The earth is flat.

[Mauve Shirt]

This hurts my common sense, and yet has me giggling uncontrollably.

http://theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?topic=13876.0

The earth is flat. Antarctica is a circle around the edge of the disk. The sun and moon circle the earth, yet it doesn't generate a gravitational field. The rising and setting are optical illusions.

I bet it's sitting on the back of a giant turtle, too.

[Player_Zero]

QI told me that they never believe the Earth was flat in the Middle Ages.

Have people really regressed to pre-Middle Ages thinking?

[d'Bwobsling]

This hurts my common sense, and yet has me giggling uncontrollably.

http://theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?topic=13876.0

The earth is flat. Antarctica is a circle around the edge of the disk. The sun and moon circle the earth, yet it doesn't generate a gravitational field. The rising and setting are optical illusions.

I bet it's sitting on the back of a giant turtle, too.

Not to mention the moon is made of green cheese:smalltongue:

[Mauve Shirt]

Best part, anyone who might have proof that the world is round is in on the conspiracy.


Q: "How come the travel time by air from South America to New Zealand, via the polar route, is SHORTER than the travel time going North first and then South again?"

A: (Presumed answer: The airline pilots are misled by their GPS, or are deliberately conspiring to make it appear that the flights take different times)

My friend thinks we should launch them into space and let them see for themselves. But they'd still think it was faked.

[Occasional Sage]

If I recall correctly, these are the same folks that say the ocean doesn't drain away because of a giant wall. That wall has never been reported because it is guarded by a defense force provided by all the major world governments, who hide this knowledge because it somehow profits them.

As I think, though, I'm not sure if I saw that on the real Flat Earth website, or of it was a clever parody. And I'm not sure which to hope for, honestly....

EDIT: Yup, there it is. the giant wall of ice. *snerk*

[d'Bwobsling]

If I recall correctly, these are the same folks that say the ocean doesn't drain away because of a giant wall. That wall has never been reported because it is guarded by a defense force provided by all the major world governments, who hide this knowledge because it somehow profits them.

As I think, though, I'm not sure if I saw that on the real Flat Earth website, or of it was a clever parody. And I'm not sure which to hope for, honestly....

And the people who said the world was going to end about 1000 years ago

[Player_Zero]

People can believe in silly things...

Suppose it doesn't really matter that much unless someone gets hurt and we'll all be dust in space soon enough anyway, but whatever.

[Totally Guy]

My friend thinks we should launch them into space and let them see for themselves. But they'd still think it was faked.

There was in fact a reality TV show about a group of people fooled into believing that they had gone into space. The people that don't like reality TV shows hated it. The people that like reality TV shows hated it too. Guess it was just me that found it funny.

[Occasional Sage]

And the people who said the world was going to end about 1000 years ago

"Oops, wait. I forgot to carry the two."

[Pandaren]

No the moon isn't made of cheese, it's hollow, they just can't prove it, gosh, rude.

[Occasional Sage]

People can believe in silly things...

Suppose it doesn't really matter that much unless someone gets hurt and we'll all be dust in space soon enough anyway, but whatever.

It does so matter! (http://xkcd.com/386/)

[SlightlyEvil]

One interesting side effect of the earth being round is that, for very long-range artillery shots, the gunner has to take into consideration the curvature of the earth when calculating the trajectory for the shot.

With this in mind, I think we should demonstrate this point to these Flat-Earthers. My only question is this: do we tie them up at the point where the shot would land if they are right (and the earth is not round), so we can prove our point, or at the point it would land if they are wrong, so that they spend their final moment in the knowledge that their entire worldview was flawed.

Opinions?

EDIT:
It does so matter! (http://xkcd.com/386/)
This is a better illustration of the point. (http://xkcd.com/154/)

[randman22222]

And I have been in planes high enough up that I have seen the curvature of the Earth. Those guys should just buy a plane ticket some time.

[Zarrexaij]

Some conspiracy theories are cool and all, but the flat Earth thing is just amazingly stupid. I mean, all you have to do is take a look outside, and anyone with half a brain will quickly realize THE EARTH IS ROUND. LOOK AT THE SKY. :smallsigh:

*puts on her tinfoil hat*

[Calamity]

Indeed. We have horizons for a reason, y'know.

[d'Bwobsling]

One interesting side effect of the earth being round is that, for very long-range artillery shots, the gunner has to take into consideration the curvature of the earth when calculating the trajectory for the shot.

With this in mind, I think we should demonstrate this point to these Flat-Earthers. My only question is this: do we tie them up at the point where the shot would land if they are right (and the earth is not round), so we can prove our point, or at the point it would land if they are wrong, so that they spend their final moment in the knowledge that their entire worldview was flawed.

Opinions?

Coudn't we just harvest their organs instead?
It would be much less confusing

Edit: wow I got triple ninja'd:smalleek:

[Zar Peter]

I so wish the world was flat...

Mapping and surveying would be sooo much easier.

Well, back to the computer then, calculating with a damned round world. :smallyuk:


:smallbiggrin:

[truemane]

Have people really regressed to pre-Middle Ages thinking?

It's not so much that people have regressed to Middle Ages thinking as it is that some poeple have never progressed beyond it.

The thing that gets me about this sort of thing is the assumption of this unified, global conspiracy that involved all the 'governments' of the world. AS though you could put 'the government' in a room and talk about them all as though they were a single group.

I can't get my wife and my kids to agree on what movie to see this weekend. How the heck could you get EVERY SINGLE LOCAL, STATE, PROVINCIAL, REGIONAL, FEDERAL, AND/OR MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION rto agree on something so complicated and absurd?

The Wall of Ice and the Magic Force Field are more believable than THAT.

[d'Bwobsling]

I so wish the world was flat...

