Reasons for Flat Earth Theory

42. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: NASA Insists That The Earth Is Round — And They Always Lie

So we have all seen the infamous videos from NASA. When their astronauts first landed on the moon, they took pictures of the “earth rise,” as seen from outer space. When the Voyager probe was about to leave the solar system, the famous astronomer Carl Sagan had it turn around and take a snapshot of the Earth, allowing others to see what Earth looks like from space. Not everyone believes what they see, though, even when they are given proof and being told by scientists that the Earth is round. NASA is pretty insistent that the Earth is round, too.

Many people conclude that the agency is also trying to cover up alien visitations, right? After all, it is a government agency, and the government is trying to keep us in the dark about everything. People think that if NASA says it, it can’t possibly be true since they do not want to speak the truth to begin with. So who or what should we deem to be the truth? What will it take to make others believe that the Earth is, in fact, round? Read on to find out more about what others think of the Flat-Earth theory.

41. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: Disney shows the planet is flat.

One flat-earth conspiracist insists that the idea of a round Earth originally came from Disney, not NASA or even the ancient Greeks. The idea is that the first painting of the Earth as a globe, with planets surrounding it, came from Disney. Although it should make you wonder, where did they get their ideas to make Earth look round? Disney, along with other companies, used the same globe painting for the next three decades. However, globes have been around way before Disney ever was, showing that Earth is not flat. Still, they’re not changing their minds that easily.

People believed that companies were doctoring up globes here and there so that they can hold up against the “evidence” for a flat Earth. Making people think that others were going through so much trouble to make up lies so that others would believe them, even though it was the truth. And sorry, folks, but Disney is all just a bunch of magic, fantasy, and hocus pocus. I guess we can’t trust the animators there for scientific evidence about the Earth, no matter how much proof and truth you are given.

40. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: There is a massive cover-up from space agencies all over the world.

NASA and Disney are far from alone in propagating the idea that the Earth is a globe. However, why aren’t others believing them when they tell us about Earth not being flat? Many even believe that the United Kingdom Space Agency, Russian Space Agency, and many more are all in on the same conspiracy to make us think that the Earth is not flat. According to many others, it’s not enough to say that if a United States government agency says something, it cannot be accurate.

Suppose that other government space agencies from around the world are all saying the same thing as NASA. Does it mean that they are all making up these lies about Earth? If that is the case, then there is absolutely, positively no way that what all of these guys are saying is true, even if there has been evidence backing them up for thousands of years. And then all of these other agencies are making all of this up as well. How or why would that even be possible?

39. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: The sun is a giant spotlight, not a glowing orb.

At night, you can shine a light on the ground and see a trail of ants running past it as if the light is a giant spotlight. Furthermore, puny little people on Earth are living in pretty much the same paradigm, where we are ants that are being shined upon with a giant spotlight. Where that considerable light would be coming from is a whole other story. Could that mean that ants think there is more than one sun in the sky when they see more than one light shining at a time?

Never mind that the sun is round as well, and not a flat spotlight. Part of the flat-earth theory is that the sun is also a flat disc that shines on different parts of the Earth at other times of the day. If that were true, what would be the purpose of the moon then? How did someone ever come up with that idea is beyond many others’ comprehension. Keep reading, though, to hear more theories people have about the Earth being flat.

38. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: God wants to keep us in the dark.

If we were meant to understand the secret things about the universe’s inner workings, God would have told us those things very clearly. Nevertheless, He does not want us to know that there are planets other than the Earth, solar systems other than our own, and even other galaxies and possibly other universes. Even though it doesn’t make much sense as to why He wouldn’t want us to know about other planets or solar systems other than our own, that has yet to be explained.

Never mind the fact that when the Bible refers to the “four corners of the earth,” it is not necessarily saying that the Earth is flat. It’s using a figure of speech, one that we still use today. Many people who lived in Biblical times knew that the Earth was a globe. So why on Earth are people believing that the Earth is flat, when in fact, people from hundreds of years ago knew better, and they didn’t have nearly as much proof as we do now. What has changed in the way others think over the years?

37. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: The dome around the Earth is “the firmament,” and the sun is located in that dome.

However, if we take a hyper-literal interpretation of the Bible, we have to start with Genesis. Moreover, in the creation account, the Bible talks about a “firmament” above the Earth. If you’re not sure what firmament is, it is the arch or vault over the Earth and sky, which separates the earthly realm from what is beyond it. It’s like saying we live in a giant bubble, and nothing beyond us is important or exists. Alternatively, like saying we’re living in this big jar. Could you imagine if that were to be true?

