Flat-earth communities on Brazilian Telegram: when faith is used to question the existence of gravity as a physics phenomenon

TL;DR

This study analyzes how Brazilian flat-earth communities on Telegram use faith and conspiracy theories, especially during COVID-19, to challenge scientific concepts like gravity and promote alternative worldviews.

Contribution

It provides a detailed characterization of Brazilian flat-earth communities on Telegram, highlighting their use of religious themes and their role in spreading conspiracy theories.

Findings

Flat-earth discussions increased by 400% during the pandemic

Communities serve as portals for other conspiracy theories

Religious themes are central to community narratives

Abstract

Conspiracy theories related to flat-earthism have gained traction on Brazilian Telegram, especially in times of global crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, when distrust in scientific and governmental institutions has intensified. Therefore, this study aims to address the research question: how are Brazilian conspiracy theory communities on flat earth topics characterized and articulated on Telegram? It is worth noting that this study is part of a series of seven studies whose main objective is to understand and characterize Brazilian conspiracy theory communities on Telegram. This series of seven studies is openly and originally available on arXiv at Cornell University, applying a mirrored method across the seven studies, changing only the thematic object of analysis and providing investigation replicability, including with proprietary and authored codes, adding to the culture of free and open-source software. Regarding the main findings of this study, the following were observed: During the Pandemic, flat-earthist discussions increased by 400%, driven by distrust in scientific institutions; Flat-Earther communities act as portals for other conspiracy theories, such as the New World Order; Although smaller, the flat-Earther network has influential groups that disseminate content and perpetuate narratives; Religious themes such as God and the Bible are central, combining religious elements with distrust in science; Flat-Earther communities use themes such as gravity to challenge established scientific concepts, reinforcing an alternative view of the world.