But it can't be gravity because we know empirically that gravity doesn't exist
From this I get the impression that you’re trolling FEers. I understand that impulse, but I’m trying to legitimately engage in a scientific discussion. I’ve actually learned quite a bit about relativity and the behavior of light from my research to facilitate discussion with Tom.
If I’m misjudging your intentions, I apologize, but it does seem obvious that the most simple explanation is that you have, in fact, proven the existence of gravity. So what empirical evidence could you possibly have that disproves it still when you’ve see its effects with your own eyes through your own experimentation?
If you’re trolling I admire your commitment to the bit. If you’re not, I very much respect your earnestness and your inquisitive mindset.
I will admit to being a tad frustrated.
I am not trolling. 100% of my efforts and interaction is intended to get closer to the truth in all things relating to flat earth. I'm trying to understand it inside and out. I want to be able to know what the truth is and be able to demonstrate it to anybody who doubts.
I'm sorry if I get too snippy sometimes.
The people who introduced me to flat earth are all very confident sounding. They say it all makes sense and experiments back it up and all that.
When I asked for best simple demonstrable proofs I could show my friends, they pop up right away. One says "The evidence is all around you! When you step off of a chair, what do you feel? Do you feel gravity pulling you down, or do you feel the earth coming up to meet you?" (I'm still trying to picture an adult even having that thought. It sounds like something a child would say.)
(And I mean in a way, it makes sense. During that free-fall moment, you do not feel any gravity, and are in fact weightless.)
Another says "Here is 50 pages of formulas that are ample proof." And so on and so forth.
And they have this attitude of "In our movement we value demonstration and are generally dismissive of those who make claims without reference to demonstration or the emperical evidence to back up those claims. We have higher standards for science than most people."
And one of the long time folks here did suggest that disproving gravity between terrestrial objects was a good proof.
So I figured "Hey, I'll give it a try."
So I did try, and try hard did I.
I tried a number of different things, refining my experiment because things like air currents, magnetic fields, and static electric forces were all hampering my efforts. I ultimately ended up with something rather similar to Cavendish.
But I was stuck with an apparent attraction between my lead weights.
And did the flat earth community help me? Here I am doing the very experiments they place a high level of importance on, and what do I get?
Well, first of all, all the globers get real friendly and helpful. What the tarzan? What do they know?
Imagine going to disprove gravity and ending up looking more like you proved it. And then, on top of it, getting no help from the flat earth community!
It's like even they don't believe it themselves.
So it turns out I don't get the results that flat earth theory says I should. And my fellow flat earthers are no help.
One tells me it's all an act -- an act? because I dare experiment?
Another tells me my experiment is too rinky dink.
And Mr. Bishop tells me that experiment should only be done in controlled laboratory settings. No suggestion on how to make it better or solve my strange result or understand what is happening, just basically tell me I shouldn't be doing it at home.
Do *they* even believe it?
So yeah. I'm a tad frustrated. The very people here right now who are telling you "In our movement we value demonstration.... We have higher standards for science than most people." are either ignoring my plight or telling me I shouldn't be doing this demonstration.
Can you understand my frustration? Doing an experiment to disprove gravity, only to have it look like you proved it, and have all your fellow flat earther's abandon you in your time of crisis?
With all this theme of "NASA is lies, we have the truth" I really expected the flat earth community to help me out, help me see what I'm doing wrong that's causing this false indication of gravity -- or if gravity exists, then to say "Hey, it looks like gravity does exist," -- but to just leave me out in the cold because I dared to experiment tells me they never believed their claims in the first place.
But I'll be fine, really. I have more experiments planned and hopefully those will be more successful in proving a flat earth.