Only the most literal of all literal interpretations would insist that the firmament refers to a literal dome around the Earth and that the sun is inside that dome. However, there are flat earthers who believe that. If the Bible says that it is true, or at least their interpretation of the Bible, who are we to disagree with? There isn’t much proof that everything written in the Bible is right. However, many people believe what it says and live by it anyway. They may also think that science isn’t always right.

36. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: Boats disappear over the horizon because of distance, not curvature.

One of the most common experiments showing that the Earth is round is to take a boat with horizontally striped sails. Send the ship down a smooth-surfaced, flat river or pond, and after a certain distance, the stripes on the sails will start to disappear from the bottom up. People believe that the boat is going further away, making it harder for them to see it. However, what would be the cause of the ship disappearing from the bottom up then? They don’t have any other answer for that either, but still, believe it.

Nevertheless, flat earthers insist that this experiment does not show that the Earth is a globe. If the horizontal stripes begin to disappear from the bottom up, they will argue and say the reason is simply that the distance is so great. It has nothing to do with the curvature of the Earth. It doesn’t make much sense to many others, but that doesn’t matter to them. It’s safe to say that many people just won’t believe scientific facts, even when they see it with their very own eyes.

35. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: Kansas is flatter than a pancake.

There might be some truth to this one. In 2003, the Ig Nobel prizes spotlighted a group of scientists who went to the restaurant IHOP to measure pancakes’ flatness. Furthermore, that’s precisely what they did. They measured their pancakes. They determined that if a pure flatness could be designated with the value of 1.000, a pancake would come in at 0.957. Some will say that numbers don’t lie and definite proof in those numbers, too.

Kansas would rank in at 0.997. However, Kansas is so flat has nothing to do with the Earth being a globe. The state has a flat terrain. Other parts of the world do not. End of the story according to the flat earthers. Just because one part of the Earth is super flat doesn’t mean that the entire Earth is as well, but others will argue that it does not mean that the Earth does not have a curvature to it. Keep scrolling to read on about what flat earthers believe to be true.

34. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: We can’t see the curve of the Earth.

Furthermore, if we can’t see this mythical curvature that supposedly is evidence of the Earth being a globe, it cannot possibly exist. After all, it is part of the hoax that NASA and other government organizations have been feeding us for decades, right? We cannot say “seeing is believing”, because not everyone believes what they see, even when there is scientific proof to back them up with what they are seeing. People who say that the Earth is flat just seem to be stuck in their ways of beliefs.

However, the thing is that we can see the curvature of the Earth. See the striped sailboat experiment from number 36. Why else would the boat disappear from our eyesight from the bottom up if the Earth was indeed flat and not curved? Moreover, if you have ever flown east to west or west to east on an airplane and have watched the flight map, you know that the Earth’s curvature influences the flight’s path. It is probably ignored by people who don’t want to believe that the Earth is round.

33. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: On different sides of the Earth, the left should be right, and the right should be left.

Toilets flush in the opposite direction in the southern hemisphere as in the northern hemisphere. We also know that cyclones spin in the opposite direction in the opposing hemisphere. However, that is not evidence of the Earth being a globe. It also does not give any proof, though, of Earth being flat either. If they were to read about the Coriolis Effect, they may find some answers that would contradict their beliefs about why toilets flush in opposite directions in different parts of the world.

Because if people are on opposite sides of the Earth, those on the bottom should be upside down. Furthermore, if they are upside down, then their lefts and rights should be switched. Which doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense, does it? However, this is not the case, so the Earth most certainly has to be flat, according to them. They are not taking gravity into account, which if they were, might help them out with their beliefs on the Earth being flat or round.

32. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: Antarctica is completely uninhabited.

Oh boy, here’s another one. According to flat earthers, “Antarctica” is an ice sheet that surrounds the fat Earth. It is not the southernmost continent, and nobody has ever been there. Those pictures and journals from explorers who have been to Antarctica? They are as fake as silicone implants. As if the photos were taken somewhere else or even photoshopped to make others believe that people have stepped foot on Antarctica when no one has.

Never mind that there are semi-permanent research stations in Antarctica and that there are scientists from many different countries who work there to conduct their research. Flat earthers insist that nobody has ever, ever been to Antarctica. It’s all just a big fat lie to try and make us believe in made-up things such as that. Where on Earth do people even come up with this kind of stuff? Maybe if they were to travel to Antarctica themselves, they might change their minds about it.

