Overview

The Flat Earth theory is a scientifically disproven, archaic cosmological concept that has experienced a resurgence as a conspiracy theory in the 21st century. Proponents believe the Earth is not a spherical object, but rather a flat disk or plane. This theory generally posits that governments and scientific institutions, particularly NASA, are actively engaged in a global deception to conceal the true shape of the Earth from the public. Adherents often interpret observational phenomena and scientific data in a way that aligns with their flat Earth model, rejecting the overwhelming evidence for a spherical Earth.

Core Claims

• Disc-shaped Earth with a central North Pole: The most prevalent model suggests Earth is a flat disk with the Arctic Circle at its center.
• Antarctic Ice Wall: Antarctica is believed to form a massive ice wall surrounding the entire rim of the flat Earth, preventing oceans from spilling off and potentially concealing further unexplored lands.
• Local Sun and Moon: The Sun and Moon are thought to be relatively small, spherical objects circling above the flat Earth, acting like spotlights that illuminate different areas and create day and night. Some models suggest they are only about 50 km in diameter and orbit at a height of approximately 5500 km.
• Illusion of Gravity: Gravity, as understood by mainstream science, is often rejected. Alternative explanations include the disk constantly accelerating upwards at 9.8 m/s² (in the "UK model") or that gravity only pulls straight down at the center of the disk, with a horizontal tug increasing further from the center.
• Government and NASA Conspiracy: A central tenet is that space agencies like NASA, along with governments, fabricate evidence of a spherical Earth, manipulate satellite images, and guard the Antarctic ice wall to maintain the deception.

Real-World Impact

The Flat Earth theory has seen a notable increase in belief and visibility since the 2010s, largely fueled by social media platforms like YouTube, which act as a content hub for proponents. This has fostered a community for the belief, leading to public debates, conventions, and the spread of misinformation. High-profile figures from popular culture, including NBA players and rappers, have publicly expressed flat Earth views, drawing significant media attention and sparking broader discussions about celebrity responsibility and misinformation in the digital age. This phenomenon highlights a public distrust of official scientific sources and the perpetuation of conspiracy theories.

Prominent Figures

• Samuel Rowbotham (1816–1884): Considered the founder of modern flat Earth belief, he published "Zetetic Astronomy" (later expanded to "Earth Not a Globe"), proposing Earth as a flat disc centered at the North Pole and bounded by an ice wall.
• Samuel Shenton: Revived the Flat Earth Society in 1956 as the International Flat Earth Research Society, aiming to reach children before they were convinced of a spherical Earth.
• Charles K. Johnson: Led the International Flat Earth Research Society of America and Covenant People's Church, growing its membership to a reported 3,500 people.
• Mark Sargent: A prominent flat Earth proponent in the modern resurgence, often cited in discussions of the Flat Earth Society.
• B.o.B (Bobby Ray Simmons Jr.): The rapper became a vocal flat Earth proponent on social media, challenging NASA and launching a crowdfunding campaign to prove the Earth's flatness.
• Kyrie Irving: The NBA star publicly stated his belief that the Earth was flat in 2017, generating significant media attention.

Origins & Evolution

The conception of a flat Earth was prevalent in many ancient societies, including the Egyptians and Babylonians, and among some early Greek philosophers. However, the idea of a spherical Earth emerged in ancient Greek philosophy with Pythagoras in the 6th century BC, and by the 4th century BC, Aristotle provided empirical evidence for a spherical Earth. Knowledge of Earth's global shape spread, and by the early Christian Church, the spherical view was widely held, despite some notable exceptions and later misinterpretations of biblical texts by certain groups during the Dark Ages. The modern flat Earth movement originated in the 19th century with English writer Samuel Rowbotham, who proposed his "Zetetic Astronomy" as a backlash against rapid scientific progress. This view was perpetuated by organizations like the Universal Zetetic Society and the later International Flat Earth Society. The theory has seen a significant resurgence in the 21st century, largely due to the internet and social media providing platforms for sharing and organizing.

Mainstream Perspective

From a mainstream perspective, the Flat Earth theory is considered an archaic and scientifically disproven concept. Over two millennia of scientific consensus, based on extensive empirical evidence and observations from ancient Greek mathematicians to modern satellite imagery, confirms Earth's spherical (or oblate spheroid) shape. Experts in philosophy and physics classify flat Earth beliefs as a form of science denial. Scientific models of a spherical Earth successfully explain a vast range of natural phenomena, including gravity, seasons, time zones, celestial navigation, and the appearance of different constellations from different hemispheres. Flat Earth models, in contrast, fail to adequately explain these phenomena and often rely on pseudoscientific claims, invented forces, and global conspiracy theories involving governments and scientific institutions to reconcile their views with observable reality.