&Quot;Flat Earth&Quot;

Does the 1958 Encyclopedia Americana prove the Earth is flat? No, that's not true: A "dome" referenced in a 1958 encyclopedia entry describes a naturally occurring ice dome and not the firmament -- a supposed planet-encompassing dome conspiracy theorists believe supports the flat Earth claim. A mapping expert confirmed to Lead Stories that a well-documented ice dome is located at…

Does a video of satellite imagery showing what a post describes as a "massive underwater wall" stretching from "pole to pole" prove that the Earth is flat? No, that's not true: A video of Google Earth seafloor mapping data depicted in the post shows what's known to mapping analysts as a "digital seam," or a location of the ocean floor…

Does a map showing "Terra-Infinita" show a real place composed of 178 worlds that exist beyond the domed territory of the "Known Lands" of Earth, ringed by a giant wall of ice and guarded by "custodians"? No, that's not true: This detailed map is an illustration from a science fiction series written and published by Claudio Nocelli, also known by…

Does a photo of the Artemis I mission launch show that the rocket missed its target, falling short of the moon -- perhaps dropping into the ocean? No, that's not true: The launch went as planned and the Orion spacecraft orbited Earth once en route to the moon. This is a real photo of the launch of the uncrewed Orion…

Is the Earth flat and surrounded by a transparent barrier that prevents rockets from leaving the Earth's atmosphere? Beyond this barrier, is there a firmament composed of water or a liquid-like substance? Does this explain why the U.S. government in 1962 launched Operation Fish Bowl -- to use nuclear weapons to try and break through that barrier? No, that's not…

Is it impossible to find a "real photo" of Earth taken from space that is not computer generated? No, that's not true: Seventy-six years ago, on October 24, 1946, the first photo of Earth was taken from a V-2 rocket 65 miles above the New Mexico desert. The rocket fell back to Earth as planned, crashing in the desert, and…

Do two photos comparing launch sites on Earth and on the moon imply that the Apollo moon missions were faked -- and, furthermore, suggest that the Earth is flat? No, none of this is true: These photos, taken 33 years apart, are real photos from two different NASA missions. The upper photo shows the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B,…

Does the fact that planes can take off and land prove that the Earth is flat? No, that's not true: The claim ignores Newton's first and second laws of motion that explain how both happen on the constantly spinning Earth. The claim appeared in an Instagram post on October 23, 2022. It opened: FLAT EARTH FACT PLANES LANDING ON A…

Is it true that airplanes fly "straight and level" and that this proves the Earth is flat? No, that's not true: An aviation expert told Lead Stories that "airlines don't fly in a literal straight line" because airplanes fly based on altitude, measured from sea levels. The expression "straight and level" refers to maintaining steady altitude so that the plane…

Does a "documentary" called "HOW EARTH BECAME A BALL" prove that the Earth is flat? No, that's not true: Although it's presented as a documentary, "HOW EARTH BECAME A BALL" is an unauthorized repackaging of a 1990 Canadian satirical movie, "In Search of the Edge." It's a mockumentary about flat Earth (FE) theory. John Hoskyns-Abrahall with Bullfrog Films, the distributor…