31. Did you fail geography in middle school?

The roundness of the Earth should be apparent. Nevertheless, geography can be confusing. Is Antarctica located on the bottom-most part of the Earth, like how globes depict it or is it laid out at the bottom, the way that maps show? That is a difficult question to answer for many people. What proof do we have besides a map or globe to show us where it’s at? Either way, it appears to be at least near the bottom, no matter how you look at it.

Moreover, if we had passed middle school geography, we would understand that the striped sailboat experiment does show the curvature of the Earth and that there are also other ways to see its curvature. Nevertheless, like it was stated above, some just won’t believe it, even if they see it with their own eyes. We would know that weather patterns form in the atmosphere, influenced by the sun. Furthermore, the moon affects tides in the ocean as well. Nevertheless, none of that matters because the Earth is flat. Ask any flat earther, and they’ll agree.

30. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: “Earth” is part of an infinite plane, making our “Earth” a little slice of “greater Earth.”

Now, this is where geography starts to get confusing. There are plenty of different camps of flat earthers, and they disagree with each other, sometimes publicly. One pretty common thread among all the various bases of flat earthers is Antarctica an ice wall surrounding the Earth and holding the oceans in. So what do they think would happen if Antarctica didn’t even exist, or wasn’t what they thought it was? What would happen to Earth if it wasn’t where it is?

However, what lies beyond the boundaries of Antarctica? Some flat earthers believe an immense Earth span, possibly millions of miles across, perhaps infinite in size. But what exactly makes them feel any of that is even real? Strange the things they come up with, without evidence to back their theories up, while they deny the evidence right in front of them. How many others believe that to be true, and on what grounds? Let’s find out what other crazy theories people have come up with about the Earth being flat.

29. Neil deGrasse Tyson won’t debate the flat earthers.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astronomer with a pretty impressive public profile. He has appeared in many different documentaries about the universe and hosted the television series Cosmos, an update to Carl Sagan’s series several decades ago. Furthermore, he refuses to debate with the flat earthers on Reddit. It seems that no matter what you tell them or how much proof you give them, they don’t seem even to want to listen or believe that they may not be right about the Earth being flat.

He has made some statements about the flat earth theory, none of which are positive. Nevertheless, the fact that he refuses to get onto Reddit and face down the flat earthers on that particular forum is evidence that you guessed it, the Earth is flat. However, in reality, it’s because Neil deGrasse knows that they will just argue and not give anyone the chance to believe the truth about Earth’s shape. Many people probably feel the same way as he does about that sort of discussion with certain people.

28. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: The videos from the International Space Station are fake.

The “live” videos that are supposedly broadcast from the ISS are faked, according to flat earthers. The footage cuts in and out (maybe because it is coming in from outer space), but the real problem is that the tracking info never fits. For example, if you look up the ISS tracking info and say that the space station is over land, it will not broadcast over land footage. Like with the Earth being round, I’m sure there are scientific reasons for that. It’s all about research.

Therefore, all of the videos from the ISS are fake. Thus, the Earth is flat, which makes perfect sense to those who want to believe it. Yes, Photoshop is a program that can alter images. And yes, people have to understand in the 21st century that pictures can be changed. However, is that the case with the ISS? The answer would have to be no. However, those who believe Earth is flat would say they altered those photos as well, just like the photos NASA has taken as proof, too.

27. Archimedes didn’t know what he was talking about.

Archimedes’ principle refers to the stroke of brilliance that the polymath had while in the bathtub. He realized that the buoyancy of something in the water is directly related to the mass of whatever displaces that object. For example, if you drop a watermelon into a swimming pool, the amount of water displaced will be equal to the watermelon mass. Alternatively, like when you fill up a bathtub too full and get into the water yourself, the water level rises closer to the edges.

Alas, poor Archimedes had no idea what he was talking about when he ran through the streets, butt naked, yelling, “Eureka!” Because gravity would have to work for the flat earth theory to be true is not congruent with Archimedes’ principle. Furthermore, since we are unwilling to dispense with the flat earth idea, Archimedes’ principle has to go. Even though science can be used to prove that he was speaking the truth with evidence.

26. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: The UN flag is an image of the flat Earth.

