From the time we learn to talk and read, the idea of the round Earth is everywhere. Natural science and physics revolve around the model of the globe. But not everyone believes that the Earth is round, and we interviewed four flat Earth truthers who believe they know the truth.

Nate, Kent, Cindy, and Chris are some of the regulars at the Fort Collins Flat Earth Society meeting every Tuesday at Gryphon Games and Comics. They say that attendance varies, but the Fort Collins chapter is the longest running in the continental United States and was featured in the Netflix documentary “Behind the Curve.”

“I think this is the biggest thing happening for mankind right now,” said Nate, who started researching Flat Earth in 2016 and has attended the group regularly for years. Nate said he doesn’t mention his belief at work or often in life, but he does share it with his three children. “We do admit we can be lied to, but to what extent?”

The accepted theory of the truthers is that the earth is a spherical, flat plane surrounded by ice walls extending into a giant dome called the firmament. Flat Earth is rooted, many say, in both biblical scripture and hard fact.

Many Flat Earthers have tried to measure the curve of the Earth and have proof it’s impossible. One of the biggest pieces of the proof is that water doesn’t curve but stays level on the Earth’s surface. They say that the water on Earth simply can’t be on a globe because water doesn’t curve.

“The element of why people are coming to this information is spiritual,” said Nate. “People say this is an internet phenomenon, I beg to differ. It’s a spiritual one.”

The biblical part of Flat Earth comes from a few different verses, most from the Old Testament. One compelling verse is Job 37:18, “Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?” The Bible also “alludes to the four corners of the Earth” but unfortunately neither hold up much. Verse 37:18 is using a simile, or comparing two unlike things using “like” or “as” and isn’t literal. The “four corners” were also the way to refer to the four directions–north, south, east, and west and not literal corners.

The conspiracy of Flat Earth is not a self contained one. All of the truthers we spoke to believed that Flat Earth was the root behind all other conspiracies. We discussed chemtrails (real), Bigfoot (real, and can dimension hop), astrology (real), and the moon landing (faked, we’ve never been to space). Nate said that the levels of conspiracy awareness go from 1-10.

“Most people operate at one,” Nate said. When someone begins to question the world around them and doubt things they reach stage two. All of the conspiracies are connected according to Nate and believing in one leads to believing in all of them, including Flat Earth. “Once you reach level two, you have to go all the way to 10.”

So, if you decide to take the plunge into Flat Earth or any other conspiracy, be warned of the thrill on conspiracies.

As Flat Earther Cindy said at the conclusion of our time at the meeting, “Once you go flat, you can’t go back.”