Update: I tracked the shift in how the 'flat earth' theory is talked about online

I've been watching this space for about 3 years now. Back in 2021, most arguments were about basic physics and horizon lines. Now, the main talking points are all about NASA being a private corporation and the Antarctic Treaty. The evidence people use changed completely. It feels like the core idea got swapped out for a different set of claims. Has anyone else noticed this pivot in the last couple of years?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivias882mo ago

Yeah, it's weird how these things evolve (or maybe mutate is a better word). Reminds me of when my uncle got deep into moon landing conspiracies and the goalposts just kept moving every time you'd debunk something.

mason_stone92mo ago

Olivias88 mentioning the moving goalposts thing is spot on. I saw a similar shift with a friend who got into old school conspiracy stuff about the pyramids. It started with who built them, then became all about lost technology and energy fields. The core story just gets replaced when the old one gets picked apart too much.

the_cora2mo ago

Exactly, and @olivias88 is right about the goalposts. It's not just moving them, it's swapping the whole game. They used to argue about boats disappearing over the curve. Now it's all legal jargon about maritime law and who owns space. When one set of "proof" gets laughed out of the room, they just graft on a new, more complicated story that's harder to fact-check for the average person. It's less about the shape of the earth now and more about building a whole fake world of shady agencies and secret treaties.