Mapping and surveying would be sooo much easier.

Well, back to the computer then, calculating with a damned round world. :smallyuk:


:smallbiggrin:

Yeah, but if the world was flat at the beginning of time event X would of never happened so it never led to event Y leading to a chain reaction that would make no one on this planet exist

[Leon Stormchild]

............

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA*gasp**gasp*AHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

*wheeze* ahahaha....hahaha....hha...ha...

...hehe...

*wipes tear* Whoo boy, that site is pure comedic gold.:smallbiggrin:

[Occasional Sage]

One interesting side effect of the earth being round is that, for very long-range artillery shots, the gunner has to take into consideration the curvature of the earth when calculating the trajectory for the shot.

With this in mind, I think we should demonstrate this point to these Flat-Earthers. My only question is this: do we tie them up at the point where the shot would land if they are right (and the earth is not round), so we can prove our point, or at the point it would land if they are wrong, so that they spend their final moment in the knowledge that their entire worldview was flawed.

Opinions?


They'd just claim that the test was rigged, since they didn't control it and only have your word about how you programmed the shot.

Of course if you volunteered to be tied up and shot at, they'd hit the wrong place and accuse you of tampering with the gun in a way that they can't verify.

Because, you know, all-powerful overconspiracy.



EDIT:
This is a better illustration of the point. (http://xkcd.com/154/)

Nice. I'd forgotten that one.

[Adumbration]

What does it tell you when a poster there who has 28000 posts has the nickname of "Professor gay****" and posts in the FAQ about them forgetting to lock the subject?

That was what finally cracked me up for good, when I scrolled down.:smallbiggrin:

EDIT: Not to mention the ideas themselves...

[Spiryt]

Besides artillery and other obvious proof that it's bull****s, I wonder how they explain sience stations on Antarctica.

Oh, I know. Consiracy.

[valadil]

Does anyone else think this could be fun source material for an RPG?

[mangosta71]

You see, the earth really is flat. You know how those guys that sailed around the world a few hundred years ago? They actually travelled to identical copies of the places that they departed from, because the planet repeats itself infinitely in all directions.

[Eldpollard]

Not to mention the moon is made of green cheese:smalltongue:

Blasphemer. The moon is in fact made of a rather finely crafted blue cheese. My thoughts are that it's some form of cosmic stilton.

[DraPrime]

Am I the only who thinks that this might just be satire?

[Occasional Sage]

If nothing else makes them stop and think, why haven't they realized that with almost 15,000 members (http://theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?action=stats) they should, by the random monkey theory, have come up with a plausible reason behind the plot? Even if it's not the "correct" one (much less likely), they haven't even found one that sounds good enough to put in their FAQ!

[Victor Thorian]

well not only the earth, the whole universe is flat!

edit:do you really care

[Occasional Sage]

Am I the only who thinks that this might just be satire?

I refer you to the posting history (http://theflatearthsociety.org/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=9783;sa=showPosts;start =0) of the Professor whom Adumbration mentioned. If this is satire, that's REEEEALLY ELABORATE satire.

ETA: My sweet bleeding soul! Those 28,000+ posts are since February of 2007!

[The Extinguisher]

I wish the world was torrid shaped. :smallfrown:

Equators are for chumps.

[Sequinox]

I laughed so hard it hurt... But you have to wonder if anyone there actually believes what they wrote.

[mangosta71]

Am I the only who thinks that this might just be satire?

No, unfortunately these nuts are serious. They take an extremely fundamentalist interpretation of a few verses of the Bible (four corners of the earth) and use that to justify their ludicrous claims. At one point, one of their leaders was shown pictures of the earth taken from space on TV and he commented "I can see how the untrained eye could be fooled by these pictures."

[Phase]

Blasphemer. The moon is in fact made of a rather finely crafted blue cheese. My thoughts are that it's some form of cosmic stilton.

I'm not made of any kind of cheese! :smallmad:

[Castaras]

It isn't.

I've had a look around the forums.

There really are people there who believe that the world is flat. :smalleek:

[DraPrime]

I'm not made of any kind of cheese! :smallmad:

Well currently you're a person holding up a sign.

[Occasional Sage]

No, unfortunately these nuts are serious. They take an extremely fundamentalist interpretation of a few verses of the Bible (four corners of the earth) and use that to justify their ludicrous claims. At one point, one of their leaders was shown pictures of the earth taken from space on TV and he commented "I can see how the untrained eye could be fooled by these pictures."

Sadly, some of them don't have Biblical belief to fall back on (and for Forum rules, let's skirt that topic veeeery carefully, hmmm?). There seem to be lots of people there who buy into this because it's "logical," not because it's an article of faith.

[An Enemy Spy]

You can say anything is real as long as you believe that every bit of scientific evidence is completely made up to supress the truth. The conspiracy was probably started by Xenu

[mangosta71]

Sadly, some of them don't have Biblical belief to fall back on (and for Forum rules, let's skirt that topic veeeery carefully, hmmm?). There seem to be lots of people there who buy into this because it's "logical," not because it's an article of faith.

Aye, not saying anything for or against any scripture - just that that is where the original concept came from. I have no intention of criticizing anyon'e spiritual beliefs. I will, however, relentlessly mock those who believe the world to be flat.

[Emperor Ing]

Dude...if this was a gigantic world conspiracy, surely someone must have leaked the slightest hint about this information somewhere. I mean seriously. To keep information like that secret requires everyone involved to have near-suicidal devotion to the conspiracy!

[Pandaren]

In all technicality the only reason you would say "WE HAVE A HORIZON FOR A REASON" or anything like that, is because somebody else noticed, and came up with the idea. Trying to make an argument with a comment like that is unreasonable.

