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The Conversation
The Conversation
Eli Elster, Doctoral Candidate in Evolutionary Anthropology, University of California, Davis

Flat Earth, spirits and conspiracy theories – experience can shape even extraordinary beliefs

Earth Mike Hughes The Mojave Desert
A belief in ghosts could be a way to explain a strange experience while asleep. 'The Nightmare' by Johann Heinrich Füssli/Wikimedia Commons

On Feb. 22, 2020, “Mad” Mike Hughes towed a homemade rocket to the Mojave Desert and launched himself into the sky. His goal? To view the flatness of the Earth from space. This was his third attempt, and tragically it was fatal. Hughes crashed shortly after takeoff and died.

Hughes’ nickname – Mad Mike – might strike you as apt. Is it not crazy to risk your life fighting for a theory that was disproven in ancient Greece?

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