hole of error
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Something has gone wrong in terms of upbringing and education with those people.
We push our kids or should do to take education seriously and that begins at home.
If they have no critical thinking skills to protect them from flat earth stories, or from believing any stupid crap they read on the internet, then we have already failed as parents.

If you watch the Lord Jamar debate (it's hardly a debate) you can see this follows a pattern.
He has a script/sound bites that he has picked up from YouTube or Facebook.
Once one point has been dissected he simply moves onto the next, you can see him checking his phone for back up.
The actual content of the claims is beyond his education and capabilities, to the point where he does not realise the significance of the meaning of the terms he is using.

A couple of quick examples of how early stupid can lead to a lifetime of it.

There was an issue with the black and Asian community rejecting the COVID jab when it became available. It was too touchy to discuss it on Physics Forums at the time and deemed political.

Uptake was 50% in some areas for eligible people so they got Lenny Henry to talk to his community on the BBC. A black Brummie.
Why would a person rather listen to a comedian regarding immunology than an immunologist? Or virologist?

Last one, Angie Best has been diagnosed with colon cancer (she was married to George Best)
She has always been keen on health, and prefers alternative medicine. Her homeopathic practitioner told her she had Lyme's disease and gave her some tinctures and herbs.
When she finally when to an actual Dr a scan revealed a 30cm tumour and mets in her liver.
So having been given this devastating diagnosis what does she do?
Does she renounce the Homeopath as a incompetent dangerous quack?
Say that Homeopathy is fake and no backed up by science?
No, she goes on Facebook denouncing cancer research, says it's a scam and although they spend billions each year cancer is increasing.
She also announces she is having alternative treatment with mistletoe BUT also undertakes chemotherapy, presumably because there may be a part of her that wants to live?

Kids on Facebook could read that garbage, think science is a money making scam, avoid going to the Dr, miss a diagnosis, adults too.

My kids won't because they will read that cancer screening and treatment has doubled survival rates for many cancers since 1970, they will check that from different sources, Facebook not being one one them.
They would also find out that Angie Best is not a cancer researcher, oncologist or Dr so probably best ignore what she says regarding cancer, research and treatment.
 
Roosters for ever said:
Point 7 is one they are able to experiment themselves! :)
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I love the mental image of some Flerfer dutifully walking 10K km. I think it's reasonable to assume the true believers are operating on faith, driven by their sense of belonging to a group. Otherwise, five minutes in any busy harbor would resolve their error. Flerfer belief makes me think of anorexia. You can't persuade an anorexic away from their dysmorphia with reason, scales, or showing them a mirror.
 
New conspiracy theory from a Facebook post!

"Just took this when I got out my car in Dallas tx. This is not our fucking sun. It's too fucking low and follows me everywhere honest to God .So when I snapped the pic of the sun I see another image that I never seen with the naked eye!" (Shows picture of the Sun taken through a dirty lens)

Also in that thread:

"Yes it’s called the veil that’s opening up that was once locked away as CERN ripped a hole into this realm. Our real SUN is still there hidden from the plasma sun put into the sky’s to follow ours from china."

"The sun is real when it comes up in the morning and when it goes down at night but I think that there is a machine or simulator that's situated just in front of it at a certain time of the morning that kicks on and does what it does. I don't believe our son is local anyhow. Definitely not 93 million miles away."

"look at the clouds they are not real only created. We have structures in our clouds focus there for now till you can get to space"

"we live within the dome! Flying vehicles operate above and accumulate in massive units. Like flying armies from manipulating weather to stealing with those on the group via coms. Remember Gazoo, from the Flintstones? Except their real people. Faking everyone our to think that they were aliens. Just great big freaking liars."

"James Webb sun simulator. You're right! This is our sun but it's behind a filter. Looks like it's blocking the red spectrum to reduce plant growth and fruiting. Our government is at war with the people. The mean to make us sick until we slowly die off. This way there's no one thing that looks as though is killing us off. Everyone is dying of many different causes to make it look like it's natural but it isn't natural because they're destroying our immune systems and our ability to uptake energy so we can heal. "

These people really exist.
 
billvon said:
New conspiracy theory from a Facebook post!

"Just took this when I got out my car in Dallas tx. This is not our fucking sun. It's too fucking low and follows me everywhere honest to God .So when I snapped the pic of the sun I see another image that I never seen with the naked eye!" (Shows picture of the Sun taken through a dirty lens)

Also in that thread:

"Yes it’s called the veil that’s opening up that was once locked away as CERN ripped a hole into this realm. Our real SUN is still there hidden from the plasma sun put into the sky’s to follow ours from china."

"The sun is real when it comes up in the morning and when it goes down at night but I think that there is a machine or simulator that's situated just in front of it at a certain time of the morning that kicks on and does what it does. I don't believe our son is local anyhow. Definitely not 93 million miles away."

"look at the clouds they are not real only created. We have structures in our clouds focus there for now till you can get to space"

"we live within the dome! Flying vehicles operate above and accumulate in massive units. Like flying armies from manipulating weather to stealing with those on the group via coms. Remember Gazoo, from the Flintstones? Except their real people. Faking everyone our to think that they were aliens. Just great big freaking liars."

