Beyond the Horizon: Flat Earth Beliefs and the Post-Truth Era
In an age when humanity has sent rovers to Mars and mapped the ocean floor, millions of people have come to believe that the Earth is flat. This isn't a return to medieval ignorance-it's a sophisticated movement that exploits digital technologies, psychological vulnerabilities, and institutional distrust to spread demonstrably false beliefs across the globe.
Beyond the Horizon: Flat Earth Beliefs and the Post-Truth Era takes readers inside the modern flat Earth phenomenon to explore how conspiracy theories flourish in the digital age. From 19th-century English lecturers to YouTube influencers with millions of followers, from NASA engineers turned conspiracy theorists to rocket-building believers who risk their lives for their convictions, this book reveals the human stories behind one of the most perplexing belief systems of our time.
But this isn't just about the shape of our planet. The flat Earth movement serves as a crucial case study for understanding how misinformation spreads, why intelligent people embrace false beliefs, and what happens when democratic societies lose shared standards of truth and evidence. Daniel Payne weaves together history, psychology, sociology, and media studies to examine the crisis facing truth itself in an era of algorithmic amplification, institutional decline, and epistemological chaos.
At once deeply researched and accessible, Beyond the Horizon offers both a compelling narrative about the power of belief and an urgent warning about the fragility of knowledge in democratic societies. As we face challenges from climate change to pandemics that require collective action based on scientific understanding, this book reveals why protecting both truth and freedom may be essential for our survival.Customer Reviews
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