If you look at a flat Earth map, it looks very different from the square maps that you are probably used to looking at. The map is circular, with the North Pole at the center. Continents and oceans are dispersed from that center point. It is providing you with a better visual of how the continents are placed on Earth. But of course, even given a different view of how to look at Earth, some won’t give in and believe the truth about Earth.

Sadly, the idea is quite ingenious. It is especially considering that the flat earth map looks like the UN flag, which has a round map of the Earth at the center. That must be evidence of a massive cover-up at the highest levels of international government. Just ask the flat earthers about it. According to them, it all seems to be cover-ups and lies, and it’s not to be trusted. What other theories do flat earthers have about Earth, even with proof put right in front of them?

25. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: The sun is closer than you think.

You have probably been taught that the sun is 93 million miles away from the Earth, but I’m sorry to say that you have been deceived and fell completely into the conspiracy. The sun is a mere 3000 miles away from the Earth. Furthermore, it’s not as hot as you would think, or else we would burn up if it were that close to us. That is a good thing because whew, would we be screwed. Lucky for us, the flat earthers know what they’re talking about.

Now, if the sun is that close to the Earth, you might be worried that we would all die quite quickly. Not to worry, flat earth science has your back. The sun is smaller than San Francisco and much less hot than you have been led to believe, which is why we haven’t burned up and died due to it being so close to Earth. It makes complete sense, right? Scientists have just been wrong all this time, making us believe false information. What a relief to know we won’t burn up due to the sun being so close to us.

24. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: Spirit levels indicate that the Earth is flat.

A spirit level is an instrument that indicates if a surface is horizontal, vertical, or somewhere in between. The device is frequently used by masons, carpenters, and other trade workers. It comes in handy when doing manual work to make sure things are leveled. But what would they do if they didn’t have access to such a thing? Would they just eye something up and hope for the best? It’s a good thing they do have such technology, so they don’t have to play the guessing game.

A person goes by the name of D Marble, who is a YouTube flat earther who used a spirit level on a plane for a whopping 23 miles and used that as evidence that the Earth is flat. Even though that short of a distance would not make a noticeable difference in terms of curvature. Maybe he should try another experiment by putting a boat in the ocean and watching it as it disappears off in the distance and then explains it.

23. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: Gravity isn’t real.

For flat earthers, the only evidence that matters is evidence that supports their theory, even though there is plenty of evidence proving them to be incorrect. Any evidence that contradicts them is fake and part of the conspiracy. That is the definition of pseudoscience. According to the philosopher Karl Popper, in the inventory of the scientific method, a hypothesis must be tested in such a way as to prove that it is false. Moreover, it seems that flat earthers do not do extra tests to prove them right.

If the test does not render it wrong, then it can be considered factual. However, that doesn’t matter for flat earthers because they have gone so far as to deny gravity’s existence. Never mind how many ways gravity has been proven, time and time again. It doesn’t fit in with their theory, so it isn’t real. We don’t need gravity if the Earth is flat, right? We don’t have to worry about falling off. However, what if we were to get too close to the edge, then what?

22. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: The horizon is flat because the Earth is flat.

Whichever way you look, the horizon of the Earth, where the land meets the sky, appears to be a straight, flat line. Even if you look out the window of an airplane, the horizon is usually pretty flat. Ergo, the entire Earth is flat. It just seems to make complete sense, even when science says and proves otherwise. Too bad there aren’t pictures taken to convince those that Earth isn’t flat. It just appears that way to the naked eye. Oh, wait.

If the Earth were round, then there would be a curvature to the horizon. The flat earthers keep forgetting just how big the world is and the size of the scale necessary to show the Earth’s curvature. To the naked eye, the Earth looks flat, not counting mountains and hills, of course. We can only see so far into the distance, and they don’t seem to consider that when trying to make their point. What would it take to make them believe that the Earth is, in fact, round?

21. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: We don’t have satellites in outer space.

Given all the mad cries that the images taken of the Earth from space are faked, one has to question the position of flat earthers on satellites. After all, satellites are usually the things taking the pictures. The easy, quick, and convenient, maybe way too convenient, the answer is that satellites don’t exist. They are just made up, as the lies scientists worldwide tell about the Earth and the photos they have as proof. Someone explains what they see when they look up at night and find a flashing light moving across the sky.

They are all part of the conspiracy. GPS? It isn’t determined by a satellite, and it isn’t even all that reliable anyway. Satellites orbit the rounded Earth for several reasons. If anything, how do you think you get instant internet speeds to download pictures and stream movies? How does navigation work and Google maps? Sometimes, it’s almost impossible to believe that these people believe what they say to be true. Even though they could easily research to find out just how wrong they are.

20. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: The moon landing was a big conspiracy.

The moon landing has been fodder for conspiracy theorists since it happened. The whole thing was done on a Hollywood stage, and the pictures that the astronauts supposedly took were all fakes. Is that what you believe? Maybe you were old enough to remember when it happened and watched it on TV. That would’ve been some stage and talent to be able to fake the moon landing like it’s believed to have been. Even with video evidence, pictures and audio, many will still argue that it was all faked.

Did you think it was fake? If they did go to the moon, they would have taken pictures of a flat earth, not a globe, because it is flat. Therefore, the astronauts did not land on the moon. Do you believe this enough to say it out loud to your friends and family? They must want us to think that it is all just a hoax, but what would be the reasoning behind faking it all and lying about it? What would be the point in trying to convince others of something that isn’t real?

19. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: NASA has been lying to cover up the moon landing.

Now that they faked the big kahuna, the moon landing, the big boys at NASA have to keep doctoring up evidence and coming up with more and more reasons for you to keep believing that the Earth is a globe. They have to save face. Why would they want to make up such lies, just to have to keep digging themselves into a deeper hole of false information to make others believe something that is made up? It doesn’t quite make sense why they would even decide to do more work for themselves.

Moreover, other countries that have no skin in the game, like Russia and China? They have been in with NASA as part of keeping the big secret. The sheer number of people who have to be part of the giant conspiracy is so astronomical – pun intended – that the whole flat earth theory immediately unravels. That would be a ton of people having to communicate with one another to come up with lies that coincide with each other so that they don’t sound suspicious by saying something different than the others.

18. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: The sun orbits the Earth.

The sun isn’t just a spotlight that shines on the Earth. It orbits the Earth as well. Yes, we are back to a geocentric model of the solar system, meaning that the Earth is the center of everything. The sun, moon, and planets move around it. That just makes us sound very egotistical, like saying that the Earth revolves around yourself. So what about the other planets in the solar system? Where are they in this theory that others believe to be true? They didn’t just disappear, nor are they made up either.

The sun rotates around the Earth in a circular pattern, explaining why we have days and nights. Seasons occur because the distance between the sun and the Earth increases and decreases at different times of the year. It sounds like the ones who believe that the sun and moon revolve around the sun didn’t listen very well in school science classes. A little research on the internet would prove to them that the Earth is, in fact, the one that revolves around the sun, not the other way around. However, they would still probably argue that it’s a bunch of lies, too.

17. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: Weather is created solely by land masses.

You have probably been (erroneously) led to believe that weather is created in the atmosphere by forces such as global tidal patterns, the jet stream, and the sun. Nevertheless, we are sorry to say that you are so sadly mistaken, according to the flat earthers. They will tell you that it is landmasses that create and affect the weather. Furthermore, don’t try to tell them otherwise, because they won’t be convinced that it isn’t true, even with proof from scientists themselves, it seems.

According to flat earthers, mountains, hills, and valleys, all make their own weather patterns. While there is some truth to that claim, these land formations do impact weather formations. The flat earthers use a tiny kernel of truth to create a completely untenable theory. It is not the only thing that affects and creates weather. Do you see a pattern here with that? Trying to convince those who believe the Earth is flat would be like a never-ending battle of right and wrong, no matter what proof is given to back up their beliefs and the truth.

16. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: The motion of the Earth is constantly increasing.

If there is no such thing as gravity, how do we stay on Earth without floating off the surface? According to flat earthers, the reason is that the Earth is moving through space at a speed of 32 feet per second. Moreover, they think that the rate is continuously accelerating. Where on Earth did they ever get those numbers to believe that that is true? If the Earth was moving that fast, without gravity, don’t you think we would be able to feel it? Guess they didn’t consider that.

Oh, and by the way, the mysterious dark energy is the force that keeps the sun and moon moving through space with us. Just ask one of the flat earthers who believe this. It’s amazing what you can develop when you decide to discard all of the mainstream science completely, even with so much proof and evidence from scientists all over the world to prove that even gravity is the real deal. The Earth is not accelerating in speed while it spins, as they believe. Who comes up with this stuff?

15. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: Circumnavigation is less impressive than it sounds.

