COLUMN: Think Again – The problem with conspiracy theories

Did you know that there are still people today who believe the Earth is flat?

Behind the Curve, a 2018 Netflix documentary, provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the Flat Earth movement in the United States. This documentary reveals that many “Flat Earthers” are surprisingly well-educated and are serious about finding evidence to support their strange ideas. They genuinely believe that a proper interpretation of the scientific data supports their belief that the Earth is flat.

A group of Flat Earthers even devised an ingenious experiment where they set up three measuring posts of equal height approximately four miles apart over an area of equal elevation. They then cut a hole in each post at exactly the same height. If the Earth is flat, the light will shine through all three holes but if the Earth is round, the posts will need to be adjusted due to the curvature of the Earth.

The documentary film concludes with the Flat Earthers expressing surprise that the result ends up being exactly what you would expect for a round earth. In other words, the Flat Earthers’ own experiment disproved their theory.

Interestingly, this result had no impact on the Flat Earthers’ beliefs. They simply conclude that there must have been something wrong with the experiment. Even though all their other experiments also end up with the same result, they refuse to abandon their preconceived notion that the earth is flat.

This probably sounds bizarre to most people reading this column. However, it’s actually not that hard to understand. When people want to believe something, they can always find a way to stick with their beliefs even when there is considerable evidence supporting a contrary view. Similarly, if they really don’t want something to be true, they can find a reason, no matter how far-fetched it might be, to discount the evidence.

This is why it’s nearly impossible to convince conspiracy theorists to abandon their false beliefs. Whether it is that the moon landings were fake, that the 9/11 terrorist attack was an “inside job” by the American government, or that vaccines cause autism, there will always be conspiracy theorists among us.

Sadly, the current COVID-19 pandemic has created the perfect breeding ground for conspiracy theories. For example, some people believe that the pandemic was planned by governments around the world as an excuse to permanently take away our rights and freedoms. Others think that 5G cell towers are causing the spread of COVID-19. Still others are hardcore anti-maskers who think that wearing masks makes people sick.

Conspiracy theories have one thing in common—they require the blind acceptance of highly improbable propositions. For example, if the moon landings were faked, just imagine how many people must have been involved in this charade. Government officials, scientists, astronauts, and television network executives are but a few of individuals who would not only have actively participated in the fake moon landings but have remained silent about it for more than 50 years. This is patently absurd.

Similarly, if vaccines really are harmful, there would literally need to be thousands of scientists and government officials in on this secret. It’s not like vaccines are a money-making scheme for governments since most vaccines are provided free of charge to the general public.

COVID-19 conspiracy theories are equally absurd. It boggles the mind that government leaders around the world would conspire to create a global health emergency. Think for a moment about how implausible this is and just how difficult it would be to coordinate.

Conspiracy theories can do a lot of damage. Before getting sucked into one, think it through first.

Michael Zwaagstra is a high school teacher and a Steinbach city councillor. He can be reached at mzwaagstra@shaw.ca.