Aha! I said. There is an intersection for Flat Earthers. It isn't a physical meeting of roads, but a meeting of minds. The intersection is the headquarters of the Darwin Awards Club.
I had thought that Flat Earthers could be easy candidates for Darwin Awards with the link Carol sent me. It was an article about a Flat Earther who died trying to launch himself into space to prove that the Earth was flat - this was February 2020. He was 'Mad' Mike Hughes, a daredevil. Many articles covered his death, and they all indicate he wanted to prove that the Earth was flat.
So I thought I should find out the headquarters of the Darwin Awards. I thought of it as Ground Zero for Flat Earthers. Finding where "Wendy" the originator, might not be that easy. She does not give an address or email information on the Darwin Award website. (Not surprising given the likely communication she would receive). Wendy Northcutt began writing Darwin Awards in 1993 and it looks like she lives in California. Narrowing down the intersection will still take a while.
So back to the story of Flat Earther dies in rocket launch: This turns out to be false information. His daredevil activity wasn't motivated by Flat Earth intentions. Space.com has the story:
"Following the tragic death of 'Mad' Mike Hughes, we revisit the real reasons why he launched himself into the air aboard his homemade steam rocket, knowing how risky the stunt was.
This past weekend (Feb. 22), Hughes, 64, a daredevil and amateur rocketeer, tragically died during the launch while filming for the Science Channel's show "Homemade Astronauts."
Hughes was attempting to launch to 5,000 feet (1.5 kilometers) into the air on private property near Barstow, California. He built the rocket himself with the help of his partner Waldo Stakes as part of the show (the Science Channel has yet to comment on whether or not production will continue) that set out to highlight amateur teams working to reach incredible altitudes."
Space.com debunked the theory that he was launching to prove the Earth was flat. It was a daredevil activity that received funding from Flat Earthers. He had a Guinness world record with a 103 foot jump in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine. And he'd already reached 1,374 feet in a previous rocket launch. That's the kind of thing a person does with the occupation Daredevil. However, professional Daredevils don't automatically qualify for the Darwin Award.
As a result, our picture today shows a gentler consideration of Mad Mike Hughes. On the other hand, the Flat Earthers remain prime candidates for activities that would make them Darwin Award recipients The television show on the Science Channel seems to be a nasty enabler of Darwin Award candidates, so could get a special Darwin related award - perhaps a law suit by Hughes' family.