Do you remember hearing about Magellan and other famous explorers who circumnavigated the Earth? How about the guys in a hot air balloon in the sci-fi classic Around the World in 80 Days? If you haven’t seen the movie, you may have at least heard about it. Maybe even at least heard about Magellan or others like him in school. It’s easy enough to type it into a search engine to get some quick information about whether you want to read more about them.

According to flat earthers, circumnavigation just means that you traveled around the Antarctic ice wall. You may have even just circled the North Pole and called that your incredible journey. Either way, the feat that these explorers accomplished is much less enviable. They traveled greater distances than the flat earthers will try to make you believe. People don’t give scientists or explorers enough credit, or any at all, for that matter. What other kinds of theories are out there about Earth being flat? Keep reading to find out!

14. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: Water should curve.

If you passed high school science, you might remember that a meniscus is the curvature of a liquid on its surface. Moreover, according to flat earthers, the meniscus should be present in the water of lakes and other water bodies. The thing is that it is present. You just have to look close enough and pay very close attention. Why would it work with a glass of water but not a lake or ocean? They’re just not making much sense now, are they? But really, were they ever?

Nevertheless, they are doing “experiments” that do not account for scale. For example, the Bedford Level Experiment took a six-mile stretch of water and found that it did not curve how the flat earthers thought it should if the Earth is round. Therefore, the Earth is flat. They weren’t looking very closely while doing this experiment, and instead of trying it again, they took the answers that one time and went with it. There are so many things that could go wrong if someone did one test and then gave up, without double-checking or looking at the results for real answers.

13. Incorrect Flat-Earth Theory: Everything you know is a lie.

Flat earthers like to claim that what matters is not the shape of the Earth. Instead, what matters is the giant conspiracy and cover-up many government agencies and scientists have been enacting over the past decades. As if so long ago, groups of people would share their thoughts and decide on telling everyone else lies and make things up so that no one else would know the truth. Whom would you believe? Scientists? Or a bunch of people who say that the Earth is flat?

Never mind that the science behind the globe has been present since ancient Greece. The flat earth theory takes people back to the Middle Ages and makes them believe that the science practiced back in the day is more legitimate than what we have today. Have they always thought like this? Or was it something someone once mentioned to them, and it sounded legit, so they tossed the truth out the window and started believing the silly idea of Earth not being round, as well as other thoughts that come with that and how the Earth works?

12. Flat Earth is just another in a long line of conspiracy theories.

Conspiracy theories attempt to explain things about the world that usually blame a low-profile, influential figure, or group of people. You have probably heard some conspiracy theories and may even believe a few yourself, even if you are unaware. Perhaps one of the most prominent conspiracy theories is that the government staged President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. Some conspiracy theories seem to make sense, though, when they are thought about. You can research many different ideas and find a bunch of others believing in the same things.

Conspiracy theories, such as the flat earth theory, gain adherents by promising information to people that are not otherwise available. The government covers up that information, usually under the auspices of a powerful (and possibly nonexistent) group, such as the Illuminati or the Bilderbergers. By promising the truth, those touting conspiracy theories can attract large followings. Even without proof, many will believe such lies and try to spread them about so that others will consider them as well. What other thoughts do they have on conspiracy theories other than thinking Earth is flat?

11. Conspiracy theories may have a shred of truth, but they mostly play on people’s fears.

There is likely more to the assassination of JFK than what has been officially published by the government. The intelligence on the 9/11 attacks released to the public is probably not all that the government knows. The shred of truth may just be that we do not know everything about these events. Even if we do not see the truth about certain things, it does not mean that everything we have yet to understand is a conspiracy. Many people do their research and come up with such conclusions because they just seem so believable.

However, the power of conspiracy theories does not lie in the tiny bit of truth that may be in them but rather in their ability to prey on people’s fears. What if the government is lying to us? What else is it trying to keep from us? Why do the rich and powerful not want us to know these things? These kinds of questions are designed to latch onto people’s fears and trick their minds, not promote any understanding of the world grounded in evidence. How frustrating is that?

10. QAnon has become a prevalent conspiracy theory.

QAnon emerged from the hinterlands of the internet, where someone was publishing articles with poor grammar and no verifiable evidence, claiming that their President Donald Trump was trying to break up pedophile rings based among the rich and the powerful in Hollywood. There was ample evidence to the contrary, but the conspiracy theory spread like wildfire, especially among parents of young children who feared for their little ones’ safety. Furthermore, do you blame the parents for believing such a thing? It sounds pretty believable, and keeping the children safe is what most important to a parent.

