Are you an EPFL student looking for a semester project?
Work with us on data science and visualisation projects, and deploy your project as an app on top of Graph Search.
This lecture explores the beliefs of flat earth believers, who argue that the Earth is flat and surrounded by an ice barrier. Despite scientific advancements, the myth of a flat Earth persists, with followers challenging modern science and technology. From the history of the concept to the cosmology proposed by flat earthers, the lecture delves into the rationality behind their beliefs, their experiments, and the social mechanisms that reinforce their convictions. It also discusses the impact of conspiracy theories, the psychological mechanisms of willful blindness, and the sense of community and identity that the flat Earth movement provides to its followers.