So I was watching this documentary on Netflix called "Behind the Curve" about the Flat Earther movement.
It was very interesting and entertaining. It talked about the movement from the point of view of the Flat Earthers and from the view of scientists and psychologists.
It also juxtaposed some very interesting scenes. Like a scientist explaining how science works, how it is a process where you don't have a goal in mind, but are open to whatever you find. and how if you go the other way (have a goal and then try to find evidence to support it) you will have a false process.
Then it showed a flat earth "scientist" who had decided that he had a way to test if the earth was round or flat. Gyroscopes. He said, "If the earth really is rotating 360 degrees per day, a gyroscope would precess 15 degrees per hour. If it was flat, it would not. So they got a really expensive, highly accurate gyroscope and did the experiment. It precessed 15 degrees. "Hmm, we must have done something wrong. It must be measuring the presession the dome of the sky while it rotates above the earth" -- so they put it in a metal can to shield it. Same result. So now he has to rethink the experiment to figure out how to shield the gyroscope properly.
It also showed some other pretty ironic moments where the flat earthers basically admitted that nothing would falsify their belief because it would cost them their standing in the community.
It sounds like a cult!
I always though that John Martin was just playing at believing in geocentrism and the flat earth. That is was a big joke. Apparently not. And they tie the flat earth to all sorts of conspiracies, from vaccinations to the airline industry.
Go watch this, it is fascinating.
https://www.netflix.com/title/81015076
It was very interesting and entertaining. It talked about the movement from the point of view of the Flat Earthers and from the view of scientists and psychologists.
It also juxtaposed some very interesting scenes. Like a scientist explaining how science works, how it is a process where you don't have a goal in mind, but are open to whatever you find. and how if you go the other way (have a goal and then try to find evidence to support it) you will have a false process.
Then it showed a flat earth "scientist" who had decided that he had a way to test if the earth was round or flat. Gyroscopes. He said, "If the earth really is rotating 360 degrees per day, a gyroscope would precess 15 degrees per hour. If it was flat, it would not. So they got a really expensive, highly accurate gyroscope and did the experiment. It precessed 15 degrees. "Hmm, we must have done something wrong. It must be measuring the presession the dome of the sky while it rotates above the earth" -- so they put it in a metal can to shield it. Same result. So now he has to rethink the experiment to figure out how to shield the gyroscope properly.
It also showed some other pretty ironic moments where the flat earthers basically admitted that nothing would falsify their belief because it would cost them their standing in the community.
It sounds like a cult!
I always though that John Martin was just playing at believing in geocentrism and the flat earth. That is was a big joke. Apparently not. And they tie the flat earth to all sorts of conspiracies, from vaccinations to the airline industry.
Go watch this, it is fascinating.
https://www.netflix.com/title/81015076
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