#116: Kelly Weill - "Off the Edge"

One of the biggest myths in the history of human discovery is that the idea of a spherical earth is new. In fact, it is the opposite. The incorrect idea that the world is flat is what's new. In this discussion with Daily Beast reporter Kelly Weill, we discuss her book, "Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything." She explains how most of us have misconceptions about those who think the earth is a disc, and how those misconceptions can lead to missed opportunities to reign in dangerous conspiracy theories. She also explains how the idea of a flat earth was born in the 19th century and how conspiracy theories endanger those who believe in them, as well as everyone else. She shows how followers of flat earth ebbed and flowed, until Donald Trump took over the American presidency. Then, her reporting has found, belief in flat earth skyrocketed.

Information on her book from Workman Publishing can be found here https://www.workman.com/authors/kelly-weill

She is on social media at https://twitter.com/KELLYWEILL

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