I know, I know, you saw this title and rolled your eyes, you even probably thought to yourself “The Earth is obviously round, why did she even post this?” That is one of many good questions but that’s not where they stop. For example, the Flat Earth Theory is widely discredited by scholars, scientist, and even the general public, so why does it still have a following? No one believes in the Easter Bunny, Santa, or the Tooth Fairy because they aren’t factual so what makes the Flat Earth Theory different? There are certain aspects of The Flat Earth theory that give it a basis for consideration, I mean after all, it is just a theory. Those who believe in this theory also give the interesting point that the theory is not just there to explain but to give meaning.
Notably, the theory does present one compelling fact that does give it some grounds for a debate, but not a lot. The most convincing fact is that we don’t have a whole picture of the Earth from space. Yes, we’ve seen whole pictures of Earth from space but those are created from comp
osite photos taken by the Hubble Telescope because the telescope is not far out enough to take a picture of the whole Earth. This is why many times we see repeating patterns of clouds in pictures of Earth. Since the telescope isn’t far enough to take an entire photo of Earth, the public doesn’t know if Nasa, the organization in charge of the Hubble Telescope, is altering these photos to hide the truth. As this doesn’t give the theory a lot of factual basis it does open the door for more circumstantial points to follow.
For example, one point is that the day and the seasons occur because the sun revolves around the Earth. Both the moon and sun are always on opposite sides
of the Earth and revolve around the North Pole which causes the days. Both the seasons and the fluctuation of daylight is caused by how closely the sun rotates around the North Pole. To create the summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun closely rotates around the North Pole but at a slower pace which creates the longer days. To create the winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun does the exact opposite which creates the cold weather and shorter days. This and many other points help support the theory of a flat Earth but that is not why many believe in it.
Ultimately, the main reason why so many people believe in the Flat Earth Theory is the meaning behind it. If the sun revolves around the Earth and the Earth is perfectly designed with a dome (the atmosphere) over it to create and sustain life, then that means we have meaning. That we have a purpose. That we were put in this perfectly created place to thrive and were not some random thing that happened because of random meaningless event. Many believers cherish this meaning that the theory gives them. This sense of euphoria they get for life can be compared to the same sense of euphoria believers of religion get. Both allow for a reason behind why humans are here and that we aren’t just here because of a random event out of our control. With this in mind, is it really that acceptable to just dismiss the theory or should we take it into consideration, not because of its factual basis, but because of the spiritual peace it gives?
Emily, your blog post made me think a lot. The idea that disproven theories could be valuable for the comfort they bring was a novel idea for me. I had not previously considered that the Flat Earth theory might make some people feel more important and purposeful.
The explanations of the possible physical orientations of the earth, sun, and moon were confusing. I wonder how Flat-Earthers think the length of days change if the sun just moves its position north. I’d also be curious to learn how they think some places are in daylight at the same time as other places are in nighttime. I’m not sure that justifying incorrect theories just because they make people feel important is valid. As intriguing as the concept it is, I think people should learn to feel valuable in the world as it truly exists instead of lying to themselves just to feel better about themselves. Overall, your analysis was very interesting and thought-provoking!