Believers in Flat Earth Not About to Change Minds

Global warming? Somewhat controversial. Evolution? Even more so.

Still, there's one well-founded scientific notion that everyone can agree upon: The Earth is round, like a ball.

Right? Well, maybe not. The BBC reports that the Flat Earth Society, thought to have been crippled by the death of its leader in 2001, is still hanging on, somewhat bemusedly.

"People are definitely prejudiced against flat-Earthers," Tennessee-based computer scientist and society member John Davis tells the BBC. "Many use the term 'flat-Earther' as a term of abuse, and with connotations that imply blind faith, ignorance or even anti-intellectualism."

But, Davis and his fellow "anti-globularists" insist, their beliefs are based in scientific fact.

"The Earth is, more or less, a disc," states James McIntyre, a Briton who helps run the Flat Earth Society's Web site. "Obviously it isn't perfectly flat, thanks to geological phenomena like hills and valleys. It is around 24,900 miles in diameter."

The moon landings? Faked, say the flat-Earthers. Satellite images of the Earth? Fake, fake, fake.

So what does the flat Earth look like?

"The North Pole is central, and Antarctica comprises the entire circumference of the Earth," explains McIntyre. "Circumnavigation is a case of traveling in a very broad circle across the surface of the Earth."

McIntyre hopes the Flat Earth Society Web site's discussion forums will unite all discarians into a "global community."

"If you will forgive my use of the term 'global,'" he quips.

• Click here to read the rest of this story at the BBC.