Are we open to changing our beliefs? What assumptions are we willing to let go of if the evidence suggests otherwise? That openness is at the heart of the scientific process. To be human is to dream and to question. But when do our dreams turn into delusions, and our questions harden into conspiracies?

This episode explores two powerful beliefs—and the increasingly popular movements behind them. One is the belief that humans could, and should, live in space: that we're destined to leave our planet behind and colonize the stars. The other is the belief that we're not on a planet at all—that the Earth is actually… flat. While one is held by fringe figures and the other by some of the most powerful men on the planet, both rest on the premise that humans are exceptional, unbound by limits, or somehow separate from the earth.

To explore these modern myths, we're joined by two guests: astrophysicist Tom Murphy and documentary filmmaker Daniel J. Clark, whose film Behind the Curve follows prominent figures in the fringe—but growing—flat Earth movement. Together, we'll examine the stories we tell ourselves about the world we inhabit, how we determine what's real or possible, and what kind of world these stories create.

CITATIONS

• Do The Math [blog]

• Behind the Curve [film] (2018)

• Return to Space [film] by (2022)

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Music: Celestial Soda Pop

By: Ray Lynch

From the album: Deep Breakfast

Courtesy Ray Lynch Productions © Ⓟ 1984/BMI

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