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Earth

Why do people believe Earth is flat in the 21st century?

Those who distrust received wisdom are following the traditions of the Enlightenment, says psychologist Rob Brotherton

By Alison George

3 February 2016

Brotherton

Last week the rapper B.o.B . Are you surprised that this idea is in the 21st century?

I was surprised and delighted: I love hip hop and conspiracy theories, and this combines both. The psychology that underlies this kind of thinking is fascinating, but I never thought flat Earth theory would get much attention.

It seems a surprising idea to get behind, when the evidence from space photos and other things seems incontrovertible…

The belief that Earth isn’t spherical is one of those things that, at first glance, is easy to…

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