[Occasional Sage]

Dude...if this was a gigantic world conspiracy, surely someone must have leaked the slightest hint about this information somewhere. I mean seriously. To keep information like that secret requires everyone involved to have near-suicidal devotion to the conspiracy!

Ah, but they have an answer for that, too: it's only a very few people at a time, and their devotion is to the LOADS AND LOADS OF CASH they get from being members of the conspiracy.

Just, you know, don't look at their bank accounts. That's not where they keep it. And don't bother to look under their mattress, or dig up their back yard, or....

[Texas Jedi]

These Flat Brainer society types are the stupidest conspiracy theorists in the world. There shouldn't be a person on this world that can point their finger at them and laugh because of how stupid they are.

Heck even the other conspiracy theories at least sound smart, like the 9/11 truthers, Moon Landing Hoaxers. They all sound smart at least until you really question their evidence.

What evidence to the contrary other than one GRAND CONSPIRACY do they have to back their claim up.

[hamishspence]

overlaps, flat earthers don't believe in moon landing either.

It started off some time last century, I remember reading about bet between Alfred Russel Wallace and a flat Earther on whether round earth could be proved by experiment.

Do not make bets with flat earthers. They do not accept proof of wrongness.

[Jayngfet]

I'm not made of any kind of cheese! :smallmad:

Now's a bad time to mention how I stole you're kidney and replaced it with Munster isn't it?

[faerwain]

It isn't.

I've had a look around the forums.

There really are people there who believe that the world is flat. :smalleek:

Yes, and you won't quiet us down!! We will continue to tell the truth to the masses of sheep until the light will spread!!


No, unfortunately these nuts are serious.(...)
At one point, one of their leaders was shown pictures of the earth taken from space on TV and he commented "I can see how the untrained eye could be fooled by these pictures."

Pictures to be reputed from space. Dude, start thinking instead just repeating what they tell you about this oh-so-convenient "space exploration."
You know that they once tried to claim Bielefeld would receive "satellite tv". Think

But of course, if they would just let us normal people know the truth, their whole money-gripping cardhouse would collapse, than on a flat earth, as evidences prove it is, what would you do with your precious global market?

[FoE]

What a ridiculous notion! As if the earth is actually flat! Everyone knows that the "surface" of the earth actuallly sits on the interior of the planet, and the sun is a giant battery-operated light source that sits at the exact centre of the earth! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_Teed) :smalltongue:

[zeratul]

Yes, and you won't quiet us down!! We will continue to tell the truth to the masses of sheep until the light will spread!!



Pictures to be reputed from space. Dude, start thinking instead just repeating what they tell you about this oh-so-convenient "space exploration."
You know that they once tried to claim Bielefeld would receive "satellite tv". Think

But of course, if they would just let us normal people know the truth, their whole money-gripping cardhouse would collapse, than on a flat earth, as evidences prove it is, what would you do with your precious global market?

You need to get better at impersonating conspiracy theorists for us to buy it faerwain. :smalltongue:

[Occasional Sage]

What a ridiculous notion! As if the earth is actually flat! Everyone knows that the "surface" of the earth actually sits on the interior of the planet, and the sun is a giant battery-operated light source that sits at the exact centre of the earth! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_Teed) :smalltongue:

See, this is actually MORE REASONABLE than the FE theory.

I hafta admit, I was scared to follow your link.

[Texas Jedi]

Yes, and you won't quiet us down!! We will continue to tell the truth to the masses of sheep until the light will spread!!



Pictures to be reputed from space. Dude, start thinking instead just repeating what they tell you about this oh-so-convenient "space exploration."
You know that they once tried to claim Bielefeld would receive "satellite tv". Think

But of course, if they would just let us normal people know the truth, their whole money-gripping cardhouse would collapse, than on a flat earth, as evidences prove it is, what would you do with your precious global market?


I give you props for trying but you need to throw in the words Sheeple, and you need to sound a little more crazy.

[faerwain]

You need to get better at impersonating conspiracy theorists for us to buy it faerwain. :smalltongue:

Shush, polar-cap promoting propagandist, I hear ye not.

[Texas Jedi]

Shush, polar-cap promoting propagandist, I hear ye not.

That is better. But you need to throw in Sheeple. That is a classic phrase from the conspiracy theorists handbook

[Winterwind]

Ooooh, this is awesome. :smallbiggrin:
Let's go through a few highlights.

I think this was my favourite part:

Q: "How are the world governments organized enough to carry out this conspiracy?"

A: They only appear to be disorganized to make the conspiracy seem implausible.Yes, all wars and conflicts in the world without any exceptions are just a charade to keep up the deception that the governments are not, in fact, all working together!

This one's not too bad either:

The sun and moon, each 32 miles in diameter, circle Earth at a height of 3000 miles at its equator, located midway between the North Pole and the ice wall. Each functions similar to a "spotlight," with the sun radiating "hot light," the moon "cold light." As they are spotlights, they only give light out over a certain are which explains why some parts of the Earth are dark when others are light. Their apparent rising and setting are caused by optical illusions.

Some controversy exists as to whether the Sun and Moon are spherical or flat.

In the "accelerating upwards" model, the stars, sun and moon are also accelerating upwards as a result of Universal Acceleration.

In some models, the stars are about as far as San Francisco is from Boston (3100 miles). Others claim them to be much further away.Cold. Light.
Riiiiight.

Stars are right above us.
Jeez, hasn't a single one of them ever used a telescope?
No, wait... I take that back. With their level of intelligence, they wouldn't be able to tell a telescope from a cow.




Q: "What's underneath the Earth?" aka "What's on the bottom?" aka "What's on the other side?"

