If we want to honestly respond to flat-Earthers, I think we first have to take an introspective look inwards and solve the riddle of rebuilding trust.Many flat-Earthers agree that the sun perfectly circles the ring of the equator on the equinox however, to account for the equal hours of daytime and nighttime, the models make a few tweaks to how the sun itself looks and behaves. To put it crudely, how many times have groups been screwed over because of science, or at the very least the socioeconomic systems that promote and entrench scientists? Can you blame people for rejecting the entire apparatus altogether, and voicing that rejection in the form of flat-Earth theories? How many times has science been used to lie to a group of people? To harm them? How many times have scientists been willing participants in that deception? That line of thinking leads to some intense questions. Perhaps a flat-Earther isn't questioning the evidence, or even doubting me personally, but challenging the system that I represent. If we disagree on the "why" - if we're approaching the issue from fundamentally different perspectives - then that's what we need to examine first.Īfter the planetarium show it struck me (and I apologize if I'm late to a common realization) that the question of Earth's roundness isn't a debate about facts, but something deeper.
If we agree on the "why", then we can debate the evidence and discuss the facts.
I don't really care what a person believes what's more important is why a person believes. I answered their questions, but after the show I realized that I probably didn't convince them of anything. Or at least that was my response until an interaction during the last COSI After Dark, when a young couple started asking me about flat Earth and various conspiracy theories during my live planetarium show. I myself usually respond with a contemptuous roll of my eyes and "I refuse to feed the trolls".sometimes following up with "you idiot". Most of my colleagues do so with a contemptuous smirk and "of course the Earth is round", sometimes following up with "you idiot".
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