[Skyx026]

Hi folks,

Obligatory Disclaimer:  I do not believe in a flat earth, based on a whole slew of reasons that probably don't interest you.  However, I am genuinely curious as to why you believe the earth is flat.  I'm not here to troll or flame you, nor am I here to change your minds.  I'm simply trying to understand.

I read the Flat Earth Wiki first as this site suggested, and I've come away with three questions from it that I was hoping you could clarify for me.

1. The Bedford Level Experiment section is word for word copy/pasted from Wikipedia (or the other way around, I'm not sure which).  However, it does not include any mention of atmospheric light refraction which is a known phenomena.  Do you as believers in a flat earth discount this phenomena, or it's applicability to this particular test?  How do you reconcile the flat earth theory with this flaw in the Bedford Level experiment?

2.  In the Flat Earth Wiki, it states that "The light of the sun is confined to a limited area and its light acts like a spotlight upon the earth."   However, there is no citation or link to further reading material on this claim.  What reason is there for this, rather than the sun being an omnidirectional light source?  If the sun shined on a specific part of a flat earth, there would need to be something directing that light towards that specific spot rather than shining equally over the face of a flat earth.  Could you please clarify and explain this to me?
Also, side note, how does this explain lunar phases as well?

3.  You state that Antarctica is in fact an ice wall that surrounds a flat earth, rather than a continent that can be traversed.  For this question, please forgive my horrific MS Paint skills (Apologies for the screenshot links, but these pictures were too large to attach to the post).

Is this not a claim that can be easily tested? If one were to start on the edge of the coast of Antarctica, and walk "inland" directly opposite the direction towards the ocean, eventually you would come to the other side of the continent, thus negating the premise of a wall.   If you were concerned about the walker getting disoriented and eventually moving in parallel with the coastline before he ended his trip on the "other side, there is a method to solve that as well. 
Imagine two separate points along the coastline, with a third point equidistant between them.  This third point in the middle would be the inland walker, and he would maintain his equidistant position between the two coastline points (which are not moving) as he walked using simple geometry to check his position as he travelled.
Test 1:  http://prntscr.com/hspj7d
Test 2:  http://prntscr.com/hspjm4

I suppose my question out of all that is this:  Has such a test been attempted by a flat earth believer, and if so what were the results.  If it has not been attempted, would there be people willing to attempt it (obviously with aircraft, for the reasons of better survivability in a harsh climate and also better instrumentation for confirming course and position).



Anyways, I look forward to hearing your replies.  Cheers!

[brinnbry022]

Hi folks,

Obligatory Disclaimer:  I do not believe in a flat earth, based on a whole slew of reasons that probably don't interest you.  However, I am genuinely curious as to why you believe the earth is flat.  I'm not here to troll or flame you, nor am I here to change your minds.  I'm simply trying to understand.

I dont blame you, we all want to understand

I read the Flat Earth Wiki first as this site suggested, and I've come away with three questions from it that I was hoping you could clarify for me.

1. The Bedford Level Experiment section is word for word copy/pasted from Wikipedia (or the other way around, I'm not sure which).  However, it does not include any mention of atmospheric light refraction which is a known phenomena.  Do you as believers in a flat earth discount this phenomena, or it's applicability to this particular test?  How do you reconcile the flat earth theory with this flaw in the Bedford Level experiment?

Generally, this phenomena is taken into account and thats why people have conducted tests away from bodies of water, along salt planes and using lasers instead at a higher starting point negating any impact light refraction could have, which means genuinely, nobody has yet found any curvature! 

2.  In the Flat Earth Wiki, it states that "The light of the sun is confined to a limited area and its light acts like a spotlight upon the earth."   However, there is no citation or link to further reading material on this claim.  What reason is there for this, rather than the sun being an omnidirectional light source?  If the sun shined on a specific part of a flat earth, there would need to be something directing that light towards that specific spot rather than shining equally over the face of a flat earth.  Could you please clarify and explain this to me?
Also, side note, how does this explain lunar phases as well?

Theres lots of videos on youtube that explains how this works, some have different ways of explaining it to others, watch a few and then choose which one makes more sense to you! I think I have seen them all, some take seasons into account ect...... so there are some pretty comprehensive explanations

3.  You state that Antarctica is in fact an ice wall that surrounds a flat earth, rather than a continent that can be traversed.  For this question, please forgive my horrific MS Paint skills (Apologies for the screenshot links, but these pictures were too large to attach to the post).

