In this episode of What on Earth?!, we’re taking you on a journey to our closest celestial neighbor, the Moon.

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It may look calm and comforting in the night sky, but beneath that peaceful glow lies a history shaped by extreme violence, molten oceans, and relentless impacts.

Together, we explore why scientists are so fascinated by the Moon and how it acts as a time capsule for the early Solar System. From bright highlands to dark volcanic plains — known as maria — we break down what you actually see when you look up at the night sky.

We also dive into explosive volcanic activity, hidden lava flows (cryptomaria), and what lunar craters can tell us about ancient asteroid bombardments. We touch on still ongoing debates in planetary science: the Late Heavy Bombardment, what caused it, when it happened, and whether it even existed as a single event.

Plus, we revisit the Apollo missions, talk about lunar samples (yes, real Moon rocks!), and look ahead to the future with upcoming missions like the Artemis program.

So grab your tea, get cozy, and join us for a deep dive into the Moon — a world that’s far from quiet.

Stay curious and keep asking yourself: What on Earth is going on here?!

🎧 Flat Earth, Conspiracies & How Our Brain Tricks Us (Part 2)

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Sources

YouGov, 2018. Most flat earthers consider themselves very religious

Psychology of conspiratorial mind study:
Bowes, Shauna & Costello, Thomas & Tasimi, Arber. (2023). The Conspiratorial Mind: A Meta-Analytic Review of Motivational and Personological Correlates. Psychological Bulletin. 149. 259-293. 10.1037/bul0000392.

The Conspiratorial Mind: A Meta-Analytic Review of Motivational and Personological Correlates

YouTube video of Professor Dave Explains: https://youtu.be/h0H-amOti_o?si=yxxwBDu1gpLw-g8Z

"You are not so smart" Podcast episode 299 - Debunkbot: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6aWubjGqJeWXAXZXy831eR?si=YCvR0xYITFKkAPP90X92rw

Debunkbot study:

Thomas H. Costello et al. ,Durably reducing conspiracy beliefs through dialogues with AI.Science385,eadq1814(2024).DOI:10.1126/science.adq1814
Durably reducing conspiracy beliefs through dialogues with AI | Science

Debunkbot: DebunkBot | Conspiracies

In Part 2 of What on Earth, we move beyond Flat Earth itself and into something even more fascinating: how our brain works - and why conspiracy theories can feel so convincing.

We start with a simple but uncomfortable idea: could anyone fall for conspiracy thinking? From there, we explore the psychology behind it - and what makes certain explanations so appealing, even when they don’t hold up scientifically.

We talk about cognitive biases like confirmation bias and the Dunning–Kruger effect, and how confidence can sometimes be mistaken for expertise. Along the way, we break down how scientific thinking actually works - from observations and hypotheses to experiments and theories - and why evidence matters more than intuition.

We also touch on an important nuance: not every conspiracy is false. History has shown us real examples that were later confirmed. But the key difference is evidence - and how we evaluate it.

This episode is part psychology, part science, and part understanding how we make sense of the world - especially when things feel uncertain or complex.

So grab your favorite mug ☕ (we definitely did), and join us as we unpack how belief, bias, and evidence collide.

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✨ Stay curious and keep asking yourself… What on Earth?!

Flat Earth, Conspiracies & the Science of Belief

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In this episode of What on Earth, we take on one of the most persistent and fascinating conspiracy theories out there: Flat Earth.

We start with a simple question: what on Earth makes people believe the Earth is flat?

We explore how long humanity has known that Earth is a sphere, from ancient Greek observations to early measurements of Earth’s circumference, and why, despite this, Flat Earth ideas still exist today. It turns out the story isn’t just about science, but about trust, perception, and how we process information.

This episode is part science, and part navigating the strange (and sometimes entertaining) ways we try to make sense of reality.

So grab your favorite mug - we definitely did - and join us for a deep dive into facts, beliefs, and everything in between.

Stay curious and keep asking yourself… What on Earth?!