The Flat Earth drift clearly is n’t run away anytime presently . Although we ’d argue that it ’s not going to abruptly become a mainstream opinion , it isconcerninghow discussed it is , and admittedly the coverage of it – from the scientificallywhimsicalto theridiculous – credibly is n’t helping by giving such impression a platform .

Still , it ’s a phenomenon worth looking into , and aYouGovsurvey has done just that . The results are unsettling , and hopefully the work of a certain demographic not taking the doubt particularly seriously .

Surveying 8,215 US adults – weight to be representative of the integral US universe – it suggests that just 84 pct have “ always believe the world is pear-shaped . ” Among 18 - 24 - twelvemonth - olds , however , this part falls to 66 percent , though it continually rises through various age groups to reach a bloom of 94 percent for 55 + .

The thought that just two - thirds of youthful adult in America go for that the planet is an pumpkin-shaped ellipsoid of revolution is deeply concerning , but look – there ’s more . Five per centum of US adults have always think the world was round , but have become more skeptical as of previous . This number rises to 9 percent among 18 - 24 - year - olds .

In contrast , 2 percent of all those appraise have “ always believed the creation is flat ” , which stand up to 4 percent among 18 - 24 - twelvemonth - olds . Seven percent of the total answered “ other / not sure ” , which rear to 16 percent in 18 - 24 - year - olds .

loosely speaking , the older someone in the US someone is , the less likely they are to have any Flat Earth beliefs . In this sense , then , the vogue is theoppositefor the acceptance of the hypothesis of evolution in its most basic manakin , with older people less likely to take on that living has evolved over time .

Other curio toss off out of the YouGov resume . slimly fewer Democrats ( 83 pct ) have always believed the world is round , compared to Republicans ( 89 ) or independents ( 88 ) . slimly more men have always believe the world is circular ( 86 ) liken to women ( 83 ) . People earning $ 80,000 per annum are more likely to take the right frame of Earth ( 92 ) than those earning $ 40 - 80,000 ( 87 ) or under $ 40,000 ( 79 ) .

No part of the US ( Northwest , South , etc . ) has more dye - in - the - fleece Flat Earthers than any other ; it ’s 2 percent throughout .

Most flat - Earthers , perhaps less astonishingly , are very religious ( 52 percent ) . A recentstudyfound connection between types ofcognitive biasesand various stand . Religious conservativist were found to “ systematically exhibit a miserable religious belief in science and an involuntariness to support science ” in cosmopolitan , although flat globe - specific beliefs were n’t analyze .

It ’s not absolved at present why 18 - 24 - twelvemonth - old are more probable than others to doubt the shape of the major planet . It ’s potential that the currentpolitical climateof post - Sojourner Truth along with the misuse of social medium arefueling the fires , but this is uncomfortably juxtaposed with the fact that Millennials   – aloosely definedgroup of young adult that often mistakenly includes teenagers – arebetter educatedthan the last three generations of Americans .