First published in Respekt.
A conversation with Françoise Combes, head of the French Academy of Sciences, covering Flat Earth theory, Elon Musk’s mega-constellations, and why humanity needs space exploration.
We have photographed the black hole at the centre of our galaxy, we are getting closer to practical quantum computers, we have discovered gravitational waves, and we are exploring Mars and the outer Solar System. Yet scientists still have to explain that the Earth is not flat. How do you make sense of that?
I don’t really understand why some people think the Earth is flat. We have images from space, from the Moon, and from the International Space Station. I don’t think most of them genuinely believe it. Perhaps they want to belong to a community or simply enjoy being contrary. To me, it is more a reaction against science than against the evidence itself. They feel that scientists are telling them what to believe, and they reject that authority. But science is not about authority – it is about facts.
Science can sometimes sound like science fiction, though. I’m thinking of quantum mechanics, superposition, or even dark matter and dark energy. Is there a way to explain these ideas to a general audience?