A: This is unknown. Some believe it to be just rocks, others believe the Earth rests on the back of four elephants and a turtle.
...Okay. Is this a joke on their part, proof that the entire thing is just a hoax (which I doubt, since I have heard about this society being supposedly serious before), or are there really people who mistake Terry Pratchett's most fantastic (in any meaning of the word) works for scientific publications?


Q: "Doesn't this mean we'd be traveling faster than the speed of light, which is impossible?"

A: The equations of Special Relativity prevent an object from accelerating to the speed of light. Due to this restriction, these equations prove that an object can accelerate at a constant rate forever, and never reach the speed of light. Ooooh, so you do believe in the speed of light being a firm limit and known to us, right?
If so, I think a certain Mr. Ole Römer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ole_R%C3%B8mer#R.C3.B8mer_and_the_speed_of_light) would like to have a word with you regarding your celestial bodies being just a few thousand miles away from us.


Q: "How does global warming affect the ice wall?"

A2: Global Warming doesn't happen. It and its counter-theory (Global Cooling) are effects that cancel each other out. Remember, these "greenhouse gasses" can reflect heat back out into space as well as keep it on Earth. Yes, there are recorded rises in temperature, but the only records we have go back, at most, around 150 years. This is very likely an occurrence that happens every [x>150] years, that's happened before (perhaps many times), and that the Earth has thus survived before.Translation: You are either too lazy to look up how greenhouse gases actually work, or too dumb to understand it (which is actually hardly a surprise). No, they cannot reflect heat back out into space as well as keep it on Earth, because the spectrum of the radiation coming from the Earth's surface is shifted (to wavelengths where these gases reflect a significant part of the radiation) compared to the radiation coming from space to the Earth (which has wavelengths that hardly interact with the greenhouse gases).

[zeratul]

Winter, just so you know Terry didn't make up the turtle idea. It was in fact a belief of the Native Americans that the earth rested on top of a giant turtle, and started that idea.

I'm not a FE person, and do not believe the turtle thing, but it's good to know you're facts and history.

[Occasional Sage]

That is better. But you need to throw in Sheeple. That is a classic phrase from the conspiracy theorists handbook

I believe what you were looking for is sheeple (http://api.ning.com/files/e6kKRHdkk*XuSDwgbmC8Yn7tpmqugdUUWVKsB8nZDmsMGI92Lb eIHtqaSFikGNypChCbLX7B7oKvlYH4Eeko0201t38Bla9L/Sheeple2.jpg). :smallbiggrin:

[Mauve Shirt]

Here's (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,403802,00.html) a short article about these guys. They seem serious.
But then again, it's fox news. :smalltongue:

[Occasional Sage]

Oh, I've heard about these guys since before the internet. The Flat Earth Society is certainly real.

[Occasional Sage]

This is great. Google's first hit is the "home page" (http://www.alaska.net/~clund/e_djublonskopf/Flatearthsociety.htm) of the Flat Earthers.

Since nobody reads the fine print, let me post it here for your enjoyment:




The Flat Earth Society is not in any way responsible for the failure of the French to repel the Germans at the Maginot Line during WWII. Nor is the Flat Earth Society responsible for the recent yeti sightings outside the Vatican, or for the unfortunate enslavement of the Nabisco Inc. factory employees by a rogue hamster insurrectionist group. Furthermore, we are not responsible for the loss of one or more of the following, which may possibly occur as the result of exposing one's self to the dogmatic and dangerously subversive statements made within: life, limb, vision, Francois Mitterand, hearing, taste, smell, touch, thumb, Aunt Mildred, citizenship, spleen, bedrock, cloves, I Love Lucy reruns, toaster, pine derby racer, toy duck, antelope, horseradish, prosthetic ankle, double-cheeseburger, tin foil, limestone, watermelon-scented air freshner, sanity, paprika, German to Pig Latin dictionary, dish towel, pet Chihuahua, pogo stick, Golf Digest subscription, floor tile, upper torso or halibut.


I see somebody rolled a natural 1 on their "resist sarcasm" check when creating this site....

[Mauve Shirt]

Heehee, I'm getting a definite "We're ****ing witcha" vibe from the fine print. :smallbiggrin:

[Occasional Sage]

Heehee, I'm getting a definite "We're ****ing witcha" vibe from the fine print. :smallbiggrin:

Oh man, follow the "Current Events" tab on the left; it stops vibrating and simply slaps you.

THIS is a satire site. Alas, OP's is real (if not legitimate).

ETA: Is it bad that I want a couple of things from that list? Notably, the German-to-Pig-Latin dictionary and the insurrectionist hamsters.

[Zeful]

I actually think that is a satirical site while the web-forums are people who honestly believe that the earth is flat and cannot possibly be round.

[Storm Bringer]

Dude...if this was a gigantic world conspiracy, surely someone must have leaked the slightest hint about this information somewhere.

yhea. you've just read the wistle blower site:smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin:

I love two bits of that site

1) the have the sheer balls to quote relativity in defense of their cotinuous alcelleration (which, as they quite clearly points out, means they would stop acelerating and thus lose the apprant gravity)

2)the total lack of explination for why the air is still here. after all, air is a liquid, and it flows. unless their 'ice wall' is over a 1000 miles high then all the bloody air on the planet would have flowed off mellenia ago.

and if it's a thousand miles high, why the bloody hell can't we SEE it? a freakign wall that high at that distance is going to be more than visable on a flat surface. apart form anything else, it would mean the sun would set like 30-40" off the horzion.


...Okay. Is this a joke on their part, proof that the entire thing is just a hoax (which I doubt, since I have heard about this society being supposedly serious before), or are there really people who mistake Terry Pratchett's most fantastic (in any meaning of the word) works for scientific publications?

most likey explination (assuming they are in fact serious) is that it's a tounge in cheek way to say "we really do not know, because no one has ever looked. ever. you guess is as good as ours."

the 'elephants on a turtles back' thing (is it me or does that sound like another Samuel L Jackson moive?:smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin:) is older than pratchett. part of the joke is that the discworld really IS on the back of four elephants stood on a turtle.

