Key Takeaways
1. Flat Earth: A Recurring Challenge to Established Truths
Flat Earth theory is a new idea, one that emerged in a utopian commune in England decades after Irving’s account of Columbus.
Misconceptions abound. Many people mistakenly believe that Flat Earth theory is an ancient idea, perhaps associated with Christopher Columbus. However, the concept of a spherical Earth was widely accepted by at least the fifth century BCE, and by Columbus's time, it had been the default model for centuries. The modern Flat Earth movement is a relatively recent phenomenon.
A modern invention. The popular myth of Columbus fearing a flat Earth was largely invented by Washington Irving in the 1820s. Decades later, in the mid-19th century, the Flat Earth theory as we know it today truly began to take shape, emerging from specific social and intellectual currents in England. It was a reaction against emerging scientific and secular trends.
Conspiracy's core. At its heart, Flat Earth is less about the planet's shape and more about conspiratorial thinking. Believers often claim that governments and scientists are actively perpetuating a "globe lie" to control the world, either by undermining religious teachings or by making humanity feel insignificant in the vastness of space. This deep-seated mistrust of authority is a consistent thread throughout its history.
2. The Birth of Modern Flat Earth: A 19th-Century Utopia's Unintended Export
Up from Manea Fen’s marshy plains rose modern Flat Earth theory, a conspiracy theory so audacious it could eclipse a planet.
Utopian origins. Modern Flat Earth theory was born in Manea Fen, a short-lived socialist commune in Cambridgeshire, England, between 1838 and 1841. Founded by idealists rebelling against the Industrial Revolution, this chaotic community became the unlikely birthplace for a global conspiracy. Its founder, Samuel Birley Rowbotham, was a radical who saw the commune as an opportunity to test his burgeoning ideas.
The "Zetetic" method. Rowbotham, who rebranded himself as "Dr. Birley" and later used the pen name "Parallax," championed "Zetetic Astronomy," advocating for belief only in what one could personally observe. He conducted flawed experiments on the Old Bedford Canal, claiming to prove the Earth's flatness, despite archaeological evidence and later attempts to replicate his findings showing a round Earth. His method, though seemingly empirical, was rooted in selective biblical literalism and a deep distrust of established science.
Early spread. After being expelled from Manea Fen, Rowbotham leveraged his skills as a showman and medical quack to promote his Flat Earth theory. He published "Zetetic Astronomy: Earth Not a Globe" in 1849, expanding it over his lifetime. His lectures, often mocked by the press, still drew crowds, and he gained earnest followers like William Carpenter and John Hampden, who further popularized the theory through their own writings and public challenges, laying the groundwork for a self-sustaining movement.
3. Zion City's Flat Earth Dictatorship: A Case Study in Authoritarian Belief
Zion operated for decades under a genuine Flat Earth dictatorship.
A new utopia. Decades after Rowbotham's death, his Flat Earth theory found a fervent home in Zion, Illinois, a planned community founded in 1900 by faith healer John Dowie. Dowie, an eccentric preacher, amassed a fortune and a large following, establishing Zion with strict puritanical rules and a cult-like atmosphere. His financial mismanagement and personal scandals, however, led to his downfall.
Voliva's tyrannical reign. Dowie's successor, Wilbur Glenn Voliva, seized control of Zion in 1906, purging Dowie and establishing an even more authoritarian rule. Voliva, a staunch Flat Earther, imposed his beliefs on the entire city, closing the high school and implementing a Flat Earth curriculum in the Zion Educational Institutions. He banned conventional geography and other scientific studies, believing them to be "Devil's Triplets" that contradicted biblical literalism.
Global reach and local control. Voliva used his radio station, WCBD, to broadcast Flat Earth propaganda across the United States and internationally, particularly in South Africa. Despite his global ambitions, his rule in Zion was marked by extreme control, including a secret police force, strict dress codes, and bans on smoking, dancing, and doctors. His financial empire eventually collapsed during the Great Depression, and his power waned, but his legacy cemented Flat Earth as a deeply entrenched, authoritarian belief system for many.
4. The Space Race and the Society's Decline: When Reality Outran Belief
“It would not have been possible to put a man in Space if the world was round, because if the world was revolving the man could not be recovered,” he told the Daily Mirror after the first American breached the planet’s boundaries that May.
