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Prominent flat earther to now change focus to study for the possibility of an afterlife
Going well for him so far, 100% success rate now he's completed phase #1 of his mission, can't wait to hear about phase #2
I suspect I found the error in his calculations.
He forgot to apply correction for curvature of the earth
haha you evil bastards
On the upside, he has proved his Hard Earth Theory.
Gravity is a thing then? Who knew? 🤷♂️
He is now definitely a flat earther...
Shouldn't laugh, but it was inevitable.
I wondered if he got high enough to see the curve.
His rocket was tampered with by the forces of evil to prevent the truth from being revealed, thus keeping the masses oppressed by believing that they live on a spherical planet. It’s obvious to anyone.
Steam powered rocket ! Nuts
His rocket was tampered with by the forces of evil to prevent the truth from being revealed, thus keeping the masses oppressed by believing that they live on a spherical planet. It’s obvious to anyone.
Is there a Godwins law equivalent for all conspiracy theories leading back to antisemitism lol?
Where was Waldo?
How high did he get?
Is there a Godwins law equivalent for all conspiracy theories leading back to antisemitism
Genuinely puzzled; how is that antisemitism?
The original article in the BBC quoted him as saying "I have no idea if the earth is flat it round, I just want to see it myself" (or something like that). The project was funded by the flat earth society. So it sounds like a good wheeze to get somebody else to pay for a madcap adventure.
(And how cool does a steam powered rocket sound)
He also held the record for jumping a stretch limo.
I think the world needs more eccentrics like that.
That was my understanding also.
"Ambitious and brave man dies a horrible death in pursuit of his passion" doesn't sell as well as laughing at a loony though.
How high did he get?
Before he came up with the idea for a steam rocket or before the paranoia set in?
Steam powered rocket !
Not even Fred Dibnah tried that.
^ you guys are right. It is insensitive to poke fun and the world does need people like this. It is a shame that he has died.
With the help of his partner Waldo Stakes, Hughes was trying to reach an altitude of 5,000ft
Seems an awfully risky thing to do to get to a height a fair way below what most light aircraft can get to?
“Ambitious and brave man dies a horrible death in pursuit of his passion” doesn’t sell as well as laughing at a loony though.
I'm sorry he's dead, but "ambitious and brave"? Nah.
Is there a Godwins law equivalent for all conspiracy theories leading back to antisemitism lol?
I have no idea what that means, no idea at all.
The thing is, there are ways of getting to a height where the earth’s curvature is apparent without taking the sort of risks this guy did.
The thing is, there are ways of getting to a height where the earth’s curvature is apparent without taking the sort of risks this guy did.
No, planes are controlled by THEM. Planes spread chemtrails and what you see out the window is all holographs and CGI to make you believe.
Airbus and Boeing must be in on it too. Bastards.
No, planes are controlled by THEM.
The heights he was trying to get to, he could have walked up a big hill, or got a chairlift.
Well, he achieved more in terms of pursuing his dreams than I ever have.
And I think if most of the people taking the piss were honest they'd admit he achieved more than they have as well.
Fair play to him.
Went to Kennedy Space Centre, they're all about pursuit of dreams - a lot has been achieved there, and not without cost. This guy would have done well to put more faith in science and less in ego.
I'm not saying that we should emulate him, just that it's better to take inspiration wherever you can find it.
I have several projects I would like to pursue tomorrow. Instead I'm going to go and sit in a ****ing office doing a job I really can't be arsed with anymore in the interests of paying the mortgage, watching my life slowly drip away day by day.
I could do with being a bit more Mike Hughes, I reckon.
Maybe it's just me.
I'm not against pursuit of dreams, quite the contrary - I would say chose the objects of your inspiration more carefully than he did.
Genuinely puzzled; how is that antisemitism?
I wasn't saying you were - hence the "lol" at the end.
It's just that all of these lunatic theories seem to involve a mad evil conspiracy which invariably involves Jews.
I would say chose the objects of your inspiration more carefully than he did.
Or at least pack a reserve chute.
The thing is, there are ways of getting to a height where the earth’s curvature is apparent without taking the sort of risks this guy did.
I think that's missing the point. The guy wanted to build a steam powered rocket. And he did. And it almost worked (at least the going up part did).
