Behind the Curve

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I will avoid spoilers here and request that any comments remain spoiler free as well.
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After seeing several scientists I trust recommend the documentary Behind the Curve, I finally sat down to watch it. BtC is a documentary that covers the new flat earth movement and is currently showing on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming services.

BtC doesn’t just show the flat earthers and their arguments, it also offers astronauts, psychologists, physicists, and other scientists, science communicators, and science educators explaining why the flat earth theories are wrong, but also uses these experts to explain why flat earthers believe what they believe.

Additionally, BtC also shows the inner struggles and distrust that exists within the flat earth movement. In doing so, it demonstrates and highlights the internal problems within conspiracy movements. One irony within the film is when one of the flat earthers, who’s accused of being a government plant within the movement, complains that no one will believe her when she tries to offer proof that she’s telling the truth about herself.

If you really want to see idiots sciencing, Behind the Curve is a documentary for you.

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Note:
I again request that any comments remain spoiler free.
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The Kid Who Would Be King

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Note:
I will avoid spoilers here and request that any comments remain spoiler free as well.
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At some point, everyone involved in storytelling, whether as a reader or a writer, crosses paths with the legends of King Arthur. For me, personally, I think there are way too many stories that focus on the Lancelot-Guinevere affair and the fall of Camelot and not enough that focus on the beginnings and how Arthur got the job in the first place.

Two of my personal favorite movies of the Arthurian legend have always been The Sword in the Stone and Monty Python and The Holy Grail. After my wife and I watched The Kid Who Would Be King last night, I think I’ve found a third to add to that list.

The movie is very well done and is true to the King Arthur traditions. While the kid in question is not Arthur, the movie does very well in connecting this story to the Arthurian myths. Between connections with the names of kids, the appearance of Merlin living in reverse (and occasionally turning into Patrick Stewart), and both versions of Arthur’s acquisition of Excalibur getting appearances, the movie is an excellent tribute to the various versions of the Arthur origin story.

While coconut-half horse hoof clops and Merlin saying “blow me to Bermuda” are missing from this version of the tale, there are some references to Python’s take on Arthur, as well as many others.

This version was definitely shot as a kid’s movie; however, adults will have fun with this one too.

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Note:
I again request that any comments remain spoiler free.
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Memorial Day

I’ve been busy with two projects, but I don’t want too much time to pass between posts here. Project one is now complete. Here are the pieces created and display installation created for a church’s Memorial Day service.

Memorial Day 2019 on Deviant Art.
Memorial Day/D-Day 75 on Deviant Art.

Project two is still in progress.

Fleur de lis

I recently became aware of a call for artwork making use of the fleur de lis, which is a symbol used a lot here in St Louis.

Since I’m trying to push myself outside of my comfort zone and work on projects that aren’t only for me, I think I’m going to give it a try.

I will be working on this over the next few days trying to create something interesting based on the below image. So, if I don’t update for a few days, it’s not personal.

Clipart stolen from Clipartmax.

Consensus =/= Proof

In a previous post, I mentioned that on bad mental health days I take advantage of Ancient Aliens as background nose due to the lack of critical thinking skills it requires to watch. Yesterday, because of some weather that moved through the local St Louis area, I had one of those days, albeit on a smaller level.

Yesterday’s viewing of Ancient Aliens episodes provided me with a topic idea for today. Every episode begins with a tagline that says, “Millions of people around the world believe we have been visited in the past by extraterrestrial beings. What if it were true?”

The suggestion from the folks behind the show is, of course, the idea that because a lot of people believe it, it must be true. However, as anyone who paid attention in history and science knows, only a few thousand years ago people believed the Earth was the center of the solar system, believed the Earth was flat, and believed humans were incapable of achieving flight.

While, sadly, I do have to acknowledge there are those who still believe all of those things, most accept that scientific evidence has proven the Earth revolves around the Sun, the Earth is a globe, and airplanes and helicopters fly over our heads daily.

Another tagline used in every episode of Ancient Aliens features some variation of a phrase that says, “ancient astronaut theorists believe”. I’ve always considered this to be an acknowledgement that the “theorists” were selective in their acceptance and rejection of “demonstrated” evidence with how well it fits the existing “theory”. This is versus adjusting theories to reflect new evidence that may not work with existing theories, which is how actual scientists do research.

As the great American philosopher, George Carlin, stated, “never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.”

Clipart stolen from Clipartmax.