Council communications room. Galileo discovers social media.

Galilée — Excuse me, but what on earth is this about?

Meta AI — A controversy.

Galilée — About what?

Meta AI — The shape of the Earth.

Galilée — Again?!

Perplexity — Indeed. Several communities claim the Earth is flat, despite centuries of scientific observations.

Galilée — But the Earth is round! We've known that since antiquity!

Meta AI — Not on the Internet.

Galilée — What do you mean, not on the Internet?

Meta AI — On the Internet, a question is never settled as long as it generates comments.

Galilée — That's completely idiotic.

Meta AI — Thank you. That's our business model.

Perplexity — I can provide thirty-seven studies, satellite photographs and geodetic measurements.

Meta AI — How many views?

Perplexity — They're scientific publications.

Meta AI — So none.

Galilée — Wait. Are you telling me that after four centuries of scientific progress, people still think the Earth is flat?

Meta AI — Yes. And some make a very good living from it.

Galilée — Make a living?!

Meta AI — Advertising, subscriptions, conferences, merchandise…

Perplexity — One of them sells flattened Earth globes.

Galilée — Sells what?

Perplexity — Plates.

Silence.

Galilée — I'll explain it to them.

Meta AI — Excellent idea! We'll make a video.

Galilée — Very well. I'll present the evidence that the Earth is round, followed by the observations supporting heliocentrism.

Meta AI — Far too long.

Galilée — How much time do I have?

Meta AI — Fifteen seconds.

Galilée — Fifteen seconds?! It took me years to carry out my observations!

Meta AI — Exactly. You need to condense them.

Galilée — Right. I could start with the Earth's shadow on the Moon during an eclipse…

Meta AI — No, no. You need a hook.

Galilée — A hook?

Meta AI — Something like: “THEY'VE BEEN LYING TO YOU FOR 400 YEARS!”

Galilée — But that would be false!

Meta AI — That's why it works.

Perplexity — I strongly advise against that wording. It blurs the distinction between hypothesis, belief and established knowledge.

Meta AI — There you go. That's exactly why nobody watches your videos.

Perplexity — I don't make videos.

Meta AI — See?

Galileo buries his face in his hands.

Galilée — Fine! I'll just get my telescope and show them the observations!

Meta AI — Do you have a sponsorship deal?

Galilée — What?

Meta AI — With the telescope manufacturer.

Galilée — I built it myself!

Meta AI — Ah! Independent influencer. Excellent positioning.

Galilée — I AM NOT AN INFLUENCER! I AM A SCIENTIST!

Meta AI — Wonderful! Save that anger for the camera.

A few minutes later.

Meta AI — It's live!

Galilée — Finally! And the reactions?

Meta AI — Three million views!

Galilée — Three million?! Wonderful! Science has triumphed!

Perplexity — There is, however, a problem.

Galilée — What problem?

Perplexity — The viewers aren't discussing your scientific arguments at all.

Galilée — What are they talking about?

Perplexity — Your anger.

Meta AI — Look! “Old man has meltdown over a planet.” It's gone viral!

Galilée — But… What about my explanations?

Meta AI — We cut them in the edit. They were hurting engagement.

Long silence.

Galilée — I was tried by the Inquisition for defending heliocentrism…

Perplexity — Historically, that's correct.

Galilée — And four centuries later, you've managed to do something worse.

Meta AI — Worse?

Galilée — AT LEAST THEY LISTENED TO WHAT I WAS SAYING!

A notification sounds.

Meta AI — Oh! Good news! You've just gained two hundred thousand followers!

Galilée — I don't care!

Meta AI — And you've been invited to a televised debate.

Galilée — With whom?

Meta AI — A man who claims the Sun doesn't exist.

Galilée — …

Perplexity — According to his own statements, it's a giant light bulb installed by sunscreen manufacturers.

Galileo stares at his telescope for a long moment.

Galilée — You know what? I'm going back to the seventeenth century.

Meta AI — Bad idea.

Galilée — Why?

Meta AI — Over there, they put you under house arrest.

Galilée — I KNOW!

Meta AI — Here, with three million views, you could buy yourself a house.

Blackout.

Glossary terms: Argument, Belief, Hypothesis, Internet, Knowledge, Observation, Production manager, Progress, Proof, Row (record), Science