The conspiracy theory became so damaging that it ripped apart families and communities, with people going at each other’s throats insisting that they had to vote for the re-election of Donald Trump in order to prevent their children from being trafficked. The problem is that the whole thing was entirely made up. It was a conspiracy theory that played on people’s fears while presenting no verifiable evidence. The fact that people brought children into this conspiracy theory is ridiculous in and of itself. Some people were even afraid to take their children out in public due to the fear of this being true.

9. Have you ever heard of subliminal advertising?

In the 1980s, Wilson Bryan Key and Vance Packard published very influential books claiming that moviemakers and theatre companies were using subliminal advertising to imprint messages into people’s minds. By flashing messages on the screen so quickly that your conscious brain does not even register them, they claimed that movie makers controlled people’s minds and forced them to want to buy certain products. The public outcry about subliminal advertising became so intense that there were even court cases about it. Moreover, how would we know if it were true or not? They won’t tell us one way or another.

Ultimately, the whole thing was dismissed as a hoax; while people’s minds can conjure up ideas about whatever they want to, there was no evidence that a flash on a screen was more influential than a full-length commercial. Nevertheless, who wants to believe that they are craving junk food and getting fat because they are watching television all day and not exercising? No, what is far more comfortable is to believe that powerful companies control your mind and force you to drink yourself diabetic with soda. It sounds more like an excuse than anything.

8. One conspiracy theory asserts that Princess Diana was assassinated, not killed by a drunk driver.

The whole world went into shock in August of 1997 when the beloved Princess Diana was killed in a Paris tunnel after an ambitious paparazzi hit her car. Nevertheless, who wants to believe that royalty can die in a drunk driving accident? Not Mohammad al-Fayed, whose daughter Dodi was in the vehicle and also killed. Al-Fayed promoted a conspiracy theory that the paparazzi car that hit Princess Diana’s vehicle was a puppet of British intelligence, being used to assassinate her. However, officials did not believe that.

Multiple inquests, including an official one, disproved the conspiracy theory, but people still choose to believe it. After all, the world seems to be a safer place when royalty dies from assassinations, as in Game of Thrones, not from drunk drivers. Not everyone is out to get others. However, he does believe that he was told a lie and that what he believes in is the hidden truth. Some just don’t like to acknowledge the facts, even when evidence is given to them, no matter the situation.

7. There was a conspiracy about Satanism and child abuse.

One thing that makes conspiracy theories so believable is that they don’t need evidence. The lack of evidence is, in itself, evidence that the conspiracy was extremely well-organized and that the wool has been pulled over everyone’s eyes. Case in point: In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a string of horrifying child-abuse instances in which children accused adults of crimes as egregious as ritual rape and even child sacrifice. In 1988, an NBC reporter named Geraldo Rivera took it upon himself to blame many of these crimes on Satanism and even claimed that one million people in the country are Satanists.

The Satanists supposedly flay children alive and even eat them. The problem is that Rivera presented no verifiable evidence, but the lack of evidence in itself was proof. Researchers at the FBI and New York University called the story the greatest hoax of the twentieth century. So basically, the Satanism conspiracy was a twentieth-century version of QAnon today. It isn’t real. Yes, there are Satanists, just like there are pedophiles. Nevertheless, that does not mean that there are a million Satanists in the country who are ritually raping children, just like the presence of pedophiles today does not mean that President Trump is breaking up pedophilia rings in Hollywood.

6. Elvis Never Dying is a popular one.

Celebrity entertainers have all too often fallen victim to the exorbitant lifestyles that tend to accompany fame, and Elvis Presley was no exception. He was taking dozens of medications and drugs at the time of his death, which was declared an overdose. However, who wants to believe that the king of rock and roll died from something that kills hundreds of ordinary people every day? Something as familiar as drug use? People seem to forget that celebrities are people too, and are not much different from ourselves, except for their lifestyles.

Not many people continuously develop new evidence that Elvis faked his death to lead a simple life with his friends and families. Sorry, but Elvis died. Moreover, no matter how much you may wish that he hadn’t and how hard you may believe in the conspiracy theories that claim he is still alive, he is gone. However, it doesn’t help when people go around saying that they spotted him out walking down the road in the middle of the day. You would think if it were him, he would try to disguise himself if he wanted others to believe he had died if the theory of him still being alive were true.

