IS IT TRUE THAT THE EARTH IS FLAT?

We are wrong if we assume that in ancient times all people and nations believed the earth to be flat. The knowledge that the earth is a sphere dates back to antiquity.

In Natural History, Pliny the Elder iPliny the Elder (22/24–79 CE) was a Roman scholar, philosopher, and politician. writes: ‘The earth is exhaled from the center, condensing its enormous mass into a sphere through continuous rotation ... Scholars heatedly debate with the unlearned whether people live everywhere on earth. After all, if they do, they stand on its opposite sides with their feet pointing toward each other, and above their heads, in all cases, is the celestial pole. Their feet are similarly directed toward the center of the earth. The unlearned ask why those opposite us do not fall from the earth, while at the same time, the question arises as to why we do not fall.’

Further, the diameter of this sphere was known since the third century BCE. It was very precisely calculated by Eratosthenes of Cyrene iEratosthenes (276–195/194 BCE) was an ancient Greek scholar and physicist. , who measured the length of shadows cast by sticks in different cities at noon on the day of the summer solstice. And the spherical shape of the earth was a common theme in the works of ancient physicists and astronomers even before him.

The Indian mathematician Aryabhata, born in the sixth century BCE, studied the properties and dimensions of the earth's sphere, arriving at results that were close to accurate. Chinese science, on the other hand, largely did not concern itself with this question. Ancient China was not a maritime power, and questions essential to maritime civilizations seemed too abstract to them. However, China did not strongly insist on the earth being flat either; traditionally, it was described in myths as a quadrangle. Indian works, when translated, were easily accepted in China, without significant dispute.

In other parts of the world, however, the heliocentric view of the universe was met with strong opposition for a long time. The understanding that it was not a tiny sun that revolves around the center of the cosmos, our enormous, beautiful earth, but rather it was our tiny human abode that revolved around a giant, blazing sphere disrupted the established order of things. Although the heliocentric system was first proposed by Aristarchus of Samos iAristarchus of Samos (310–230 BCE) was an ancient Greek astronomer, mathematician, and physicist. in the fourth century BCE, it was considered entirely marginal until the era of Copernicus iNicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) was a Polish astronomer and mathematician known for proposing the heliocentric theory of the solar system. and even Galileo i Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) was an Italian scholar, astronomer, mathematician, physicist, and advocate of the heliocentric system. , both in Europe and Asia.

‘Indeed, uneducated individuals lacking access to quality education and knowledgeable instructors may have once believed in the concept of a flat earth, supported by the idea that it rested on the backs of elephants standing on a giant turtle.’ References to this ‘disc-shaped Earth’ occasionally appear in both ancient and medieval texts, though not within the realm of natural sciences, of course, but philosophers, theologians, or historians might have entertained such notions. This description even indirectly found its way into the Bible: ‘And the devil, taking Him up into a high mountain, showed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time’ (Luke 4:5).

Certainly, one could only claim to see all the kingdoms of the world from a mountain if the earth were indeed flat. But as compulsory primary and later secondary education became widespread, the belief in a flat earth was gradually eradicated. Nevertheless, even today, there are still websites dedicated to 'flat earthers', primarily attracting enthusiasts of the absurd, hoaxers, trolls, and a small percentage of individuals with mental health issues.

Until the 2000s, the United States was home to the Flat Earth Society, primarily supported by people seeking amusement. The Society claimed that all space photographs and fundamental scientific principles were forgeries and part of a global conspiracy, implicating capitalists, Freemasons, Satanists, Jews, and communists as the chief instigators. However, it appears that a significant portion of the Society's members joined purely for the sake of humor and entertainment.

In the early 1970s, the Society was led by Charles K. Johnson, who managed it quite successfully for thirty years. The fact that Johnson was a former aircraft mechanic and frequently flew—to Australia, for instance, for vacations—raises some skepticism about his sincerity. Still, he knew the ins and outs of the business, and under his leadership, the small circle of eccentrics thrived, even making headlines in the media. At its peak, the society boasted about 3,500 members and garnered substantial, albeit somewhat peculiar, media attention.

A particularly noteworthy claim made by the Society was that the Apollo moon landing was a hoax filmed in Hollywood by Stanley Kubrick. The ideas expressed in their statement resonated with anti-American sentiments worldwide, and quotes from it could be found, for example, in Russian television programs (although any mention of a flat earth was deliberately omitted from these quotes). Even cosmonaut Alexei Leonov had to come forward with an official statement, assuring that all ‘evidence of forgery’ in the moon landing footage was baseless and that Americans had indeed landed on the moon. Leonov's assurance was believed, and the topic gradually faded away.

After the death of Charles K. Johnson in 2001, the society naturally ceased to exist, disbanding on its own. Today's ‘flat earthers’ on social media are independent individuals who have chosen a distinct theme through which to gain popularity, attract public attention, and settle scores with the world behind the scenes.