There are several reasons for this topic:
1. To see how many people think that fake news - or in this case fake science - is real;
2. To see how many people think that it is important enough to answer;
3. To see how many new people can be dragged into doubt about something that is well known;
4. To test statistics about how many people login and fight a stupid captcha just to post here;
5. To test the logic of people in general - we know the earth is a globe, but who can answer the fact really logically;
6. To see how many people can remain on-topic;
7. To play the game of looking frustrated (
notbatman), while really only acting, so that the responses can be evaluated from the standpoint of the lie of the acting;
8. To see how long the thread can go, and how big it can become, over something as silly as FE;
9. Statistical analysis of the written posts...
nbm spends a lot of time away from the thread. He is probably compiling the posts into a database offsite, and partners are analyzing responses to get a general feel for the kind of people who post to this thread... for psychological purposes.
There are more. But you get the idea. Besides, it is kinda fun playing like
nbm is really funny farm material.