The statement: “The earth is flat”. Is it just a conspiracy theory? Despite having multiple proofs of science, some people are still holding onto this theory. When science was not very advanced to actually look at earth from outside, some scientists and philosophers had guessed that the earth might be flat. But as our understanding got better through the advancement of science, we now have multiple proofs of the earth being a sphere. Still some conspiracy theorists believe that the government and NASA are lying to us. They argued that they are giving us false information to keep us under control. Though technology and science theory proved that the earth can not be flat. The argument came into discussion again in the mid 2000s. When social media emerged, this argument spread through online like a wildfire.
Ancient civilizations such as Egyptians and Mesopotamians believed earth to be a flat disc which is floating in the water. Later, Greek philosophers like Pythagoras and Aristotle addressed the idea of earth being a sphere through their observational learning. They mentioned the lunar eclipse with earth’s curved shadow.
So let’s dive into the argument and explore the myths and facts.
Myths:
The conspiracy theorists have argued that the earth is flat. It can be spherical or square. The north pole is the center of the earth and Antarctica is the ice border of the earth. This border prevents ocean water from spilling over. Also this ice wall does not allow people to find the “edge” of earth. They also rejected the idea of gravity. They claimed that things fall for its density and mass; gravity doesn’t exist which pulls things to its center. They addressed that the government and NASA are lying.
They are keeping actual information to themselves. They are showing us fake images and telling lies to have control over us. They also tried to prove that the earth is flat by water and how it acts. They said that water does not curve around spherical objects. Furthermore, they added that the horizon is flat. This theory proposes that the sun and moon actually are not massive, instead they are small and moving in a circular path to create day and night.
Facts:
The assumption that the horizon is a straight line is false. It turns out that if you go high enough for instance, when the airplane ascends or in a hot air balloon, the curve in the horizon starts to become visible. During lunar eclipse, the earth passes between the sun and moon. The shadow that casts on the sun is circular. This also proves that the earth is spherical.
Time zone is another factor that proves that the earth is spherical and moves on its own axis. When one part of the earth faces the sun, it’s daytime. While the other part remains dark, it means nighttime. Things are drawn evenly toward the center by gravity. It creates a sphere. This explains the circular shape of planets, moons, and stars. The most prominent proof of the earth being a sphere is the images of it. The advancement of technology and science makes it possible to watch the earth from outside. Thousands of pictures taken by satellite from space proves that the earth is a globe.
The Flat Earth Theory is a cultural phenomena that reflects contemporary distrust. It addresses the spreading of false information, and the human need for knowledge. It is more than just a fictitious idea. It has been proven by science that the Earth is spherical. In spite of this, the flat earth theory is still widely accepted. It shows the difficulties of trusting authority.
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Writer
Ummay Tasnim Sifat
Intern, Content writing department
YSSE