Shenton's earnest leadership. After Voliva's death, the Flat Earth movement floundered until Samuel Shenton launched the International Flat Earth Research Society (IFERS) in 1956. Shenton, a sign painter, was a serious and gentle-mannered leader, driven by a teenage disillusionment with science. He believed the Earth was enclosed in a dome, surrounded by water, and saw the space race as a direct challenge to his convictions.
Defying the cosmos. As the United States and the Soviet Union launched satellites and sent men into space in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Shenton remained steadfast. He claimed cosmonauts merely flew in ellipses parallel to Earth and dismissed the first pictures of a round Earth from lunar orbit as "blatantly doctored" studio shots. This unwavering denial, despite mounting evidence, became a hallmark of the society.
A joke, then a legacy. IFERS, though often ridiculed by the media and politicians, gained notoriety, especially in the US. Shenton struggled with declining membership and his own health, eventually passing leadership to Charles K. Johnson in 1972. Johnson, a self-taught airplane mechanic, continued Shenton's work, expanding the society's reach and integrating Flat Earth into broader conspiracy theories, such as the moon landing hoax and the New World Order, ensuring the movement's survival into the digital age.
5. The Internet's Role: How Algorithms Fueled a Flat Earth Renaissance
The internet made it easier than ever to look up facts about golden retrievers, or organize a grassroots movement against an oppressive regime, or order a pizza without having to hold a conversation with an actual person. It also made it easier than ever to sow the seeds of a hoax or find like-minded individuals who share your suspicions.
Digital dormancy and rebirth. After Charles Johnson's death in 2001, the Flat Earth movement lay dormant until Daniel Shenton (a pseudonym) relaunched the Flat Earth Society online in 2004. Initially a modest forum, it attracted a mix of genuine believers and skeptics, slowly rebuilding the community. This digital revival coincided with the rise of influential conspiracy theorists like Mike Adams and Alex Jones, who pioneered online tactics that would later benefit Flat Earth.
The algorithm's embrace. The true explosion of Flat Earth came around 2014, driven by YouTube's recommendation algorithms. These algorithms, designed to maximize "watch time," inadvertently prioritized extreme and sensational content, leading users from mainstream videos to increasingly fringe theories. Many Flat Earthers describe their conversion as a passive process, with videos "popping up" in their feeds after watching other conspiracy content, pulling them down a "rabbit hole" of Flat Earth "proofs."
New voices, new reach. Figures like Eric Dubay, who started uploading Flat Earth videos to YouTube, capitalized on this algorithmic bias. His "200 Proofs Earth Is Not a Spinning Ball" video, inspired by 19th-century texts, became a viral sensation, drawing in a new generation of believers. This digital ecosystem fostered a community of micro-celebrities, leading to the creation of events like the Flat Earth International Conference (FEIC), which explicitly distanced itself from the older, more moderate Flat Earth Society, signaling a new, more aggressive era for the movement.
6. The Social Cost of Conspiracy: Isolation and Conflict for Believers
For so many, the conspiracy theory becomes the wall of a social snow globe, parting them from loved ones and trapping them inside with the only other people who will believe them.
Widespread rejection. Flat Earthers frequently face ridicule and social rejection, leading to strained relationships with family, friends, and employers. This ostracization is so common that many believers use the term "coming out" to describe announcing their Flat Earth convictions, mirroring the language of the LGBTQ community. This shared experience of being an outcast often binds them more tightly to the Flat Earth community.
Internal divisions and aggression. Despite external pressures, the Flat Earth community is not monolithic; it experiences internal conflicts, accusations of "controlled opposition," and aggressive evangelism. "Flat-smacking," a confrontational tactic involving heckling strangers in public, often results in further social isolation or legal trouble, as seen with Nathan Thompson's arrest for yelling at elementary school children. This aggressive behavior, while alienating to outsiders, is sometimes seen as a badge of honor within the movement.
The psychological toll. The chronic isolation and constant need to defend their beliefs can take a significant psychological toll on Flat Earthers. Some members struggle with mental health issues, exacerbated by the pressures of their beliefs and the persecution they face. The movement, while offering a sense of purpose and community, can also trap individuals in an echo chamber, making it difficult to engage with dissenting viewpoints or return to a shared reality.
7. The Ultimate Zetetic: Mike Hughes's Fatal Quest for Proof
Whatever he privately believed in the moments before his rocket launched, he died in Flat Earth’s name.
