Earlier quoted context omitted.
Sure. However you specifically asked about Flat Earthers .. and while I won't deny there are some genuine believers in a flat earth out there my experience is that most self described flat earthers with actual university engineering degrees from modern western culture are glorious LARP'ers keeping a straight face and pulling legs. Much as I believe in a hyperbolic inverted universe within a hollow earth. I mean, the…
Maybe I should have used a better example then. Like Newton and alchemy maybe? My point was more you can be intelligent, educated, etc. and still have dumb beliefs. I agree with you about the flat earther stuff. Funnily enough, I used to work on a project called Hollow Earth. That team loved to joke around with conspiracy theories.
> dumb beliefs.
You sure about that though? There was no stone capable of turn base metal into gold - that knowledge of atomic transition via fission and fusion came later - but
( important point here )
a large amount of 'alchemy' worked just fine .. you followed the process and the stuff claimed happened just as the recipe said.
It did transform into what we now call chemistry.