The Toxic Internet & Misinformation

"Life confuses me, people confuse me. Sometimes I think I am the only sane person, adrift in a world of lunacy. Nothing makes me feel this way more, than what I see on the Internet and that pervasive part of our lives, Facebook." That is the opening paragraph from a previous post of mine 'Facebook and the Puzzle that are Friend Requests' and the link to that post is at the bottom of this page.

As I wrote in that same post, "It has often been observed that the Internet magnifies human behaviour, whether for good or ill; human social interaction is somehow exaggerated, becoming overblown and often ridiculous. It is also sadly true that we now live in an age when any fool can have their own website and thanks to social media, access a wider audience. This blog and the fool writing it is proof of that. It is some aspect of the Internet and in particular Facebook, that is able to bring the flaws of human behaviour so starkly into focus. It is remarkable how easy it is to make fools of ourselves on the web, without actually realising how foolish we are. How inhibition, etiquette and general good manners drift away from many users of the magic keyboard."

My article 'Musings upon the Internet,' the first in which I addressed the phenomenon that is the World Wide Web; was first published in the Hedgewytch magazine in 2013. As can be inferred by the above; I have begun to ask myself; what has changed in those seven years? I could easily make a list of rather peculiar websites and added to the same list that includes the wonderfully dysfunctional world of Facebook; is that other great medium for self expression, YouTube. The home like much of the Internet of the weird, the wonderful, the egocentric and sadly, the mentally unwell.

One of my more puzzling discoveries in recent months is the existence of people who believe in a Flat Earth or to be more precise, the extent of this Flat Earth movement. I had an awareness that these people existed previously but until recently, I had no comprehension that the movement was global (pun intended), that YouTube Channels existed and that Flat Earth conferences were held. Supporters of the Flat Earth idea (it doesn't deserve to be called a theory) do not believe in gravity but do believe in all manner of unusual conspiracies. This includes some rather outlandish fantasies that lack any proper scientific evidence, these may include Bigfoot for example.

In one YouTube clip a gentleman introduces himself as a successful and experienced lawyer. There is of course a difference in terminology between the USA and the UK, as lawyer is not a word of common or official use. Although we should recognise that it once was and due to the influence of American culture via television and cinema, its colloquial use has increased. In describing his role as a Practitioner at Law I am unsure whether here in the UK he would be described as a barrister or a solicitor. For the sake of this discussion however, it doesn't really matter.

The gentleman lawyer takes a desk globe, complete with all the continents projected upon it and a toy plane. He then flies the said toy plane from North America to Australia, keeping the bottom of the plane facing the surface of the globe. This appears to be quite normal. He then asks; apparently in all seriousness, why the occupants have not fallen out because they are upside down? This behaviour is surely far from normal.

In another YouTube clip British supporters of the Flat Earth are shown in a park, promoting their ideas to anyone who stops jogging long enough to listen. They are as the lawyer above, asking the same question but this time they address two designers of satellites. The two satellite designers are at first very patient and polite. It is clear that they think this is a prank. After a prolonged exchange they finally realise that the Flat Earthers are genuine in their beliefs and they make their excuses to leave while holding back the laughter.

Although the existence and the effects of gravity does appears to be the primary, contentious fact that Flat Earth supporters struggle with. There are other factors pertaining to physics that are of equal concern to them. Flat Earth supporters believe that Newton and Einstein are in conflict, they are not. Their theories complement each other, Newton describes the force of gravity while it can be said that Einstein describes the cause. Any differences are relative to the forces of acceleration. Flat Earth supporters further dismiss the significance of immensely important experiments, such as that of Lord Cavendish and the Bedford Levels experiment when done correctly under scientific conditions.

Although some of those supporting the Flat Earth 'model' can be dismissed as harmless cranks, foolish, possibly stupid and hardly worth the energy of engagement. Others appear to be suffering from a mental illness, displaying a mixture of disassociation, paranoia and perhaps even a neurosis. I am not qualified to offer a formal and complete diagnosis on their behaviour, I can only speculate at this point. I do not hold a mental health qualification as I work in adult surgery. As a Registered Nurse however, I am qualified (and expected) to recognise, act on and report the abnormal. In the case of some of those that I have observed on YouTube, their behaviour is abnormal. If they were patients on my unit, I would definitely refer them to our in house mental health team and request assessment by a clinical psychologist.

There is a belief held by some that opinion carries the same weight as fact; not that I seek to devalue opinion but an opinion voiced without a proper supporting argument is often questionable. I am frequently irritated by the inability of people to provide references and shocked that people still believe nine million women were burnt at the stake. We are not discussing theology, political science, the future of the European Union or economics. History and physics are not open to the same form of open debate. Believing in something and repeating it a dozen times is not going to make it true. The Burning Times are a lie, live with it. Conspiracy theories are not true scientific theories, live with it. The Earth is not flat, live with it. It is an historical fact that Man walked on the Moon, live with it.

