It’s a claim that enrages most scientists, and now Elon Musk has poked fun at those who believe the Earth is flat.
The SpaceX and Tesla founder has tweeted: ‘Why is there no Flat Mars Society?!’
Bizarrely, the Flat Earth Society replied that ‘unlike Earth, Mars has been observed to be round’, leaving many observers of the conversation baffled.
It’s a claim that enrages most scientists, and now Elon Musk has poked fun at those who believe the Earth is flat. The SpaceX and Tesla founder has tweeted: ‘Why is there no Flat Mars Society?!’
Musk took to Twitter this week to poke fun at those who are convinced that our planet is flat.
He said: ‘Why is there no Flat Mars Society?!’
The Flat Earth Society – which is surprisingly verified on Twitter – then replied: ‘Hi Elon, thanks for the question. Unlike the Earth, Mars has been observed to be round.’
It then added: ‘We hope you have a fantastic day!’
This response is particularly confusing as it contradicts the logic believed by most flat-Earthers, that scientific observations of Earth’s spherical shape are fake or flawed.
The Flat Earth Society – which is surprisingly verified on Twitter – then replied: ‘Hi Elon, thanks for the question. Unlike the Earth, Mars has been observed to be round.’ It then added: ‘We hope you have a fantastic day!’
The response is particularly confusing as it contradicts the logic believed by most flat-Earthers, that scientific observations of Earth’s spherical shape are fake or flawed (artist’s impression pictured)
The conversation was eagerly followed by thousands of Twitter users, many of who waded into the debate themselves.
One user called George joked: ‘I heard your society has members all AROUND the globe. Is this true?’
Wireghoul said: ‘Did you mean a sphere? It’s hard to debunk science without science.’
And Davey McDaveFace said: ‘1. Earth HAS been observed to be round. 2. Why would the laws of physics create one planet round, and the other flat? 3. You guys are just trolling us, right?’
THE FLAT EARTH CONSPIRACY THEORY
Those who believed the Flat Earth Theory claim our planet is shaped like a flat disc instead of a sphere.
Because Earth’s surface looks and feels flat when we walk around it, the conspiracy theorists denounce all evidence to the contrary.
The leading theory suggests Earth is a disc with the Arctic Circle in the centre and Antarctica, a 150-foot-tall (45-metre) wall of ice, around the rim.
Theorists claim that satellite images and evidence pointing to a spherical Earth are part of a ’round Earth conspiracy’ orchestrated by Nasa and other government agencies.
The leading theory suggests Earth is a disc with the Arctic Circle in the centre and Antarctica, a 150-foot-tall (45-metre) wall of ice, around the rim
Followers of the bizarre theory also claim the Earth is stationary in space rather than orbiting the sun.
But the international scientific community has consistently denounced the bizarre theory, putting forward decades of space imagery and astronomical research to back their claims.
The Flat Earth society has seen an increase of around 200 members a year since 2009.
The conversation comes days after cricketer Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff admitted he had become obsessed with a podcast called The Flat Earthers.
The show is a genuine conspiracy theory claiming the earth being round was a lie peddled by Disney – despite the assertion of a spherical planet having been around since the Ancient Greek era, and having been the popular belief since Christohper Columbus’ famed voyage in 1492.
Speaking on his own podcast, for BBC 5 Live with former Wales footballer Robbie Savage, Flintoff ignored all satellite photos of Earth to suggest there was ‘evidence to suggest the world wasn’t round’.
The conversation comes days after cricketer Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff admitted he had become obsessed with a podcast called The Flat Earthers
And the pair are even deliberating a trip to next year’s The Flat Earth International Conference in America.
He said: ‘If you’re in a helicopter and you hover why does the Earth not come to you if it’s round?
‘Why, if we’re hurtling through space, why would water stay still? Why is it not wobbling? Also if you fire a laser about 16 miles, if the world was curved, you shouldn’t be able to see it but you can.’
He added: ‘The middle is the North Pole, around the outside is the South Pole which is like a big wall of ice. This is why all governments now have bases on the South Pole.’