[Wraithy]

Blasphemer. The moon is in fact made of a rather finely crafted blue cheese. My thoughts are that it's some form of cosmic stilton.

Surely not, the mould would die from a lack of oxygen.

[Ethrael]

Ok...just saw the website...

I'm simply just a bit astonished. I don't want to be rude in case there are any


FE'ers

on GITP, but how can they come up with so many reasons to explain the world is flat? Science pushes back religion, but at least religion has some points which can't be proven. This just counts proof as lies and a conspiracy...

[Zeful]

Note about the Elephants and turtles bit: It's actually in the bible, I'm not joking so the Flat-earthers aren't quote Pratchett.

[AKA_Bait]

This just counts proof as lies and a conspiracy...

But that's all it is! The powers that be have a conspiract of nature to make I believe that there are particular physical laws. So called science is only verified because the powers that be make the experiments turn out in accordance with the theories when tested to keep us ignorant of the truth. When they miss one, they just give the scientists more funding for their project and make it work when they retest.


Note about the Elephants and turtles bit: It's actually in the bible, I'm not joking so the Flat-earthers aren't quote Pratchett.

Um, no, no it's not. It comes from Hindu mythology. Pratchett is playing off that, purposefully.

[Wraithy]

Only eight words into that fox new article linked earlier and the article is already wrong, Fox news doesn't have anyone to check its facts does it?

[AKA_Bait]

Only eight words into that fox new article linked earlier and the article is already wrong, Fox news doesn't have anyone to check its facts does it?

Well, I'm not sure how much I can say on this without crossing into the politics prohibition.... but no they don't. Fox news is a rag.

[ColonelFuster]

Well, I'm not sure how much I can say on this without crossing into the politics prohibition.... but no they don't. Fox news is a rag.

*Laughs and agrees* I would say that they do not bother checking their facts, due to the fact that they are shamelessly pimping a book full of recognized lies (about a certain black american) right now.

[Austran]

I... I don't know how... to answer this!:smalleek:
How people can really belive that the Earth is... FLAT??? They are not THAT stupid! Are they?

[Vaynor]

BLASPHEMY! If the Earth were flat, it couldn't be hollow!


(Koreshanism ftw by the way)

[mikeejimbo]

The Earth is only flat if it serves the Illuminati's ends, of course. Fnord.

[Winterwind]

Winter, just so you know Terry didn't make up the turtle idea. It was in fact a belief of the Native Americans that the earth rested on top of a giant turtle, and started that idea.

I'm not a FE person, and do not believe the turtle thing, but it's good to know you're facts and history.After checking a bit in the Internet... well, it's Hindu, not Native American (at least if we include the turtles), but you're right, it has not originated from Pratchett. Thanks for pointing it out, learnt something new today. :smallsmile:


1) the have the sheer balls to quote relativity in defense of their cotinuous alcelleration (which, as they quite clearly points out, means they would stop acelerating and thus lose the apprant gravity)Most interestingly, they actually got that part correct. Relativity would indeed help them out in the way they mean it to... if only the rest wasn't utter nonsense.


2)the total lack of explination for why the air is still here. after all, air is a liquid, and it flows. unless their 'ice wall' is over a 1000 miles high then all the bloody air on the planet would have flowed off mellenia ago.

and if it's a thousand miles high, why the bloody hell can't we SEE it? a freakign wall that high at that distance is going to be more than visable on a flat surface. apart form anything else, it would mean the sun would set like 30-40" off the horzion.Ah, but note how they claim the stars themselves are only a few thousand miles away, and how all pilots in the world are part of the conspiracy. This means the atmosphere might well have only be, like, 10 miles thick, and so the wall wouldn't have to be all that high either.

As for the sun, I'm still astonished how they try to explain the sun's apparent movement away with perspective and the sun being a spotlight.
Seriously, they cannot believe the Earth is not flat "because that's what we see", and then they come up with stuff as abstract as that?

[Occasional Sage]

Ah, but note how they claim the stars themselves are only a few thousand miles away, and how all pilots in the world are part of the conspiracy. This means the atmosphere might well have only be, like, 10 miles thick, and so the wall wouldn't have to be all that high either.


Well, to be fair they think that only a few high-high-up people are in on this (so as not to dilute the mysterious profits they somehow derive from this scheme). Therefore, the pilots aren't at fault because they are relying on instruments designed to give them false information.



As for the sun, I'm still astonished how they try to explain the sun's apparent movement away with perspective and the sun being a spotlight.
Seriously, they cannot believe the Earth is not flat "because that's what we see", and then they come up with stuff as abstract as that?

Don't forget the "optical illusion" handwave to explain rising and setting. That might just be the best part!

[Killersquid]

Each functions similar to a "spotlight," with the sun radiating "hot light," the moon "cold light."

Right there is where I flipped out. Last I checked, light generates heat due to the moving particles in the waves, therefore it is impossible to LOSE heat from light.

[Winterwind]

Right there is where I flipped out. Last I checked, light generates heat due to the moving particles in the waves, therefore it is impossible to LOSE heat from light.Not exactly - in fact it is even possible to cool with light (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_cooling) - that's one way of reaching ultra-cold states in experiments like, say, Bose Einstein Condensation - but it requires really, really fine-tuned lasers used in a specific way. Surely not something the moon is radiating towards the Earth.

[Killersquid]

Not exactly - in fact it is even possible to cool with light (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_cooling) - that's one way of reaching ultra-cold states in experiments like, say, Bose Einstein Condensation - but it requires really, really fine-tuned lasers used in a specific way. Surely not something the moon is radiating towards the Earth.

