Have you ever met anyone who thinks that Apollo was fake?

[Motokid600]

It doesn't matter. You could have a telescope that can resolve the plaque on the descent stage and it'd still be claimed as faked or Photoshop. We could spend billions to send people back there and take selfies with the Apollo hardware and it'd still be claimed as fake. There is absolutely nothing we can do to convince these people. Nothing what so ever.

[michaelsteele3]

We might even send them there to see themselves, but they might think they're dreaming.

We could have them land there, let them step on it, and they will think they are in canada.

We can point at the Earth, but they would think it's the moon.

Then our only option is to break their helmets, but they would just tell us "Nice try, but the invisible demon from that fairytale is just chocking me!

Then we just leave them there, because obviously we can't convince them.

[Columbia]

Everytime, Everytime I read a book about Apollo, I find my classmates screaming "The Apollo Moon Landing Is Fake!!!".

Well, what can I do? They believe in the hoaxers. I can't change their beliefs anyway.

I just find it sad that such an amazing triumph of mankind is being ruined because of a bunch of nuts convinced people that the landing was "recorded at a studio in Area 51".

[vixr]

Never met anyone who thinks they were faked... My argument to them would be that the USSR would have screamed bloody murder over any faked stuff, and I dont recall ever hearing a word about it from them...

[Slam_Jones]

Never met anyone who thinks they were faked... My argument to them would be that the USSR would have screamed bloody murder over any faked stuff, and I dont recall ever hearing a word about it from them...

I firmly believe they would have gone to any lengths to prove that we faked it. The KGB is not to be under-estimated, as I hear...

[CG_Kerbin]

My grandmother when it happend dint belive but now she belives it (I understand why it was quite a shock someone going to the moon)

[Motokid600]

I firmly believe they would have gone to any lengths to prove that we faked it. The KGB is not to be under-estimated, as I hear...

Oh, come now the US and USSR were such good friends. I can totally see Johnson having asked Khrushchev. "Hey, funny story. Can you do us a solid?"

[FishInferno]

Necro here, but I figure it's OK in the space lounge.

A couple weeks ago me and my friends (all space geeks) were eating lunch at school and one of my friends admits to not believing Apollo happened. And we just stared at him in disapproval and shamee.

[GoSlash27]

Necro here, but I figure it's OK in the space lounge.

A couple weeks ago me and my friends (all space geeks) were eating lunch at school and one of my friends admits to not believing Apollo happened. And we just stared at him in disapproval and shamee.

FishInferno,

"Shun the non- believer" isn't a very rational argument IMO.

This raises a question: Why is it important to any of us whether or not somebody else believes the moon landings actually happened?

Best,

-Slashy

[Sampa]

FishInferno,

"Shun the non- believer" isn't a very rational argument IMO.

This raises a question: Why is it important to any of us whether or not somebody else believes the moon landings actually happened?

Best,

-Slashy

Slash, great point there. I suppose that the only real reason why we should have gone to the moon is for the same reason we, humans, climbed mount everest. Because it's there.

[GoSlash27]

Slash, great point there. I suppose that the only real reason why we should have gone to the moon is for the same reason we, humans, climbed mount everest. Because it's there.

Sampa,

Thanks, but that's not the question I'm asking. I know why we went to the moon and why it was important (or at least why we thought it was important at the time).

My question is why would it be important to us as individuals to make sure that other individuals don't subscribe to conspiracy theories? If Joe Blow believes the moon landings were a hoax, what's it to me? Why should I convince him otherwise or even care what he believes?

Best,

-Slashy

[Xannari Ferrows]

Sampa,

Thanks, but that's not the question I'm asking. I know why we went to the moon and why it was important (or at least why we thought it was important at the time).

I'm not sure anyone can really answer this accurately anymore, but there are a number of possibilities. Could be to discover potential utile resources, make a map for [distant] future visits if it ever becomes a home for any group of humans, or just as a goal to shoot for to mark a milestone in technological development.

[Gaarst]

Why is it important to any of us whether or not somebody else believes the moon landings actually happened?

Officially: making mankind more intelligent by correcting those who are wrong.

Really: people are too stubborn to stand someone disagreeing with them, whether they are right or wrong, or whether they have knowledge/proof in the concerned subject or not... Note that this isn't only true for conspiracy theories, and often goes both ways.

Edited October 9, 2015 by Gaarst
Added quote

[GoSlash27]

I'm not sure anyone can really answer this accurately anymore, but there are a number of possibilities. Could be to discover potential utile resources, make a map for [distant] future visits if it ever becomes a home for any group of humans, or just as a goal to shoot for to mark a milestone in technological development.

Xannari Ferrows,

I can answer this accurately enough. It was simply cold war politics. The Soviets launching Sputnik scared the crap out of the American people and there was a lot of nuclear tension at the time. The Soviets were way ahead of us in this area and we wanted to show that we could "beat them" at something. The only endeavor we thought we could get to first was a manned moon landing, so that's what we did.

That's why we did it.

Best,

-Slashy

[razark]

My question is why would it be important to us as individuals to make sure that other individuals don't subscribe to conspiracy theories? If Joe Blow believes the moon landings were a hoax, what's it to me? Why should I convince him otherwise or even care what he believes?

Because what people believe affects what they do, and people will tend to make better decisions when they have more accurate information.

Do I personally care if people want to believe wrong things? No.

If enough people believe wrong things, can the world become a worse place? Yes.

An extreme case:

Imagine if enough people that believe "rocket engines don't work in a vacuum" manage to get elected to Congress. The space program would be gone.

Less extreme case:

A large number of people believe vaccines cause autism. They decide to not immunize their children. We end up dealing with outbreaks of preventable diseases.

[Camacha]

Why is it important to any of us whether or not somebody else believes the moon landings actually happened?

Most people like to live with the idea that they are surrounded by well thinking human beings.

[Robotengineer]

I have a relative or two who think the Moon landings where faked, or at least not completely real.

[Camacha]

I have a relative or two who think the Moon landings where faked, or at least not completely real.

They went there, they just never bothered to get out of the lander

[razark]

They went there, they just never bothered to get out of the lander

I've been trying to gain support for my theory that the pictures were real, but the landing was faked.

[Camacha]

I've been trying to gain support for my theory that the pictures were real, but the landing was faked.

How is that different from what other hoaxers believe?

[davidy12]

I used to be friends with a guy who believes they were. I always said he was crazy as hell.

[GoSlash27]

Officially: making mankind more intelligent by correcting those who are wrong.

Really: people are too stubborn to stand someone disagreeing with them, whether they are right or wrong, or whether they have knowledge/proof in the concerned subject or not... Note that this isn't only true for conspiracy theories, and often goes both ways.

Pretty much my take as well.

It's one thing if you're presenting a case to someone who's on the fence. Quite another when you're bickering with (or ostracizing) someone who doesn't want to listen.

I'm not above debunking someone who's putting out false information, but I'm not the type to argue with people just because they don't believe what I believe.

Best,

-Slashy

[FishInferno]

FishInferno,

"Shun the non- believer" isn't a very rational argument IMO.

This raises a question: Why is it important to any of us whether or not somebody else believes the moon landings actually happened?

Best,

-Slashy

I see your point, I didn't mean it like that. We did talk to him and explain some reasons why it actually did happen.

[pTrevTrevs]

I once met someone who believes that Apollo was faked simply because we haven't gone back to the Moon since 1972. Her reasoning was as follows: "If we really have the technology to do it, we should still be doing it today"

[razark]

How is that different from what other hoaxers believe?

Because they claim the landings and the pictures were faked.