Otago Daily Times

Stunned by response to sign

- VAUGHAN ELDER

A SIGN planted at a Dunedin beach claiming to prove the earth is flat has made the news around the world.

Stephen Voss noticed the sign at St Kilda Beach while walking to Lawyers Head.

The sign questions why the horizon out to sea is ‘‘level’’ and points people towards a YouTube video claiming to prove the earth is flat.

Mr Voss, who works as a doctor in Invercargi­ll but lives in Dunedin at weekends, posted a picture of the sign online, saying ‘‘it appears that the Flat Earth Society have infiltrate­d St Kilda’’.

Since then the story has been picked up by news outlets across the world, including The

Sun, Daily Mail and IFL

Science.

He said yesterday he was shocked by how much media attention the post had gained.

‘‘I wasn’t expecting it would go anywhere beyond a few of my friends.’’

The media attention started when one of his Facebook friends, who is a reporter for the Daily Mail Australia, asked if they could use the post.

Most commenting on Mr Voss’ post ridiculed those who believed the earth was flat, but a few defended the theory, including one person who said ‘‘what you believe has only been pushed on the masses since Nasa was formed at the end of WW2’’.

Mr Voss said there was not much point arguing with flat earth believers.

‘‘It’s pretty hard to follow their logic, really, and it seems that there is really no point in trying to negotiate with them because they are pretty fixed in their ideas.’’

 ?? PHOTO: SUPPLIED ?? Worldwide attention . . . The sign at St Kilda Beach, in Dunedin, that has gone global.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED Worldwide attention . . . The sign at St Kilda Beach, in Dunedin, that has gone global.

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