Yea but lasers are weird :smallconfused:

[YPU]

You know, hollow world theorists every now and then sound believable. The extreme poles actually being holes to the core of the earth? Ok I think you could cover that up, after all on a space picture its only a bit of white to ad. (and I think there was some part on no orbital photos of the true top and bottom of the earth existing?) but this is pure crazy. I mean damn, why do they believe this according to their FAQ? It looks that way? After looking over the edge of a ball I cant look at the horizon and say it does look flat.

But seriously. Lets not dwell on this to long. They aren’t bombing anything. Nor did they try to eradicate other religions in crusades. Heck, they aren’t even anti gay as far as I can tell. Of course the semi science they employ is so painful that its hard to have peas with them believing it.
Also, keep up the science on our part and we might actually get paid for keeping up the conspiracy, now that would be a nice idea wouldn’t it?
Daddy, I want to be a ice wall guard when I grow up.

[zeratul]

After checking a bit in the Internet... well, it's Hindu, not Native American (at least if we include the turtles), but you're right, it has not originated from Pratchett. Thanks for pointing it out, learnt something new today. :smallsmile:



the people of india may have believed something similar, but here's the native American Ledgend (http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/BigTurtle-Wyandot.html).

[Gem Flower]

I laughed for like ten minutes straight when I saw that website in the first post.:smallbiggrin:

[chiasaur11]

Now's a bad time to mention how I stole you're kidney and replaced it with Munster isn't it?

Herman or Eddie?

[Collin152]

Earth is flat.
But only from certain perspectives.
Transdimensional entities for office!

[CrazedGoblin]

ah got to love that sweet smell of the desperation of conspiracy theorists :smallbiggrin:

[Occasional Sage]

ah got to love that sweet smell of the desperation of conspiracy theorists :smallbiggrin:

"Desperation" is a nice euphemism. As far up as they've got their heads crammed, I know exactly what you *really* mean by "desperation"! :smallbiggrin:

[Thanatos 51-50]

Apparently, in the FAQ they present the Cylinder Theory.
Saying that the Earth is a Cylinder...

THAT makes more sense than a round disc, but less than a not-quite-perfectly spherical Earth.

My Common Sense Organ weeps at this site.

[Jayngfet]

Herman or Eddie?

Herman, like hell I'm giving up eddie's full bodied flavor.

[expirement10K14]

Well then, I have met a conspirator. He travels monthly to an scientific in Antarctica with supplies, and has been to the south pole multiple times. He lives in a good size home, works a second job, and his wife works a decent job. If he was really a conspirator I think he would have some show of wealth, yet he has no limo, no mansion, none of that. He doesn't have a HD TV as he thinks it is a waste of money, etc.

Hmm... Definitely paid off....

[Occasional Sage]

Well then, I have met a conspirator. He travels monthly to an scientific in Antarctica with supplies, and has been to the south pole multiple times. He lives in a good size home, works a second job, and his wife works a decent job. If he was really a conspirator I think he would have some show of wealth, yet he has no limo, no mansion, none of that. He doesn't have a HD TV as he thinks it is a waste of money, etc.

Hmm... Definitely paid off....

Obviously, he is hiding his real wealth from you. He hasn't told you about his multiple vacation homes in exotic locales (what, you thought he really took his family to the beach?), and is at his private club lighting gold-foiled cigars with hundred dollar bills when he's "working his second job."

You might want to ask if you can reroll your Sense Motive check.

[expirement10K14]

Q: How come when I flush my toilet in the northern hemisphere it goes counterclockwise but I have this friend in Australia and when he flushes it goes clockwise?

You're mistaken. On a round Earth, the Coriolis effect adds at most one (counter)clockwise rotation per day; fewer as you get closer to the equator. The water in your toilet/sink/bathtub/funnel spins much faster than that (probably at least once per minute, or 1440 times per day) so the additional/lost rotation from the Coriolis effect wouldn't be noticed.

One nitpick. This does not occur on a round earth, the holes that release water are slanted. The difference would occur because of the toilet used, not the location.

[Austran]

The Earth is only flat if it serves the Illuminati's ends, of course. Fnord.

Indeed, I was temporally stunned, but now that I think about it... The Gnomes of Zürich probably are involved, he said in the FAQ that the reason was money. I don't think it can be the Society of Assassins, but who knows? Fnord is the final answer.

[mangosta71]

If the earth is flat, I can climb the tallest mountain in the US, set up a telescope, and look at Japan. I bet I'll see someone looking back. Then we can wave, and become telescope pals. That's kind of like pen pals, but with more peeping through women's windows and less writing letters.

[Alleine]

If the earth is flat, I can climb the tallest mountain in the US, set up a telescope, and look at Japan. I bet I'll see someone looking back. Then we can wave, and become telescope pals. That's kind of like pen pals, but with more peeping through women's windows and less writing letters.

Wrong! You think anyone ever actually climbed the tallest mountains? No! It was all a government ploy! Plus, Japan would be obscured by all of the conspiracy money that the governments are trying to get by telling us the world is round.

[valadil]

Wrong! You think anyone ever actually climbed the tallest mountains? No! It was all a government ploy! Plus, Japan would be obscured by all of the conspiracy money that the governments are trying to get by telling us the world is round.

Did it ever occur to the flat earthers that for stuff like this to be true there would have to be more people in on the conspiracy than not in on it. At that point is it even a conspiracy anymore?

[Storm Bringer]

actaully, to be honest, atmospheric vapour, dust and such would hide japan, so that one is covered neatly by reasonable physics. whats not covered is why you guysdon't pick up thier radio and telly, what with thier being a straight line of
sight between you and thier transmitters.

