TheTruthIsOnHere, I think it's easy to say that you need no formulas because you don't have to directly deal with the shape of the earth or the horizon to solve any real problems. For those who have to communicate, take measurements, or estimate distances of things on or beyond the horizon then solution formulas are needed. It has nothing to do with indoctrination. It has to do with real world scenarios where decisions need to be made, money will be spent, and solutions need to exist. The value of a model is based it's ability to explain, predict, and solve problems.
TruthIsOnHere,That's the difference between the fictional, imaginary, made up and unreal world of the so-called "flat earth" and the real world of the "round earth."
I will admit to being repetitive again.....But I will ask one more time....But how would you estimate the distance to the horizon if the earth was flat ? As, once again, as I have said so many times, that it is one of the basic things that lookouts in the Navy have to learn how to do.
For example, if you were in the Navy. Suppose an Officer asked you, "Sailor, do you see that ship on the horizon over there ? Now we're standing here on this deck about 36 feet above the water line. I want you to figure out how far away that ship is and give me your estimate. Then we'll take a look on the radar and see how close you are." This might be similar to an actual scenario of a training exercise for a lookout aboard a ship. What would your answer be ? I know what my answer would be.
OK , TruthIsOnHere.
I'll edit this one instead of doing another post.
So I ask you, again , point blank, this question : "If the earth was flat , how would you estimate the distance to the horizon ?"
Actually, I did this several times, but in a different way .I would go out on deck and spot a ship in the distance. Then I would go into C.I.C. and look at the radar to see how far away it was. I was not a lookout but a radar technician. I didn't know about that formula for estimating the distance visually at that time. That is one of the things I have learned on this website, which can be both educational and informative. If I had known how to do the visual estimate at that time, I might have learned something. :-)
Another edit.
And another thing I have learned.
You never stop learning.
A few of the things I have learned fairly recently ..... and just on this website alone.:
How to make a visual estimate of the distance to the horizon.
How astronomical observatories make accurate measurements of the distance from the earth to the moon by using laser beams aimed at reflectors on the moon placed there by astronauts on their moon landings.
How amateur radio amateur operators make the same measurements by bouncing radio signals off the moon in their "Moon Bounce" Operations...Admittedly not as precise as those of the astronomical observatories.