People who believe that the Earth is flat aren’t coming to that conclusion from a scientific conclusion. They, instead, believe that we are being misled and lied to, that scientists want you to believe that the Earth is round, despite its flatness.
So the question isn’t "why do people believe in a flat Earth" but rather "why do people believe in a conspiracy?" And the answer is the same reason it always is: a lack of trust.
Many people don’t trust the society around them, most notably the representatives of that society. That trust often falls even further when it comes to trusting government officials, members of academia and scientists
By claiming that the Earth is flat, people are really expressing a deep distrust of scientists and science itself.
So, if you find yourself talking to a flat Earther, skip the evidence and arguments, and ask yourself how you can build trust.
Throughout history, there have been flat-earth believers, who doubt what seems to most people, unquestionable. The flat-earth conference began in earnest in 2009. They have their own models to propose their beliefs. Some say the Earth's edges are surrounded by a wall of ice holding in the oceans. To account for night and day, most flat-Earthers think the sun moves in circles around the North Pole.
Can you believe that 7% of the Brazilian population thinks the earth is flat? This shocking number is attributed to a resurgent evangelican Christian church. It would be easy to dismiss flat earthers as simply being misguided due to lack of education, but that's not it. It seems to be based on both a conspiracy mentality (conspiracy theorists) and a deeply help belief that looks a lot like religiosity but isn't necessarily tied to religion.
It's hard to imagine anyone believing in a flat earth after the volumes of science we have. But there are some that do, and that is frightening.
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