Out of intrest, do they have a resonable answer to the south celestial pole, and why the same stars are in complete different positions in different locations on the earth, or, indeed, why some stars have only been visable in the south and others to the north?

[Occasional Sage]

Out of intrest, do they have a resonable answer to the south celestial pole, and why the same stars are in complete different positions in different locations on the earth, or, indeed, why some stars have only been visable in the south and others to the north?


My guess? It's the same hand-wave as why the sun "rises" and "sets": you're looking at it wrong.

[mangosta71]

Out of intrest, do they have a resonable answer to the south celestial pole, and why the same stars are in complete different positions in different locations on the earth, or, indeed, why some stars have only been visable in the south and others to the north?

That's because space is curved. And optical illusions.

[valadil]

Out of intrest, do they have a resonable answer to the south celestial pole, and why the same stars are in complete different positions in different locations on the earth, or, indeed, why some stars have only been visable in the south and others to the north?

They do claim that celestial bodies are actually pretty close to earth, though I forget the numbers. If that's true then you'd get different stars by traveling a long distance, just as you don't see the same clouds as someone two towns over. Of course, going east/west would bring up different stars too, but they wouldn't get this far having hand waved the problem away after pointing out how near they are.

[Storm Bringer]

yhea, but they fail to explian for the fact that stars rotate around the southern celestial pole (http://astro.wsu.edu/worthey/astro/html/im-sky/south-pole-star-trails.jpg) as well as the northern celestial pole. now, since this 'optical effect' would require that the vast majority of the professional astronomers in the world to be 'in' on it (which, to be fair, they would need to be anyway, as they'd have access to the high powered telescopes to prove otherwise).

hell, any mesurement of parallax would screw them, as that would prove the stars are either very far away or too small to have survived as long as they have been observed too.


and, to cut to the crux of the arguement, since every culture since the greeks, across the world, which had a decent level of tech knew the world was round......

what in the bloody hell could the greeks gain form claiming the world was round? that also made sense to the chinese AND the aztecs? that still provides profit today?

[chiasaur11]

Did it ever occur to the flat earthers that for stuff like this to be true there would have to be more people in on the conspiracy than not in on it. At that point is it even a conspiracy anymore?

Might as well come clean.
Everyone except that website's clients and you are in on it.
The world is flat and on the back of elephants atop a giant turtle.
The government spends 25 million a year to hypnotize you (and, to a lesser degree, them) into seeing the world wrong.

Also, there is no such film series as High School Musical. That's just demons trying to invade your brain while you're in a suggestable state.

[The Demented One]

I'd actually not be surprised if a goodly number of people are just doing that for fun. Come on, you know it'd be fun to roleplay a Flat Earther on a forum, coming up with even more absurd and conspiracy-minded theories for how it works. Might make a good SMBG thread...

[Storm Bringer]

Oh, sure, but the basic premise is so shakey to begin with......

[Om]

QI told me that they never believe the Earth was flat in the Middle Ages.

Have people really regressed to pre-Middle Ages thinking?Pre-medieval? The Greeks and Egyptians (amongst others) of Antiquity were well aware that the Earth was round. Eratosthenes of Cyrene calculated the Earth's circumference to a remarkable accuracy as early as 240BC although the notion of a spherical earth dates back (in Greece at least) several centuries earlier to Pythagoras of triangle fame. I'd be astonished if similar discoveries were not being made in the Far East around the same time

[chiasaur11]

Pre-medieval? The Greeks and Egyptians (amongst others) of Antiquity were well aware that the Earth was round. Eratosthenes of Cyrene calculated the Earth's circumference to a remarkable accuracy as early as 240BC although the notion of a spherical earth dates back (in Greece at least) several centuries earlier to Pythagoras of triangle fame. I'd be astonished if similar discoveries were not being made in the Far East around the same time

Of course YOU believe the earth is round. That "turtle" cult from Ephebe nearly wiped out your whole religious structure.

[Myshlaevsky]

I am totally joining this.


Q: "Why do you guys believe the Earth is flat?"

A: Well, it looks that way up close.

This won it for me.

[Zar Peter]

Might as well come clean.
Everyone except that website's clients and you are in on it.
The world is flat and on the back of elephants atop a giant turtle.
The government spends 25 million a year to hypnotize you (and, to a lesser degree, them) into seeing the world wrong.

Also, there is no such film series as High School Musical. That's just demons trying to invade your brain while you're in a suggestable state.

I don't see why it should cost us 25 million a year just too calm these 50 guys down. 100000 a year is enough.
And it's very funny to read about their conspiracy theories and how they slowly get the idea how the earth really is shaped.
That was worth the thousand years of planning. :smallbiggrin:

[Tengu_temp]

Not exactly - in fact it is even possible to cool with light (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_cooling) - that's one way of reaching ultra-cold states in experiments like, say, Bose Einstein Condensation - but it requires really, really fine-tuned lasers used in a specific way. Surely not something the moon is radiating towards the Earth.

It's not a moon... it's a space station!

[Logalmier]

Is the earth round? A simple test is needed to find out. The next time your at the harbor watch the ships going out to sea. At the horizon they'll disappear from the bottom, until all you can see it the mast, which then disappears.

Unless the sea it swallowing them up in a gigantic whirlpool that make an illusion that the boat is staying still.:smallamused:

[Om]

Of course YOU believe the earth is round. That "turtle" cult from Ephebe nearly wiped out your whole religious structure.Clearly the march of time has vindicated the Great Prophet Ossory and confirmed the justness of the Lamentations laid upon the Unbelievers by the Holy Church. Where's your Turtle now?


