why-do-people-still-think-the-earth-is-flat

I think a few on here must be believe this. 🙂

Holy shitcakes.

Next question – what effect does ‘social media’ have on the younger generation’s ability to relate, to process data and make sense of the greater World?

Bearing in mind a lot of the in people in the linked video are old. Does that mean they are *more* vulnerable to social media than their grandkids? Or would they have been quackers whatever? Or is this some deep-parody performance art?

They guy with his discworld-esque* dioramap – describing how the hovering sun moves around over the ‘centre’ so the ‘edges’ remain cold? 😯

*Terry giggles from his grave.

Happy the Artist’s shoes say it all really. Ooh aren’t I wacky! Or just stupid.

The Woman with the Ruler really needs to publish a paper of her incredible findings. Seriously WTF how can people be this stupid.

I was going to post that link but thought better of it…

The Woman with the Ruler really needs to publish a paper of her incredible findings. Seriously WTF how can people be this stupid.

Can’t argue with the logic . . .

She took “a straight edge” (probably a meter long?) and checked the horizon with it. They looked the same.

Simples.

If the world was truly flat, why would anyone try and convince anyone otherwise? I cannot find an argument where it would be a benefit to anyone to keep this conspiracy going.

The Earth isn’t flat, it’s a cube!

I like the “ice pond” theory:

Especially when you get that surface of ice with thawed ponds, and put it on a sphere…

This just reinforces that 9 11 was a conspiracy.
With the earth being flat we should have seen the planes coming from miles away, yet we didn’t, WHY?

And I never posted twice, makes you think.

Flat Earthers are fascinating.

They often pop up on anything space-related on Facebook or YouTube (e.g. NASA videos) and I’ve had many long conversation/debates with them.

Some of their logic is quite spectacular.

BUT… it can actually be quite an interesting pedagogical exercise as sometimes the smarter ones ask questions that make you go “Hmmm… yeah… why is that…?” which sends you down an interesting Google warren.

Why pick on the flat earthers? there are still plenty of people who are equally deluded and still believe in creationism who are not seen on the same level as bonkers-ness as someone who believes the earth is flat….and it is still taught in some schools in this country as a viable alternative to the ‘theory of evolution’. Unbelievable.

and these people can vote

Its all the fault of Big Pharma! Belief in the flat earth theory cures aids, cancer and Lyme disease.

I had a client the other day tell me the world was flat. Along with stories that the smithsonian institute destroyed the skeletons of 36ft giants that used to roam earth, there’s another sun hiding behind the one you can see, the moon is a hologram put there by NASA and the pores in our skin are 5g receptors so we will all fry.

In the past he’s been quite a grounded fella….

Why pick on the flat earthers? there are still plenty of people who are equally deluded and still believe in creationism

Because, technically, you can’t disprove creationism, whereas you can easily disprove the flat Earth theory.

Why pick on the flat earthers?

…
because maintaining a belief in something despite overwhelming evidence against that thing is quite something.
Creationism on the other hand is more nuanced.
We have the “done in 6 days” creationists who maintain that the earth is ~30,000 years young. They do still believe in a spherical earth though, so give them credit for that.
Old earth creationists accept the scientific view of the big bang etc, but ask “what caused the big bang?”. Some scientists think that’s a silly question (but nowhere near as silly as thinking the earth is flat), others believe in a creator.

Proving the earth is not flat also proves the earth is not flat. There is only one possibility. So in proving evolution and how the earth was formed as well as the ‘big bang’ we similarly disprove creationism. Science doesn’t ‘disprove’ stuff, it just proves stuff.

I like that American rapper B.o.B. who wants to prove the earth’s flat. By launching satellites. Into orbit.

No, I don’t know either.

Fanatical Flat Earthers launch weather balloons with cameras to “prove” the earth is flat.

If the horizon is above the mid point in the lens they dismiss the visible curvature as lens distortion. If it is below the mid point then they take screenshots and frantically draw lots of lines to show how flat it is. 🙄

Having just scrolled up the page and glanced at the “ice pond” pic – it looked upside down, briefly. Made me think – I wonder if a lot of these weirdos just can’t get their head around gravity. So if the Earth is a flat plate, nothing can fall off. If it’s a globe, some of the stuff on it is like, sideways or upside down.
Eeeh.