Doing something badly is easy.
It’s just that all of these lunatic theories seem to involve a mad evil conspiracy which invariably involves Jews
That’s a leap! See your point though. I’m going to look at GoldFinger in a completely different light now...
Doing something badly is easy.
In fairness, he built a steam powered rocket that was capable of powering a human being safely up to several thousand feet (just not safely back down 😳) That’s actually pretty impressive; I don’t think I could do it. He just took a bit of a risk with his landing system which failed to pay off, big time. RIP Mad Mike, you entertainingly bonkers, if slightly misguided individual.
Well, he achieved more in terms of pursuing his dreams than I ever have.
And I think if most of the people taking the piss were honest they’d admit he achieved more than they have as well.
Fair play to him.
Agreed, the world needs such people.
Agreed, the world needs such people.
Why?
Why?
Just out of interest, what would you say your greatest achievement in your life so far has been?
I'm asking because I'm beginning to wonder if you're actually just really jealous.
Why?
Entertainment value?
Serious answer; if the people like the Wright bros and those like them had just thought “**** it, it’s a dodgy idea, I think I’ll just ride my horse instead” the world would be a much more dull place.
I bet Guy Martin is pissed because he didn't think of it first 😀
Why?
Reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.
― George Bernard Shaw
He wasn't brave. He wasn't inspirational. He was a fool and an idiot. Jumping off a cliff flapping your arms in an attempt to achieve your dream of flight wouldn't be seen as anything other than ridiculous and idiotic. And this venture was no less idiotic or ridiculous.
I can just imagine his last radio transmission...."I can't understand why it's not working. It's not as if it's rocket science".
People like this shouldn't be praised in any way whatsoever. He should be up there for the biggest prize in the Darwin Awards. So let's not have any comparisons to the Wright Bros. There couldn't be a bigger difference between the likes of the Wright Bros and this chancer. To compare them is to insult and degrade the Wright Bros and their achievements. This joker deserves no such accolades. Shame he did what he did, a terrible waste of a life, but what he did was simply idiotic.
Inspiration is about those who have big dreams and approach them in a way to actually understand what's involved and have a chance in hell of achieving them. Which usually means researching what the hell it is you're trying to do and having a half decent and serious attempt at it, rather than one that didn't stand a cat in hells chance of success and would almost certainly end in death.
Well this is a classy thread.
He wasn’t brave. He wasn’t inspirational. He was a fool and an idiot. Jumping off a cliff flapping your arms in an attempt to achieve your dream of flight wouldn’t be seen as anything other than ridiculous and idiotic. And this venture was no less idiotic or ridiculous.
Just out of interest, do you feel the same way about base jumpers who die?
have a chance in hell of achieving them. Which usually means researching what the hell it is you’re trying to do and having a half decent and serious attempt at it
You know that this was his second rocket flight, and that the first one worked successfully, right? I’m not taken by the chaps motivations but I’ve got to admire his chutzpah. I’m glad that humans take risks. It’d be a rubbish world if they didn’t.
You’re right.
It’s still funny though.
Things can be both tragic and funny.
Just out of interest, what would you say your greatest achievement in your life so far has been?
I’m asking because I’m beginning to wonder if you’re actually just really jealous.
The whole point is that I (and 99.9999999999% of the population) am not likely to involve myself in any endeavor likely to kill me in pursuit of spurious science purely to try and make myself famous. If that's your thing, venerate away - I reiterate that I'm sorry he's dead, but it was a stupid, pointless stunt. When you strive for the same achievement, be sure to film it.
Serious answer; if the people like the Wright bros and those like them had just thought “**** it, it’s a dodgy idea, I think I’ll just ride my horse instead” the world would be a much more dull place.
Fair play, but I don't see it as a fair analogy - he wasn't testing new technology, he wasn't breaking boundaries, it was a publicity stunt gone wrong. If he wanted to prove that a steam-powered rocket could break 5k, or that the world is flat, he didn't need to be aboard.
reasonable people adapt themselves to the world. Unreasonable people attempt to adapt the world to themselves. All progress, therefore, depends on unreasonable people.
― George Bernard Shaw
That was not an attempt at progress.