Flat Earthers, Creationists, Pseudohistory/ Pseudoscience/Pseudoarcheology; what do these all have in common? They all actively work to debase, disturb, and fight the active scientific principles that have been proven time and time again throughout human history. “Aliens developed the pyramids”, “Atlantis is proof of a lost civilization’s psychic powers”, “Humans co-existed with the dinosaurs”. All of this is a non-scientific drivel based on mythological literalism or nothing, all to unassuming audiences that don’t have a clue about the subject, who eagerly nod at the fantastical stories of ancient aliens or creation.

These ‘fields’ only go on to debase and eventually sow distrust within academic research. Why?

For example, Graham Handcock, a writer by trade, goes on to promote stories of Pseudoscience and lost lands to those who know nothing about the subject at all, his ‘studies’ based on research coming from racist theories held by those in the 17-1800’s such as Ignatius Donnelly who believed in a majorly advanced civilized race lost in the sea during the iceage. The major basis of Atlantism is also heavily based on racism due to this ‘advanced’ race. Teaching our lowly hominid ancestors the basis of mathematics, art, and architecture. He later goes on to the Joe Rogan podcast to have a debate with a well-known scientist, Flint Dibble, where he admits, “There may not be a lost civilization.” 

Now, why do figures like Graham Handcock spread nothing but misinformation and lies throughout the world spread this vapid amount of misinformation? Why would they do this?

It’s a mixture of reasons:

1. For figures Graham Handcock, it’s about sticking the finger to ‘the man’ aka: “You blocking my Misinformation hurts my Fee Fees~”. Handcock just wants to be right, he wants to be a respected scholar without doing the years of study and research that it takes to get there. Seeing as he’s a writer, he knows how to word his speeches confidently enough to convince his ignorant audience that he isn’t just a lying fraud.
2. To affirm previous beliefs about the world, for example, well-known synthetic chemist James Tour is a Creationist and a Christian, who refuses to believe that evolving enzymes could go on to become more complex lifeforms, denying the concepts and evidence of evolution in favor of religion. (Not a diss on religion, just a diss on using religion to mask ignorance and idiocy.) Yelling and freaking out at debate opponents who dare question his theories and concepts based on absolute nonsense. He just wants proof that his ideas about the world are true, no matter how much science denies it.
3. To have an audience, the simpler truths of science have already been discovered, so they can’t claim the discovery of the Earth being a sphere, or that we orbit around the sun. So instead, they try to fight the knowledge we already know in an attempt to finally be known for something, anything. Even if that means lying to the masses to turn some heads.

Did you not understand a word of that? Good! That means I can tell you this: don’t be afraid to conduct your research! Don’t take everyone’s word at face value; staying gullible leaves you susceptible to this sort of manipulation. Following the teachings of these kinds of people is very dangerous and could have very intense consequences for the world and how we make our own decisions when it comes to our knowledge. Don’t be a lazy consumer; look it up!