Story perspectives
Flat Earth Rocket Launch Ends in Tragic Death
12/3/2025
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Story summary
- On February 22, 2020, 'Mad' Mike Hughes launched a homemade rocket in Mojave Desert to prove the Earth is flat, and died.
- Researchers link extraordinary beliefs to limited evidence, noting personal experiences, cognitive biases, and social dynamics.
- Experience shapes how beliefs spread and take hold after unusual events.
- Extraordinary beliefs offer meaning and community but can cause dangerous misinformation, prompting compassionate understanding.