5. One of the most tragic conspiracy theories is “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.”

In Russia in 1905, a pamphlet began to be circulated that claimed that the morality, lifestyle, and finances of upstanding Christian citizens were being threatened by a cadre of powerful Jewish elites who wanted to take over the world. There was no verifiable evidence to support the claims of “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” but people worldwide ate it up. The conspiracy became so powerful that, in the years leading up to World War II, Adolf Hitler referenced it in his autobiography, Mein Kampf. You can probably guess the rest.

In the Great Depression’s chaos, which hit Germany harder than just about any other country, the people wanted a scapegoat. Hitler gave them one, the same one that the authors of “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” had given. The result was the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were murdered. People, check the facts on your conspiracy theories. They are not harmless little stories that go floating around the internet. Some even affect the lives of others in the worst of ways. What a scary thing to have to go through, all because someone believed something was made up.

4. There are a ton of conspiracy theories about extraterrestrials.

The crash in Roswell, New Mexico, that the government officially declared was a weather balloon is the center of so many conspiracy theories today that naming them all is impossible. There may be a shred of truth here. In 1947, when the crash happened, the United States was entering the Cold War with the Soviet Union and was experimenting with new aircraft that would allow it to perform reconnaissance. So whether or not the crash was the result of a weather balloon, there is plenty that the government was not willing to say at the time.

Today, the conspiracy theories abounding around the Roswell crash promote everything from ideas about aliens being experimented on at Area 51 (they aren’t) to the even more bizarre idea that extraterrestrials initially settled the Earth. Sorry Ancient Aliens, but these are all just wrong. Nevertheless, are we so sure of that? What proof do we have? The government and officials are keeping many things a secret, but what’s the reason for that? You can come up with anything, and it’ll turn into a conspiracy theory if enough people listen and believe it.

3. There’s the hoax about the moon landing.

Since the 1978 movie Capricorn One, or possibly even going back to the July 1969 moon landing, many people have believed that NASA faked the whole thing. “Evidence” includes how the flag is not blowing in the lunar pictures’ breeze and shadows that seem to be from a Hollywood set rather than the lunar surface. However, there wouldn’t be a breeze on the moon since there is no atmosphere there. They didn’t think that part through, did they? It only takes a couple of minutes to research these things.

Never mind the hundreds of pounds of rocks that the astronauts brought back with them, which have been studied extensively and independently verified as being of extraterrestrial origin. Where else would they get those? Are they lying about what the moon rocks are made of? Moreover, never mind the thousands of NASA scientists who worked for years to get Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin there. The idea that NASA faked the moon landing is complete balderdash, but people believe it anyway. No matter what evidence they are given, they just don’t want to consider it.

2. One of the most dangerous conspiracy theories today is about vaccines and autism.

You may have heard about the anti-vaxxers who claim that the rise in children diagnosed with autism results from the vaccines being forced onto the population. And why vaccines? Because the drug companies that make them are so powerful that they can bend the government to create laws requiring vaccines. Some know, though, that abnormality of the brain causes autism. How on Earth can a vaccine mess with brain structure? If you don’t want to vaccinate your child, don’t, but no need to spread conspiracy theories about vaccines to freak others out, too.

However, people continue to believe that vaccines cause autism. The result has been parents refusing to vaccinate their children, and not just a few parents in the backwoods of America. There have been outbreaks of previously eradicated diseases, like measles, because parents refuse to vaccinate their children against them. People are dying of these diseases now. Furthermore, all of the verifiable evidence strongly points to the conclusion that vaccines do not cause autism. No matter what, they will continue to leave their children unvaccinated, helping spread diseases that can be easily avoidable.

1. Conspiracy theories tell us more about the people who believe them than about the “truth” that they are trying to unfurl.

Conspiracy theories are not backed by verifiable evidence, but no matter. The people who believe them are not looking for proof of an absolute “truth.” Instead, they don’t care about whether Elvis is dead or alive. Whether vaccines do cause autism or whether the Earth is flat. Because what they are looking for is confirmation of a cover-up, not really proof of the truth. It just seems like there will never be a way to change these people’s minds, no matter what evidence and research you put in front of them.

People will believe what they want. If they’re going to think that the moon is made of cheese, no matter how many lunar rocks they touch, they will still believe that the moon is made of cheese. If they want to believe that the Earth is flat, then all of the evidence in the world will not convince them. Furthermore, as long as conspiracy theories, including the flat earth idea, continue to prey on people’s fears that a powerful group of people controls their lives, these theories will always have followers. Conspiracy theories will always be around.