Is this not a claim that can be easily tested? If one were to start on the edge of the coast of Antarctica, and walk "inland" directly opposite the direction towards the ocean, eventually you would come to the other side of the continent, thus negating the premise of a wall.   If you were concerned about the walker getting disoriented and eventually moving in parallel with the coastline before he ended his trip on the "other side, there is a method to solve that as well. 
Imagine two separate points along the coastline, with a third point equidistant between them.  This third point in the middle would be the inland walker, and he would maintain his equidistant position between the two coastline points (which are not moving) as he walked using simple geometry to check his position as he travelled.
Test 1:  http://prntscr.com/hspj7d
Test 2:  http://prntscr.com/hspjm4

I suppose my question out of all that is this:  Has such a test been attempted by a flat earth believer, and if so what were the results.  If it has not been attempted, would there be people willing to attempt it (obviously with aircraft, for the reasons of better survivability in a harsh climate and also better instrumentation for confirming course and position).

I see what you mean by testing in that method, yes you are correct! you seem to understand it pretty well which puts you at a much higher intelligence then most newcomers well done! 

As for has anybody attempted it- well if you discount the people that fairly recently mysteriously went missing, NO. There has been plenty of attempts to go from one end to the other, there was that man who was doing it solo, he thought he had another 30 miles to go before he died, but there is belief that he found the wall, and could not find a way past it, he just kept navigating outside the wall until he died, could not find a way in,
 thats not my theory - but Ive seen it posted somewhere cannot think where though

Anyways, I look forward to hearing your replies.  Cheers!

Welcome to the forum too!

Keep asking questions until you are satisfied either way.

[Boodysaspie]

1. There's a famous double-slit experiment in physics which shows that an electron can be both a wave and a particle. If the Bedford Level experiment had any merit I'm sure it would be equally famous.

2. Have you ever seen a spotlight? Even though it isn't pointing at you, you can still see the side of it as the photons spill out. This doesn't happen to sunlight. Instead, it sets in the west as the Earth turns on its axis. You can see it disappearing over the horizon like a big orange ship.

Not only would you need an unknown mechanism to point and move the sun, you also need an explanation of how it has managed to give out so much light and heat for so long. What is it made of?

Isn't it strange that there's nothing in the Wiki so you're invited to pick a YT video "which makes more sense to you"? Pick your own truth 

3. A Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen, reached the South Pole in Dec 1911, 106 years ago. The ice wall is simply the edge of the ice shelf.

Please be careful with your calculations, as they assume that the two static posts are equal distance from the Pole and you may not be crossing at a right angle. As Amundsen knew, the best way to navigate the Earth (pre SatNav) is via the sun or stars.

[StinkyOne]

Generally, this phenomena is taken into account and thats why people have conducted tests away from bodies of water, along salt planes and using lasers instead at a higher starting point negating any impact light refraction could have, which means genuinely, nobody has yet found any curvature! 

This is completely false. The Bedford canal experiment was thrown into doubt when Wallace conducted the same experiment and saw the curve. Further, he had independent witnesses confirm the result. Every online video I have seen claiming this effect is a clear example of refraction.

[Skyx026]

Hi folks,

Obligatory Disclaimer:  I do not believe in a flat earth, based on a whole slew of reasons that probably don't interest you.  However, I am genuinely curious as to why you believe the earth is flat.  I'm not here to troll or flame you, nor am I here to change your minds.  I'm simply trying to understand.

I dont blame you, we all want to understand

I read the Flat Earth Wiki first as this site suggested, and I've come away with three questions from it that I was hoping you could clarify for me.

1. The Bedford Level Experiment section is word for word copy/pasted from Wikipedia (or the other way around, I'm not sure which).  However, it does not include any mention of atmospheric light refraction which is a known phenomena.  Do you as believers in a flat earth discount this phenomena, or it's applicability to this particular test?  How do you reconcile the flat earth theory with this flaw in the Bedford Level experiment?

Generally, this phenomena is taken into account and thats why people have conducted tests away from bodies of water, along salt planes and using lasers instead at a higher starting point negating any impact light refraction could have, which means genuinely, nobody has yet found any curvature! 

