[gizmo910]

Since Tom and others insist on REers reading it, I am currently reading Earth Not A Globe via the "Library" link.

I must say, I am quite intrigued with the whole thing, given it was written in the 19th century.

I am sure I will have a few questions that arise from reading it, but one popped up for me on page labeled 53.

Rowbotham proposes that one could veritably prove a uni-polar flat earth map by measuring one degree longitude along the 45th parallel south. He goes on to assume that the result would be 20 miles longer than that of one degree longitude along the 45th parallel north. Has anyone done this "experiment" to prove/disprove this notion? I'm sure given the technology we have, it has easily been done, but given that all "modern" longitude measurements are done using global coordinates, this experiment would need to be performed "old school" to satisfy all parties. (Though, honestly, I haven't done any thorough research to find out.)

More to come...

[juner]

Since this isn't specific to FE questions but rather ENaG, I am moving to FED. This will allow for more in-depth discussion to take place that really isn't suited for Q&A.

[gizmo910]

Since this isn't specific to FE questions but rather ENaG, I am moving to FED. This will allow for more in-depth discussion to take place that really isn't suited for Q&A.

Fair enough. I was curious which one to post under. Thank you junker.

[Tom Bishop]

The PDF you linked is the First Edition. The Second Edition is here: http://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/za/za00.htm

[gizmo910]

Second Edition as in a revision of the original, or part 2?

Definitely a lot easier to read than the scanned format.

[Rounder]

Rowbotham proposes that one could veritably prove a uni-polar flat earth map by measuring one degree longitude along the 45th parallel south. He goes on to assume that the result would be 20 miles longer than that of one degree longitude along the 45th parallel north. Has anyone done this "experiment" to prove/disprove this notion? I'm sure given the technology we have, it has easily been done, but given that all "modern" longitude measurements are done using global coordinates, this experiment would need to be performed "old school" to satisfy all parties.

I don’t know if it has been done officially, but an easy means of dong so exists.  At roughly 46° south there is a small Argentinian town of Las Heras, through which a highway runs substantially east-to-west.  68.935° West longitude is a good starting point, from which one can drive west to an empanada shack at 70.023° west (Paraje el Pluma) with only a slight deviation from a directly western path.  That’s 1.088° over what Google Maps claims to be a 55 mile drive.  We can’t take their word for it, of course, but the empanada shack has positive reviews, as recent as three weeks ago as I write this, I’m sure the locals would know the distance.  Measuring the driving distance using a car odometer gets us away from accusations of “round earth system” errors, and direct observation of the sun angles would be required to confirm how many degrees have been traveled.  That’s about as “old school” as anyone could ask, short of stringing a calibrated measuring rope along the highway.

Going further south, we can repeat the experiment.  On a globe earth, degrees of longitude get closer together as you approach the south pole, on the north-centered flat earth they should get further apart.  There is a gas station at 68.458° West in San Sebastian, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina from which a highway runs due west.  The spot 55 miles west of there is at 69.750° West, or 1.292° away.  As expected on a globe, degrees are closer together.  Here again, we cannot take Google Maps word for it, but the experiment can be done.