'Mad' Mike Hughes built his own rocket to prove Earth wasn’t round. In this excerpt from Kelly Weill’s new book ‘Off the Edge,’ we see what happens when a conspiracy theory is taken too far
The rocket took off like a punctured balloon, wobbly and erratic. A jagged trail of steam traced the ship’s path across the sky, up thousands of feet above the California desert. For a moment, the rocket seemed to hover, oblivious to gravity.
I thought it was a terrible idea. I suggested, much too gently, that it was a terrible idea. I thought it was such a terrible idea that I wrote a chapter about Hughes and the cadre of conspiracy theorists attempting dangerous stunts to prove their beliefs. I titled the chapter “Someone Is Going to Die for No Reason.” Then I dropped the matter and never raised it to him again. Hughes was 64 at the time and didn’t need my advice, I reasoned. Besides, I doubted he’d really attempt the launch.
“I don’t believe in science,” he told reporters in November 2017. “I know about aerodynamics and fluid dynamics and how things move through the air, about the certain size of rocket nozzles and thrust. But that’s not science, that’s just a formula. There’s no difference between science and science fiction.”
“I said ‘You know what, I’m not waiting any longer. I got in, and I did it,” Hughes told me. His secondhand parachutes were 23 and 21 years old. “I didn’t even know if they were going to work. They were all I could afford.” There are dissenters within the Flat Earth world, of course. A group called the Infinite Plane Society suggests that Antarctica extends out to eternity, a universe of ice to cradle our little blue oasis. Hartley told me he thought another world existed beyond the ice wall, and that other people likely already lived in this distant land. “I just got into Flat Earth about a year ago, but I’m obsessed with this land beyond Antarctica. I want to go there so bad,” Hartley told me.
Like Hughes, Marshalek was making steady, even worrying progress toward setting off on his mission. A tech worker for a major New York City bank, he already had most of the funds saved for his planned expedition by the time we spoke in May 2019. He intended to reach the South Pole by snowkiting, a technique that involves riding skis while clinging to a large kite or sail that captures the wind. The plan had obvious challenges.
Brasil Últimas Notícias, Brasil Manchetes
Similar News:Você também pode ler notícias semelhantes a esta que coletamos de outras fontes de notícias.
LooksRare Official Team Cashed Out $30 Million Worth of Ethereum, Community Gets Mad.ZoddLooksRare explains the marketplace's $30 million cash-out, but it does not seem to help $LOOKS
Consulte Mais informação »
Mike Lindell says he's sending MyPillows to all the 'brave truckers' in Canada trucker protestMike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, pledged to send pillows to the truckers in the Canadian trucker convoy that has blocked major arteries across the US-Canada border.
Consulte Mais informação »
Mike Bahia & Greeicy, Los Dos Carnales & More Latin Acts Share Their Most Unforgettable Valentine’s Day AnecdoteMike Bahia & Greeicy, Los Dos Carnales and more Latin acts share their most unforgettable ValentinesDay anecdotes
Consulte Mais informação »
How 4 Climate Activists Combat Climate Doommeet the climate activists using their platforms to talk about climate solutions ⤵️🌳🌍 nexusmedianews
Consulte Mais informação »