4 ms·

I suspect there are a vanishingly small number of individuals who believe flat earth, and the rest are just doing it for the lulz.

galangalalgol 2y ago
But the earth is visibly not flat! Clearly we live in a Dyson sphere.
- bornfreddy 2y ago
  Of course it is flat! It's just the coordinate system that is curved. ;)
lukan 2y ago
That is what you hope, but do you know how many people believed in the Q conspiracy? Chemtrails? Reptiloids? Bill Gates using the vaccination to control everyone through a microchip? It is the same ballpark. I wish those people pushing this, were doing it just for the lulz. But mostly they are serious.
- 1659447091 2y ago
  I'm convinced that chemtrails came from a stoner watching some variation of How planes fly / aeronautics at 3am and heard chemtrails in place of contrails and we are now forever stuck with it.
- ben_w 2y ago
  What I want to know is why Bill Gates got stuck with the microchip conspiracy theory when Elon Musk regularly has press conferences about the progress his team is making with actual brain microchips.
  - lukan 2y ago
    That is simple, because Bill Gates did talk about a microchip for people in an interview, but just an RFID chip, to keep track of the vaccinations. Also his foundation is doing vaccinations big scale. Even without foreign hostile agencies making disinformation, it is easy seeing crackpots mixing it all up.
    - dolmen 2y ago
      And this is just the start. LLMs are very good at mixing information to produce bullshit.
      - lukan 2y ago
        No worries, we can ask another LLM for verification.
    - ben_w 2y ago
      Ah, that makes a decent amount of sense.
  - agent327 2y ago
    Musk makes it optional, Bill Gates required it (vaccination, presumably including the chip) of everyone.
TeMPOraL 2y ago
You're missing an important third group: people making money pushing these beliefs. Themselves, they likely don't believe it - but they know this type of "content" creates strong "engagement".
Hnrobert42 2y ago
Behind the Curve is a good documentary about flat earthers. A lot of them seem to believe it because it gives them a sense that they have figured something out that others haven't. It makes them feel special. Others believe it, or at least continue to believe, because they find a community and connection with other believers.
- sgerenser 2y ago
  Sounds remarkably similar to mainstream religions in the U.S.

galangalalgol 2y ago

But the earth is visibly not flat! Clearly we live in a Dyson sphere.

bornfreddy 2y ago
Of course it is flat! It's just the coordinate system that is curved. ;)

lukan 2y ago

That is what you hope, but do you know how many people believed in the Q conspiracy? Chemtrails? Reptiloids? Bill Gates using the vaccination to control everyone through a microchip? It is the same ballpark. I wish those people pushing this, were doing it just for the lulz. But mostly they are serious.

1659447091 2y ago
I'm convinced that chemtrails came from a stoner watching some variation of How planes fly / aeronautics at 3am and heard chemtrails in place of contrails and we are now forever stuck with it.
ben_w 2y ago
What I want to know is why Bill Gates got stuck with the microchip conspiracy theory when Elon Musk regularly has press conferences about the progress his team is making with actual brain microchips.
- lukan 2y ago
  That is simple, because Bill Gates did talk about a microchip for people in an interview, but just an RFID chip, to keep track of the vaccinations. Also his foundation is doing vaccinations big scale. Even without foreign hostile agencies making disinformation, it is easy seeing crackpots mixing it all up.
  - dolmen 2y ago
    And this is just the start. LLMs are very good at mixing information to produce bullshit.
    - lukan 2y ago
      No worries, we can ask another LLM for verification.
  - ben_w 2y ago
    Ah, that makes a decent amount of sense.
- agent327 2y ago
  Musk makes it optional, Bill Gates required it (vaccination, presumably including the chip) of everyone.

TeMPOraL 2y ago

You're missing an important third group: people making money pushing these beliefs. Themselves, they likely don't believe it - but they know this type of "content" creates strong "engagement".

Hnrobert42 2y ago

Behind the Curve is a good documentary about flat earthers. A lot of them seem to believe it because it gives them a sense that they have figured something out that others haven't. It makes them feel special. Others believe it, or at least continue to believe, because they find a community and connection with other believers.

sgerenser 2y ago
Sounds remarkably similar to mainstream religions in the U.S.