Here is a concise summary of the provided transcript:
**Title:** The Growing Flat Earth Movement in America
**Summary:**
* Despite overwhelming evidence, a growing movement in the US (approximately 6.5 million people, or 2% of the population) believes the Earth is flat.
* Correspondent Mariana van Zeller investigates this phenomenon in California, meeting with Mark Sargent, a leader of the Flat Earth community.
* Mark explains their beliefs, including a flat Earth with the North Pole at its center, Antarctica as an ice wall around the edge, and a lack of trust in space exploration and satellite imagery.
* An astrophysicist, James Bullock, counters their claims, emphasizing the importance of science, which is under threat from anti-science sentiments.
* An experiment by the Independent Investigations Group demonstrates the Earth's curvature, but flat earthers present alternative explanations for the observed phenomenon.
* The report concludes that the growing rejection of empirical scientific evidence by this movement poses a danger to society, potentially leading to a decline in trust in science and its benefits.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, without opinions, with each fact numbered and in short sentences:
1. **Location**: The investigation is taking place in Southern California.
2. **Movement**: The Flat Earth movement is being examined, with members calling themselves "Flat Earthers".
3. **Survey Result**: A recent survey found that 2% of Americans believe the Earth is flat.
4. **US Population Implication**: 2% of the US population believing in a flat Earth translates to over 6.5 million people.
5. **Leader's Background**: Mark Sargent, a leader in the Flat Earth community, used to design video games and run software trainings.
6. **NASA Claim**: Flat Earthers claim NASA was founded in 1958 to keep the true shape of the Earth under wraps.
7. **Expert Interviewed**: James Bullock, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California, Irvine, was interviewed.
8. **Scientific Consensus**: It's been known for approximately 2,000 years, through observable evidence, that the Earth is round.
9. **Experiment Conducted**: An experiment involving a boat with horizontal stripes was conducted on the largest lake in California.
10. **Experiment Purpose**: The experiment aimed to visually demonstrate the Earth's curvature as the boat moved towards the horizon.
11. **Result Observation**: As the boat approached the horizon, the stripes appeared to disappear one by one, consistent with a spherical Earth.
12. **Flat Earthers' Reaction**: Despite the experiment, Mark Sargent and other Flat Earthers maintained their belief, offering alternative explanations.
13. **Implications Highlighted**: Experts warn that dismissing scientific evidence can have dangerous implications for society and civilization.