"James Webb sun simulator. You're right! This is our sun but it's behind a filter. Looks like it's blocking the red spectrum to reduce plant growth and fruiting. Our government is at war with the people. The mean to make us sick until we slowly die off. This way there's no one thing that looks as though is killing us off. Everyone is dying of many different causes to make it look like it's natural but it isn't natural because they're destroying our immune systems and our ability to uptake energy so we can heal. "

These people really exist.
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Stuff like this has been around for a long time on conspiracy theory sites, although not exactly this one.
 
billvon said:
New conspiracy theory from a Facebook post!

"Just took this when I got out my car in Dallas tx. This is not our fucking sun. It's too fucking low and follows me everywhere honest to God .So when I snapped the pic of the sun I see another image that I never seen with the naked eye!" (Shows picture of the Sun taken through a dirty lens)

Also in that thread:

"Yes it’s called the veil that’s opening up that was once locked away as CERN ripped a hole into this realm. Our real SUN is still there hidden from the plasma sun put into the sky’s to follow ours from china."

"The sun is real when it comes up in the morning and when it goes down at night but I think that there is a machine or simulator that's situated just in front of it at a certain time of the morning that kicks on and does what it does. I don't believe our son is local anyhow. Definitely not 93 million miles away."

"look at the clouds they are not real only created. We have structures in our clouds focus there for now till you can get to space"

"we live within the dome! Flying vehicles operate above and accumulate in massive units. Like flying armies from manipulating weather to stealing with those on the group via coms. Remember Gazoo, from the Flintstones? Except their real people. Faking everyone our to think that they were aliens. Just great big freaking liars."

"James Webb sun simulator. You're right! This is our sun but it's behind a filter. Looks like it's blocking the red spectrum to reduce plant growth and fruiting. Our government is at war with the people. The mean to make us sick until we slowly die off. This way there's no one thing that looks as though is killing us off. Everyone is dying of many different causes to make it look like it's natural but it isn't natural because they're destroying our immune systems and our ability to uptake energy so we can heal. "

These people really exist.
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You can't fix stupid.
 
It seemed not long ago there were few flat earthers haunting science forums but now with the acceptance of stupidity, ignorance and shamelessness in the maga run world as the new worldview, there are now tens of millions of them everywhere polluting every nook and cranny of the internet with their insanity.
 
This is interesting.

A former flat earther goes to Antarctica with other flat earthers to see the 24 hour sun, something that is impossible in flat earth models.
The was arranged as a challenge to the flat earth community, offered to some major players (YouTubers with large followers)

Anyway, he sees the sun, He ditches flat earth, comes back to post on it on his channel and is rejected as a "NASA shill" by the flat earth community.

The below is a conversation between him and professor Dave, a YouTube flat earth debunker, regarding his ten years as a flerf, the trip to see the 24 hour sun and his experience when he gets back.
There are also lots of hilarious clips of backtracking, by other main YouTuber flerfs

 
I think James R will like the above too. Kind of brings all the history of the major events together with the main players.

Note: No planets were made flat during the making of this video.
 
fanatical adherents of the Abrahamic religions are closet F.E.s---
"Jesus" never contradict the tempter that showed him "all the kingdoms of the Earth" from a high middle east mountain. and
"the 12 pillars of the Earth" its "four corners"*, the "circle" (horizon). * actually a 3 cornered pyramid.
 
DaveC426913 said:
In the case of social media such as Facebook, it's not even that. It's job is to always shove as much content in front of you as possible that is likely to get clicked on. It makes no judgment about the quality, accuracy or relevance.
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Sadly I see that as factual. Facebook and social media in general, are open for any Tom, Dick, or Harry to post and claim whatever they chose. The flat Earthers, the Moon landing denialists, those that believe we have some form of dome over the Earth, the vaccination deniers. Social media takes no responsibility at all, which has thankfully seen the Australian government, with bipartisan support, now ban social media for under 16 year olds.
 
beil said:
fanatical adherents of the Abrahamic religions are closet F.E.s---
"Jesus" never contradict the tempter that showed him "all the kingdoms of the Earth" from a high middle east mountain. and
"the 12 pillars of the Earth" its "four corners"*, the "circle" (horizon). * actually a 3 cornered pyramid.
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You just don't understand the symbolic language.

The high mountain was an example of a different point of view or viewing point.

12 pillars are the twelve signs of the Zodiac also symbolized by the 12 tribes (Levi being the thirteenth or the Sun).

The 4 corners are the 4 elements ( the 5th being spirit, also the Sun).
 
Roosters for ever said:
Sadly I see that as factual. Facebook and social media in general, are open for any Tom, Dick, or Harry to post and claim whatever they chose. The flat Earthers, the Moon landing denialists, those that believe we have some form of dome over the Earth, the vaccination deniers. Social media takes no responsibility at all, which has thankfully seen the Australian government, with bipartisan support, now ban social media for under 16 year olds.
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Worse, their algorithms are a built-in mechanism for reinforcing and amplifying nutcase material to susceptible people. So it's no wonder the numbers of people believing nonsense increases. I feel sure the Aussies are on the right track here and more countries should follow suit. Perhaps that will, finally, persuade the tech bros to take some f***ing ownership of what their products are doing to society.
 
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