What is this?! Hasn’t the Earth been PROVEN to be rotund?!
In Elementary School, we all learned that the Earth is spherical. There have been many experiments that have ‘proven’ this theory. But, have they really proven the theory of a rotund earth, or rather, disproved an older model of a flat earth (rectangular world)?
The Flat Earth Society is a group of people who believe the Earth is flat (so it’s not just a clever name!). This society originated around the time when Samuel Rowbotham (better known under the pseudonym ‘Parallax’) published Earth Not A Globe. Parallax believed that the Earth is flat and the continents lie on an infinite ocean (which somehow have a layer of fire beneath it). An infinite wilderness of ice and snow is believed to surround the planet (beyond the Antarctic Ocean). Furthermore, the planet is bordered by an immense (circular) ice-cliff, believed to be around 150 feet tall. So, you’re probably thinking that the Earth is now a flat plate, per se, floating around in space. Well, that’s sort of correct — the Earth is indeed a plate shape, but this ‘plate’ is placed upon an upside-down pyramid — together forming a top shaped object.
Many experiments have proven this theory to be true, but have been ignored and rejected because of the paradigm that Earth is round. Here are a few of them:
A boat, with a flag-staff, the top of the flag 5 feet above the surface of the water, was directed to sail from a place called “Welche’s Dam” (a well-known ferry passage), to another called “Welney Bridge.” These two points are six statute miles apart. The author, with a good telescope, went into the water; and with the eye about 8 inches above the surface, observed the receding boat during the whole period required to sail to Welney Bridge. The flag and the boat were distinctly visible throughout the whole distance! There could be no
mistake as to the distance passed over, as the man in charge of the boat had instructions to lift one of his oars to the top of the arch the moment he reached the bridge. The experiment commenced about three o’clock in the afternoon of a summer’s day, and the sun was shining brightly and nearly behind or against the boat during the whole of its passage. Every necessary condition had been fulfilled, and the result was to the last degree definite and satisfactory. The conclusion was unavoidable that the surface of the water for a length of six miles did not to any appreciable extent decline or curvate downwards from the line of sight. But if the earth is a globe, the surface of the six miles length of water would have been 6 feet higher in the centre than at the two extremities, as shown in diagram fig. 2; but as the telescope was only 8 inches above the
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On the shore near Waterloo, a few miles to the north of Liverpool, a good telescope was fixed, at an elevation of 6 feet above the water. It was directed to a large steamer, just leaving the River Mersey, and sailing out to Dublin. Gradually the mast-head of the receding vessel came nearer to the horizon, until, at length, after more than four hours had elapsed, it disappeared. The ordinary rate of sailing of the Dublin steamers was fully eight miles an hour; so that the vessel would be, at least, thirty-two miles distant when the mast-head came to the horizon. The 6 feet of elevation of the telescope would require three miles to be deducted for convexity, which would leave twenty-nine miles, the square of which, multiplied by 8 inches, gives 560 feet; deducting 80 feet for the height of the main-mast, and we find that, according to the doctrine of rotundity, the mast-head of the outward bound steamer should have been 480 feet below the horizon.
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The sea horizon, to whatever distance it extends to the right and left of an observer on land, always appears as a perfectly straight line. it appear to be straight as far as it extends, but it may be proved to be so by the following simple experiment. At any altitude above the sea-level, fix a long board–say from 6 to 12 or more feet in length–edgewise upon tripods. the upper edge be smooth, and perfectly levelled. On placing the eye behind and about the centre of the board B, B, and looking over it towards the sea, the distant horizon will be observed to run perfectly parallel with its upper edge. If the eye be now directed in an angular direction to the left and to the right,
there will be no difficulty in observing a length of ten to twenty miles, according to the altitude of the position; and this whole distance of twenty miles of sea horizon will be seen as a perfectly straight line. This would be impossible if the earth were a globe, and the water of the sea convex. Ten miles on each side would give a curvature of 66 feet (102 x 8 = 66 feet 8 inches), and instead of the horizon touching the board along its whole length, it would be seen to gradually decline from the centre C, and to be over 66 feet below the two extremities.
Still, there are some points that you could bring up to argue against a flat earth. What about the pictures taken from satellites in space? Some FE believes are convinced that they were staged in Hollywood, while others believe that light made our planet appear rotund. What about day and night? Our planet is believed to travel up and down, with the sun at a center point. When the Earth reaches the climax of its movement, it’s night, and when it is at the bottom of its movement, it is day time. When it is at the center (travelling up) it is sunset, and when it is at the center (travelling down) it is sunrise.
So, what do you think, Misc. Asst.? Is this some weird conspiracy theory? Do you still need more proof? Is the paradigm for a rotund Earth tricking your brain into automatically rejecting the theory? I, for one, believe that the Earth is undoubtedly flat. There is too much evidence that the Earth is not rotund. I may not believe all of the ideas of the Flat Earth Society, but I believe the general concept — the Earth is flat.
Source used: http://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/za/index.htm
You can visit there for other experiments (it doesn’t include every experiment performed, but it does include 15 of Parallax’ proofs).
December 13th, 2007 at 8:21 am
You are hilarious.
My favorite, from their website (emphasis mine):
“Welcome to the Flat Earth Society Homepage! Please, be our guest. Just sit back at your computer, and let us do the talking. We’ll tell you who we are, what we’re doing, and what we’re accomplishing in the world. You can look at some of our latest theories and insights, and, if you’re interested, you can even become an honorary member of the Flat Earth Society. So stick around.”
There’s even more hilarity at the site. Well worth a look. I, too, am beginning to believe the world is flat. And that this flat earth is only 6000 years old.
December 13th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
If the earth were flat, theories like this would push me over the icy, icy edge. I accept the theory of a flattening earth with regards to globalization. See Thomas Friedman. But the mere suggestion of a flat earth is as irrelevant as it is preposterous.
At least we can stop worrying about the melting ice caps and focus our attention on the “infinite wilderness of ice and snow.” I wonder if anything lives out there. Probably some tasty animals…