Unless the sea it swallowing them up in a gigantic whirlpool that make an illusion that the boat is staying still.Or being swallowed by sea monsters or slowly falling off the edge of the Earth? :smallwink:

[Storm Bringer]

errr..... under the disc?:smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin:

[valadil]

Is the earth round? A simple test is needed to find out. The next time your at the harbor watch the ships going out to sea. At the horizon they'll disappear from the bottom, until all you can see it the mast, which then disappears.

Unless the sea it swallowing them up in a gigantic whirlpool that make an illusion that the boat is staying still.:smallamused:

I've tried this. Modern ships are a lot flatter than sailing ships. It's kinda hard to notice without a giant mast. Maybe the experiment would work better on a ship sailing away from something tall? I hear it takes about 25 miles before things curve away, fwiw.

[d'Bwobsling]

I propose a compromise: half of the world is round, but the other half is flat like a giant half sphere. Us playgrounders, and probably everyone we know is on the round side, but there's a whole other civilization on the flat side of the Earth

[valadil]

The funny thing about d'Bwobsling's compromise is that flat earthers claim no knowledge about what lies beyond the edge of the world, so the idea of a hemispherical world would be consistent for them.

[Alleine]

Also, there is no such film series as High School Musical. That's just demons trying to invade your brain while you're in a suggestable state.

Well, we already knew that part.

You know what I think?
The government is in a conspiracy to make the flat-earthers believe what they do! The world really is round, but everyone is just screwing with the flat-earthers because its funny to follow their "logic". No profit is involved, but the governments of the world were bored one day and this is what happened :smallamused:

[chiasaur11]

Well, we already knew that part.

You know what I think?
The government is in a conspiracy to make the flat-earthers believe what they do! The world really is round, but everyone is just screwing with the flat-earthers because its funny to follow their "logic". No profit is involved, but the governments of the world were bored one day and this is what happened :smallamused:

...
...
...
How much would it take for you to keep that to yourself?

[llamamushroom]

We must put an end to this Church of Lies! Rally the Righteous! Prepare the Legions! We shall to war against these unbelievers, who believe in tainted falsehoods and half-mad prophets! We shall drive them to the ends of the Earth, and when they see us again, they shall know the truth, before we crush them.

Join me, Brothers and Sisters in Arms! Let us sing!

He is Trampling the Unrighteous,
With Hooves of Hot Iron...

[Occasional Sage]

I am totally joining this.


Tell us about your time on their boards! Please!

[Admiral_Kelly]

This is a better illustration of the point. (http://xkcd.com/154/)It should be noted that the author here is referring to Young Earth Creationists' theories which state that God created the Earth anywhere from four to ten thousand years ago. Sometimes they bring up valid scientific points (particularly when they point out the flaws of the theory of evolution) but for the most part it is bogus.

Nonetheless, at least they use some level of scientific facts an theories. These flat earth believers, on the other hand, do more then defy all other scientific studies and theories. They take a jack hammer to logic and common sense, break it up into minuscule bits, and steamroll over the pieces. To believe in a flat earth is to utterly ignore actual history, astronomy, physics, geology, meteorology, and probably all other schools of thought.

[Eldan]

Might make a good SMBG thread...


Done. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88151) :smalltongue:

[SilverSheriff]

These guys have just lost their right to use the Internet...

[Eldariel]

They probably missed the whole "Physics don't work that way!"-part. Oh, and the fact that taking pictures of matter that does not reflect light is impossible (the general argument against everything there seems to be "you can't show me!").

[Saithis Bladewing]

Can I sue for inciting too much heavy laughter and thus nearly asphyxiating?

[Zukhramm]

To me, the world might aswell be flat. Pictures can be faked, and so can horizons, and with enough money, anything else. I'm off to join their forum!!

[Arioch]

With regards to the debate about whether the site is a joke or not, the website itself is not a satire, but rather the last remnants of a dying organization. However, so many people have joined the forums as a joke that a great number of them no longer take it at all seriously.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Out of intrest, do they have a resonable answer to the south celestial pole, and why the same stars are in complete different positions in different locations on the earth, or, indeed, why some stars have only been visable in the south and others to the north?

Oh, that one is easy to explain. Its the samre reason one can't see Japan from the US in a Flat Earth Model.
Atmospherice particles, vapors, differetial heating and humidity would cause the radio waves to attenuate at refreact in numerous, complicated ways until they attenuate to zero.
Same reason you can't map out the entire ocean with one SONAR pulse.

[Storm Bringer]

... so how does that explain the South celestial Pole (http://k53.pbase.com/o6/82/431282/1/70431104.UZ3FQNNG.SouthCelestialPole.jpg)?

[Zukhramm]

Optical illusion.

[Storm Bringer]

explain it.

*evil grin*

[Thanatos 51-50]

Psh... easy.

Your camera was on the center of a roatating platform looking skyward.

~~~
In other news, I just read their "Estimate" for the Ice-Wall guards.

Assuming a FE model with an Ice-Wall, these people are so wrong its hilarious!

What about logistics, support?

What about the fact that there are over 300 people on a small warship?
Their "estimate" is a joke.

[chiasaur11]

... so how does that explain the South celestial Pole (http://k53.pbase.com/o6/82/431282/1/70431104.UZ3FQNNG.SouthCelestialPole.jpg)?

The Robot Devil put it there.
Spluh.

[Arioch]

The one that got me was:

"The equations of Special Relativity prevent an object from accelerating to the speed of light. Due to this restriction, these equations prove that an object can accelerate at a constant rate forever, and never reach the speed of light."

No, it doesn't. The speed of light in a vacuum does not move around. There are many reasons an object can't accelerate to the speed of light: friction, collisions and, if all else fails, good old time dilation. But it's the acceleration that changes, not the speed. If you accelerate at a constant rate forever, basic mathematics dictate that you will reach the speed of light and then exceed it. The point is that accelerating thus is impossible.