A daredevil's journey. Mike Hughes, a self-taught rocket builder and daredevil, became one of the most famous Flat Earthers by taking the "zetetic" principle to its extreme: he aimed to launch himself into space to personally observe the Earth's shape. His skepticism began with distrust of government narratives, leading him to embrace sovereign citizen beliefs and eventually Flat Earth, which he saw as the ultimate challenge to official truths.
Homemade rockets and mounting risks. Hughes, with a background in race-car aerodynamics, built his rockets from salvaged parts, often facing financial constraints and technical difficulties. His launches were inherently dangerous, with one early attempt nearly killing him due to parachute failure. Despite these close calls and the concerns of his friends, Hughes remained determined to reach the upper atmosphere in his "rockoon" (rocket-balloon hybrid) to photograph the flat planet.
A tragic end. On February 22, 2020, Hughes embarked on a launch for a TV show, a lower-altitude flight than his ultimate ambition. Due to last-minute modifications and equipment issues, his rocket malfunctioned, and he plummeted to his death. His demise, broadcast live online, sparked debate about his true beliefs, with his publicist claiming it was a publicity stunt. However, those close to him, including his ex-wife and rocket co-builders, believed he was a genuine Flat Earther, highlighting the profound and sometimes fatal commitment to the theory.
8. Flat Earth's Dark Alliance: Overlap with Antisemitism and Extremism
Most Flat Earthers, of course, are not neo-Nazis. Mike Hughes wasn’t, and neither are any of the conference organizers or Flat Earth Society holdouts or Antarctic explorers I’ve met. If anything, much of the Nazi chatter comes from well-meaning Flat Earthers who compare everything they dislike to Hitler.
Historical roots of prejudice. While Flat Earth theory itself is not inherently antisemitic, its historical context and modern resurgence have seen it increasingly intertwined with antisemitic and far-right extremist ideologies. Historically, conspiracy theories have often scapegoated Jews for societal ills, from the Black Death to the French Revolution, culminating in the fabrication of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" and its use by the Nazis.
Modern antisemitic tropes. In the contemporary Flat Earth movement, this manifests in various ways: some members innocently (or ignorantly) compare disliked entities like NASA to Hitler, while others openly deny the Holocaust or promote overtly antisemitic content. Figures like Eric Dubay, a key figure in Flat Earth's YouTube renaissance, have released rap albums with pro-Hitler lyrics and documentaries promoting Holocaust denial, explicitly linking Flat Earth to "The Jew World Order."
The normalization of hate. The presence of such extreme views, even if not universally embraced, creates an uncomfortable adjacency for the broader Flat Earth community. Speakers at conferences, like Owen Benjamin, have made grossly antisemitic jokes to laughter, and Flat Earth forums often feature Holocaust denial. This overlap with the alt-right and QAnon, which also traffics in antisemitic tropes, demonstrates how conspiracy theories can serve as gateways to more dangerous and hateful ideologies, mobilizing individuals around shared enemies and perceived threats.
9. Beyond the Edge: Finding a Path Back to Shared Reality
If not a cult, then at least something very close to it.
The pandemic's accelerant. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 created a perfect storm for conspiracy theories, including Flat Earth. Widespread fear, uncertainty, and lockdowns drove unprecedented numbers of people online, exposing them to a dense slurry of misinformation. Flat Earth groups merged with COVID-19 hoaxes, anti-mask rhetoric, and QAnon, leading to a radicalization of public discourse and even real-world violence, as seen with individuals involved in the Capitol attack who also shared Flat Earth content.
The limits of moderation. Social media companies, after years of criticism, began implementing measures like fact-checks and algorithm changes to curb the spread of harmful misinformation. YouTube, for instance, made Flat Earth videos harder to find and banned prominent conspiracy channels like Infowars. While these actions reduced the reach of some conspiracists, they also highlighted the challenges of content moderation, with bans sometimes leading to accusations of censorship and re-uploads of banned content.
The human connection. Debunking conspiracy theories is difficult, as believers are often resistant to facts that contradict their worldview. However, former Flat Earthers like Jose Gonzales and Craig Pennock found their way back to reality through sustained communication and trust with Globe Earth friends. Their experiences suggest that maintaining human connection, offering empathy, and patiently addressing doubts can provide an "off-ramp" from conspiratorial thinking, emphasizing that trust and community are vital antidotes to the isolation and paranoia fostered by these beliefs.
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