In a stunning new theory, flat Earthers believe we don't fall off the edge of the Earth even though it's flat because of the same rules of physics found in a video game.
Over the weekend in Birmingham, England, 200 flat Earthers discussed their various theories on the planet's shape and sought to disprove those who challenge their beliefs.
To them, Earth is definitely flat, regardless of what elementary school textbooks, rules of science, and countless hours of aerial footage dictate. They're no longer content with the idea that the Earth is just a flat disk with a giant wall of ice around it. In the convention, the flat Earthers presented a number of ideas on the planet's true shape, as The Telegraph reports.
Flat Earthers: New Theories On The Shape Of The Earth
One theory comes from Darren Nesbit, alleging that Earth is actually in the shape of a diamond and is supported by pillars.
"I'm not saying this is definitely what is going on, but I think it is a plausible model," said Nesbit.
Indeed, there are people who impassionedly believe that our dear planet is not a globe despite overwhelming evidence proving so. They have all sorts of theories on its actual shape and have laid out explanations that support their model. Flat Earth societies haven't really settled on a universal theory on why the Earth is flat, but they do irrepressibly believe it is.
Even still, there's a popular counterpoint flat Earthers have never properly answered yet: if the Earth is truly flat, why don't we fall off the edge of our planet? Nesbit, however, has an answer: the "Pac-Man effect."
Flat Earth And 'Pac-Man'
Everyone has probably played Pac-Man at least once in their lives, but for those who haven't, Pac-Man is a video game featuring an insatiable yellow character. Players navigate a maze-like environment in search of food, and the goal is to eat as much as Pac-Man can without running into enemies.
What Nesbit seems to be referring to in his theory is the left and right sections of the maze, which act like portals — if you enter the left portal, you instantly end up on the right, and vice versa. Earth, he believes, works like this. We are able to teleport from one side of the planet to the opposite side just like that. That's why no one has ever fallen off the edge.
"One logical possibility for those who are truly free thinkers is that space-time wraps around and we get a Pac-Man effect," said Nesbit.
Why People Believe The Earth Is Flat
A diamond-shaped planet? Pac-Man physics? A huge ice wall? They all sound astoundingly incorrect, but the mere fact that there are people who believe the Earth is flat — and the number is growing — has other more pressing implications. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson thinks there are two primary reasons behind this: free speech and a failed educational system.
"For me, the fact that there's a rise of flat-Earthers is evidence of two things. One, we live in a country that protects free speech. And, two, we live in a country with a failed educational system," he said.
More flat Earth conventions are scheduled in the United States later this year.
