Claim: Atlantis is Real

Question

Few, if any, scientists think Atlantis actually existed. Ocean explorer Robert Ballard, the National Geographic explorer-in-residence who discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985, notes that "no Nobel laureates" have said that what Plato wrote about Atlantis is true. Atlantis, also spelled Atalantis or Atlantica, a legendary island in the Atlantic Ocean, lying west of the Strait of Gibraltar. 

Comments

So how would you rate the claim? False, true, misleading, opinion, N/A? Don't forget to add a rating to your fact-checks.

Answer 1

Atlantis is a myth. 

In terms of why it is still talked about or sought after, this is a quote from James Romm (Professor):

"It's a story that captures the imagination," says James Romm, a professor of classics at Bard College in Annandale, New York. "It's a great myth. It has a lot of elements that people love to fantasize about."

The fantasizing of Atlantis may just be connected to the lifespan of the story. 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/atlantis

Answer 2

There is no concrete evidence to suggest that Atlantis is a real place, and most historians and archaeologists consider it to be a legendary city or mythical island that was first described by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato in his dialogues "Timaeus" and "Critias".

According to Plato's accounts, Atlantis was a powerful and advanced civilization that existed around 9,000 years before his time. He described it as a naval power that conquered much of Western Europe and Africa, before sinking into the ocean in a single day and night of catastrophe.

While many theories have been proposed over the years about the location and existence of Atlantis, there is no archaeological evidence or other conclusive proof to support the idea that it was a real place. Some scholars suggest that Plato's account may have been based on other ancient civilizations, such as the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, or that it was a symbolic representation of political or philosophical ideas.

In conclusion, while the story of Atlantis has captured the imagination of many people for centuries, there is no solid evidence to support the idea that it was a real place.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/atlantis