By Tim Binnall
Cops at Kent State University in Ohio were called upon to break up a bizarre brawl that erupted between a Flat Earth enthusiast and a scientist who took issue with the controversial conspiracy theory. The very strange incident reportedly occurred this past Tuesday when Peter Jarvio arrived on campus with a sizeable display which argued that the moon landings were a hoax and, in fact, our planet is not round. Stationed outside of a university building, the conspiracy theorist spoke to several students about his unique ideas until he caught the attention of one particular passerby who had his own passionate feelings about these subjects.
According to police, the unnamed man approached Jarvio and the two had a heated conversation about the concepts that he was promoting. Unfortunately, what could have been a constructive exchange of ideas quickly turned ugly when the angry skeptic apparently gave up on trying to sway the conspiracy theorist's opinion and, instead, decided to focus his frustrations on the Flat Earther's display. Jarvio later told police that the man "took my posters and threw them." In response, the conspiracy theorist grabbed the irate man and the two tumbled to the ground where they then began grappling.
Recalling the brawl to police, Jarvio said that "I straddled him, full guard I think they call it in MMA" and, in the kind of unorthodox fighting technique one might expect from a Flat Earther, "I pulled his glasses off, because I figured he needed his glasses." Alerted to the situation by a concerned witness, cops arrived on the scene and promptly put an end to the skirmish. When asked why he had tried to trash Jarvio's display, the man explained that he "was upset by this theory because he is a physicist and the Earth is not flat." In turn, officers informed him that such consternation did not give him the right to throw the posters, which were Jarvio's property.
Ultimately, it would seem that cooler heads prevailed and both men were sent their separate ways without further incident or anyone being arrested for the wild encounter. And while it is uncertain whether or not the skeptic ever apologized to the conspiracy theorist for tossing his posers to the ground, one could say that his 'critique' backfired spectacularly as the encounter likely wound up garnering Jarvio far more attention than he anticipated when he set up his display outside the building. To that end, the conspiracy theorist says he plans to stick around Kent State for a while and share his ideas with the students, who will hopefully refrain from fighting him again.