After all, Flat Earth belief is widely taken to be synonymous with a completely wrong world view. One might still question the relevance of the events. To an outside observer it could appear that all of these these events were publicity stunts with no broader relevance, yet to anyone aware of it, their Flat-Earth communications were clearly influenced by an active YouTube discourse and intended to contribute to it.
and reality television star Tila Tequila declared their Flat Earth belief on Twitter, challenging their audiences to refute their views by posting video evidence online. This community produced the first Flat Earth International Conference 9–10 November 2017 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Rather, they represent a community of people who primarily communicate through YouTube.
Hughes and his sponsor are not alone in believing that the Earth is flat. The flight, canceled due to weather and mechanical failures, was intended to carry him 1,800 feet in the air over Amboy, California his principal sponsor was a YouTube channel Research Flat Earth (channel ID UCXa5atseqfc03pzESmb1nKg). On 2 December 2017, retired limousine driver and amateur stunt man “Mad” Mike Hughes publicly declared his intent to launch himself in a homemade, steam-powered rocket using a converted mobile home as a ramp. The phenomenon cannot be properly understood without recognizing the distinct contribution of all of these elements. I argue that this phenomenon represents fusion of multiple influences unique to YouTube, including conspiracy theory, climate change denial, science documentaries, clickbait, viral videos, trolling, Russian propaganda, and young-Earth religious fundamentalism.
The videos at the source of this stir are highly ambiguous. Flat Earth discourse sometimes crosses into other public discourse, but YouTube remains singularly important in promoting Flat Earth belief and encouraging development of its supporting arguments. Thousands of such videos have been produced, gathering multiple millions of views. An active contemporary discourse on YouTube revolves around the idea that the Earth is flat instead of round, and how Flat Earth cosmology is related to contemporary political, religious and cultural issues.
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