SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Interesting bit to be found at The Conversation:
Speakers recently flew in from around (or perhaps, across?) the earth for a three-day event held in Birmingham: the UK's first ever public Flat Earth Convention. It was well attended, and wasn't just three days of speeches and YouTube clips (though, granted, there was a lot of this). There was also a lot of team-building, networking, debating, workshops – and scientific experiments.
Yes, flat earthers do seem to place a lot of emphasis and priority on scientific methods and, in particular, on observable facts. The weekend in no small part revolved around discussing and debating science, with lots of time spent running, planning, and reporting on the latest set of flat earth experiments and models. Indeed, as one presenter noted early on, flat earthers try to "look for multiple, verifiable evidence" and advised attendees to "always do your own research and accept you might be wrong".
While flat earthers seem to trust and support scientific methods, what they don't trust is scientists, and the established relationships between "power" and "knowledge". This relationship between power and knowledge has long been theorised by sociologists. By exploring this relationship, we can begin to understand why there is a swelling resurgence of flat earthers.
Interestingly enough, the author delves into philosophy, particularly the work of Michel Foucault, who, for those not familiar with him, traced the relations between knowledge and power, especially in The Archaeology of Knowledge.
In the 21st century, we are witnessing another important shift in both power and knowledge due to factors that include the increased public platforms afforded by social media. Knowledge is no longer centrally controlled and – as has been pointed out in the wake of Brexit – the age of the expert may be passing. Now, everybody has the power to create and share content. When Michael Gove, a leading proponent of Brexit, proclaimed: "I think the people of this country have had enough of experts", it would seem that he, in many ways, meant it.
Ah, that explains so much beyond Brexit! Alternative Knowledge!
And for those who will never read the entire article, bit of the take-away:
In many ways, a public meeting of flat earthers is a product and sign of our time; a reflection of our increasing distrust in scientific institutions, and the moves by power-holding institutions towards populism and emotions. In much the same way that Foucault reflected on what social outcasts could reveal about our social systems, there is a lot flat earthers can reveal to us about the current changing relationship between power and knowledge. And judging by the success of this UK event – and the large conventions planned in Canada and America this year – it seems the flat earth is going to be around for a while yet.
(Score: 2, Offtopic) by jmorris on Saturday May 05 2018, @07:02PM (14 children)
This one just won't effing die will it. That line is from Saturday Night Live. Tina Fey != Sarah Palin, she just played her on TV.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 05 2018, @07:08PM (1 child)
GP anon didn't say that Sarah Palin said it, but you reflexively defended her. Could you be Bristol Palin's new lover? Or Trig's father?
(Score: 5, Funny) by Azuma Hazuki on Saturday May 05 2018, @07:32PM
Ten gets you one J-Mo is an "incel."
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 05 2018, @07:08PM
Calm down. Of course it was Tina Fey. The fact that these flat earthers had a three day convention deserves commentary just as serious.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 05 2018, @07:23PM (1 child)
Wow, someone hops into a thread to defend Palin? Jmo jmo jmo, you really should get laid sometime if you're that desperate. You can have a guaranteed good time in Nevada I hear, set you back less than the number of dates it would probably take to find someone willing to sleep with a RINO.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 06 2018, @04:58AM
Well, boys, that wrap it up for us. 3.5 billion people had a vote, and parent comment is the unanimous verdict. I guess we'd better just kill ourselves. It's a good thing we're expendable.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 05 2018, @09:44PM
Palin said:
From Huffington Post, you jmorris, you! https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sarah-palin-russia-joke_us_584e3fe1e4b0e05aded4724f [huffingtonpost.com]
(Score: 4, Informative) by Whoever on Saturday May 05 2018, @09:55PM (7 children)
That line is certainly from SNL, but the reason it was funny and remains in the public consciousness is that Palin said something similar, but with a lot less hyperbole:
"They’re our next-door neighbors, and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska”
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/false-i-can-see-russia-from-my-house/ [snopes.com]
(Score: 2) by Virindi on Sunday May 06 2018, @04:28PM (6 children)
Except the real quote doesn't sound at all dumb, unlike the popularly attributed quote. (And the actual quote is factually correct.) So there is a big difference.
(Score: 2) by Whoever on Sunday May 06 2018, @04:50PM (4 children)
You are showing your ignorance.
In the context of the discussion, what Palin said was dumb.
(Score: 2) by Virindi on Sunday May 06 2018, @05:31PM (3 children)
Maybe, but it would be much more subjectively dumb than the fake quote. In other words, it is unfair to substitute one dumb thing someone actually said, for something else that has been made up just to make a good sound bite version.
(Score: 2) by meustrus on Sunday May 06 2018, @08:56PM (1 child)
Regardless of whether the quote itself was dumb, are you seriously making the argument that Palin herself isn't a bit lacking in intelligence?
If there isn't at least one reference or primary source, it's not +1 Informative. Maybe the underused +1 Interesting?
(Score: 2) by Virindi on Sunday May 06 2018, @09:54PM
What??? Please point out to me where I said that.
(Score: 3, Funny) by aristarchus on Sunday May 06 2018, @09:51PM
This is the stupidest comment I have ever seen on SoylentNews! It is just like that time that Virindi said, "Sarah Palin is a political genius! She is one of the smartest Republicans currently alive!"
Best to quit while you have only partially embarrassed yourself. You should never go the Full Runaway!
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Sunday May 06 2018, @10:51PM
Everything Sarah Palin says is dumb, and even things that are true and not dumb sound dumb when she says them.
If there is video of her saying the really dumb things she says it also looks swivel-eyed and crazy.