As a boat sails off into the distance, it sinks below the horizon.

How do they explain that?

Falls off, dunnit. Have you ever seen one come back?

If I was rich I’d take them all on a boat to the edge, if I’m right then they’ll have to believe it. If they’re right well……

I wonder if a lot of these weirdos just can’t get their head around gravity.

Some don’t accept the current scientific explanation of gravity – they believe the force is caused by the disc Earth accelerating upwards (yes I know!)

As a boat sails off into the distance, it sinks below the horizon.
How do they explain that?

Generally they talk about “perspective” and the “fact” that the apparent horizon always rises up to eye level.

If I was rich I’d take them all on a boat to the edge, if I’m right then they’ll have to believe it. If they’re right well……

They believe the edge is Antarctica and you can’t get to it because of the giant ice walls.

Apparently this is why it is “impossible” to fly over Antarctica (despite the fact that people have done it and commercial airlines schedule regular flights that would be impossible with giant ice walls blocking the way)

And boats that go from Russia to Alaska?

Oh that still works. They generally favour a map something like this:

The fact that this looks like the UN logo is further “proof” of course.

And boats that go from Russia to Alaska?

Well that’s easy, you’re just picturing it wrong…

Take a globe and instead of unrolling it flat like an atlas, leave the arctic (or Antarctic) as is and open the globe out from the opposing pole, i.e. one pole forms the boundary of circle with a centre at the other pole.

edit: What Graham posted

Apparently this is why it is “impossible” to fly over Antarctica (despite the fact that people have done it and commercial airlines schedule regular flights that would be impossible with giant ice walls blocking the way)

That’s a point – airlines like to fly on a great circle as its the shortest point between any two places on a globe. If the earth was flat, their routes would actually be larges curves. So they’d be wasting a lot of fuel.

Are the airlines in on this conspiracy?

how do they deal with the SI of a metre changing as you head away from the Arctic?

Are the airlines in on this conspiracy?

Of course! Duh! That’s why they fit that glass on planes that makes the horizon look curved.

Example: you can book direct 12h 30m flights from Sidney, Australia to Santiago in Chile.

Watch some FEers (and baller trolls) debate this:
https://www.theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?topic=62950.0

Some excerpts:

1 in 4 world-wide flights were delayed. Weather conditions, or a slight misunderstanding of the earth’s shape?
..
the obvious answer is that the maps we’re spoon fed are wrong. are there jet streams (an obvious fantasy), or is it to compensate for the fact two places are closer than the round earth map says?
..
in addition, pilots will want money too. we aren’t told the full capabilities of their planes, and they adapt the speed they fly at accordingly.
..
the problem is that we don’t know what the real map looks like. Consequently, we can’t estimate any distances within the FE model. This doesn’t mean that the Earth is not flat though.
..
how could anyone know where the edge is? nasa wouldn’t give full details even to their employees.
we can’t work on a better map when every effort is obstructed, and all information given to us is lies.
..
there are hundreds of flat earthers and yet not one is allowed to be a pilot. might want to think about that. perfect proof of the conspiracy. go into any field where flat earth theory could be disproven, and you’re not going to find a flat earther. why?

As I say. It’s fascinating.

If the earth was really flat cats would have pushed everything off the edge by now

Apparently this is why it is “impossible” to fly over Antarctica (despite the fact that people have done it and commercial airlines schedule regular flights that would be impossible with giant ice walls blocking the way)
That’s a point – airlines like to fly on a great circle as its the shortest point between any two places on a globe. If the earth was flat, their routes would actually be larges curves. So they’d be wasting a lot of fuel.

Are the airlines in on this conspiracy?

Airlines often don’t fly in great circles over the poles due to the prohibitive costs of the required emergency gear. Which lends false credence to the flat earthers, and indeed supports the idea that the airlines are in on the conspiracy (probably because they profit so much from the chemtrails and stuff).

If I can see a photo of the underside, I will sign up immediately.

I’m confused.

How can it be an annual conference if this is the first?

If I can see a photo of the underside, I will sign up immediately.

It’s just a turtle 🙄

go into any field where flat earth theory could be disproven, and you’re not going to find a flat earther. why?

This – this is insane.