"The absence of evidence is not evidence for absence," is a quote that originated with the cosmologist Martin Rees and was later popularised by Carl Sagan. This same genius reworded the principle of Pierre-Simon Laplace namely; “the weight of evidence for an extraordinary claim must be proportioned to its strangeness.” This produced what is perhaps his most famous maxim; "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” It is worth remembering that the onus of proof is always on the claimant. We have the evidence for a Globe Earth but we do not have evidence to support a Flat Earth.

Are those who support a Flat Earth model mentally ill, are they confused or are they barefaced liars? Is truth and the acceptance of scientific evidence really optional? Science proposes an explanation for phenomena that is based upon observation and the best available evidence. The overwhelming evidence proving a globe Earth, is dismissed out of hand by supporters of the Flat Earth and their denial leaves me speechless.

As an aside, I have actually learnt some basic physics from watching YouTube. It was never been my forte at comprehensive school, which I hated anyway. Very different from my time at collage as a mature student doing the equivalent of A' Levels and later at university. As a mature student I loved higher education. I have never really grasped chemistry deeply but at least my understanding of science is greater than those proposing the Flat Earth scenario. No it was biology that was my favourite subject at school and at university; Anatomy and Physiology. I like the soft squishy things in life, I am a blood and guts nurse. I have given CPR to a patient who has soiled himself and I had to kneel in his excrement to do so. Blood, vomit and faeces doesn't faze me. Importantly we got him back but that isn't the point I am trying to make. The point is that my understanding of science, is enough for me to know that the earth is not flat and that gravity is real.

Reading so far you may be wondering where I am going with this post? I am using the examples above to introduce three points. The first is the display of poor intelligence or lack of understanding that is prevalent across the Internet. The second point is that of conflict. Those who support and promote the concept of a Flat Earth, are in turn countered by a scientific movement. There is conflict as this second body endeavours to correct and re-educate where necessary via their own blogs and YouTube videos. This second point leads me to the third, the appalling amount of misinformation found across the Internet.

"A lie that is half-truth is the darkest of all lies." Alfred Lord Tennyson.

With regard the second point above; it can be argued that it is in the interests of both sides of the debate to continue the conflict. Many YouTube channels are financed by advertising and paid subscriptions. People make money, people make a living out of arguments. This is one area that suggests an element of dishonesty and I have hinted at that by the use of the phrase 'barefaced liars' above. Although some of those supporting the Flat Earth model may genuinely believe the nonsense they promote, I firmly believe that some are not as stupid as they pretend. It is my proposition that some know full well that we live on a globe but choose to promote the Flat Earth model to feed off gullible subscribers. This is the horror of the web, this is the very height of dishonesty. This behaviour is both immoral and in my opinion criminal.

All three points outlined above are obviously linked, points one and two are so closely linked however; that I address them together. Education and intelligence are not the same thing. There are many intelligent people in the world who have not been to university. There are many educated people who lack intelligence or common sense. Here in Britain we used to call them 'upper-class twits.' A lack of education is not an excuse for stupidity but it may be a mitigating factor in failing to recognise misinformation. Misinformation is rife across the web.

Every Easter and Christmas, many Pagan and Witchcraft Facebook groups are inundated by tired memes purporting, the true and undisputed origins of the two primary Christian festivals. These two memes have become famous or perhaps I mean infamous; for the lies, the inaccuracy and the lack of research. Easter is not derived from the name of the Goddess Ishtar. Nor are Ra, Horus or Mithras born of virgins, nor did they have apostles and they are not resurrected Gods.

People appear to choose to believe these ridiculous claims, perhaps because they have an immature desire to attack Christianity. Which is very different from those who support a Flat Earth model; as many are at least in the USA, Young Earth Creationists. Whatever the reasoning it raises the issue of how we should best address misinformation and offer corrective education? Is there an obligation upon the bodies effected, whether it is the historical, anthropological, Pagan, Witchcraft, Occult or Scientific communities, to do this? Do we as individuals have an obligation to become involved or are we wasting our valuable time, our resources and our energy? Is it important?

There are of course many important questions that are still worth the asking. Why when there is such a wealth of historical and scientific evidence available, are such fabricated lies (such as those outlined above), still believed? Why do so many people choose to perpetuate misinformation? Why is it easier to believe a lie than to accept the truth? I have asked these questions before and I am still unable to answer these questions in any satisfactory manner. I should not be so incredulous of human behaviour. I am a nurse and I have seen the result of many a foolhardy action. I have seen all manner of admissions to my ward, in all manner of mangled states due to gross stupidity. It happens and it happens every day. Why am I still surprised by human behaviour? Yet increasingly as I look at the World Wide Web and I see actions that I cannot condone; I no longer wish to be part of this Internet community.