2.  In the Flat Earth Wiki, it states that "The light of the sun is confined to a limited area and its light acts like a spotlight upon the earth."   However, there is no citation or link to further reading material on this claim.  What reason is there for this, rather than the sun being an omnidirectional light source?  If the sun shined on a specific part of a flat earth, there would need to be something directing that light towards that specific spot rather than shining equally over the face of a flat earth.  Could you please clarify and explain this to me?
Also, side note, how does this explain lunar phases as well?

Theres lots of videos on youtube that explains how this works, some have different ways of explaining it to others, watch a few and then choose which one makes more sense to you! I think I have seen them all, some take seasons into account ect...... so there are some pretty comprehensive explanations

3.  You state that Antarctica is in fact an ice wall that surrounds a flat earth, rather than a continent that can be traversed.  For this question, please forgive my horrific MS Paint skills (Apologies for the screenshot links, but these pictures were too large to attach to the post).

Is this not a claim that can be easily tested? If one were to start on the edge of the coast of Antarctica, and walk "inland" directly opposite the direction towards the ocean, eventually you would come to the other side of the continent, thus negating the premise of a wall.   If you were concerned about the walker getting disoriented and eventually moving in parallel with the coastline before he ended his trip on the "other side, there is a method to solve that as well. 
Imagine two separate points along the coastline, with a third point equidistant between them.  This third point in the middle would be the inland walker, and he would maintain his equidistant position between the two coastline points (which are not moving) as he walked using simple geometry to check his position as he travelled.
Test 1:  http://prntscr.com/hspj7d
Test 2:  http://prntscr.com/hspjm4

I suppose my question out of all that is this:  Has such a test been attempted by a flat earth believer, and if so what were the results.  If it has not been attempted, would there be people willing to attempt it (obviously with aircraft, for the reasons of better survivability in a harsh climate and also better instrumentation for confirming course and position).

I see what you mean by testing in that method, yes you are correct! you seem to understand it pretty well which puts you at a much higher intelligence then most newcomers well done! 

As for has anybody attempted it- well if you discount the people that fairly recently mysteriously went missing, NO. There has been plenty of attempts to go from one end to the other, there was that man who was doing it solo, he thought he had another 30 miles to go before he died, but there is belief that he found the wall, and could not find a way past it, he just kept navigating outside the wall until he died, could not find a way in,
 thats not my theory - but Ive seen it posted somewhere cannot think where though

Anyways, I look forward to hearing your replies.  Cheers!

Welcome to the forum too!

Keep asking questions until you are satisfied either way.

Ok, so I've followed up on some of your points.  In order:

The Bedford Level Experiment was repeated several times with various methods, all of which showed curvature to the earth.  Could you please link me to one of the experiments you were referring to that showed no curvature?

Next, I looked at several youtube videos trying to explain the solar and lunar cycles according to the flat earth theory.  I couldn't reconcile any of them with critical thinking, common sense, or basic math.  I won't debate it, since this isn't the subforum for that, I'll simply ask again that you guys tell me the particular model that YOU believe in, so that I can understand which model is compelling enough to believe in.

Lastly, you mention a couple of isolated cases where an individual died or went missing.  I'm not familiar with either of these events, although it doesn't seem especially surprising that someone would die in such a harsh environment.  Regardless of those isolated events, there have been several documented cases where individuals (both civilian, scientist, and military) were able to navigate Antarctica successfully.  What reason do you as believers in a flat earth have for discounting these events?  Something must give you reason for doubt.

[Skyx026]

Also, new question I just thought of:

From what I understand, you folks also don't believe that space travel is real, that it's a NASA conspiracy.  IF that were true, how do you reconcile satellites?  Satellite radio, Satellite phones, GPS, etc.  How does all that work?

I mean, you can see with your naked eye when a satellite is passing overhead at night (or even in dusk/dawn light conditions).  Do you consider those to be high-altitude aircraft or something?

[Hmmm]

Skyx026, i didn't wanted to say this, but...is it hard to LURK on this forum before asking some 'templateful' questions, which have been (kinda) answered in other threads.

Use the search bar! Don't flood the forum.
Regular search
Advanced search

• When using 'Advanced search', untick these checkboxes from the "Choose a board to search in, or search all" part down below:
  
  • untick all in "The Flat Earth Society"
  • "Flat Earth Discussion Boards" -> untick "Flat Earth Information Repository"
  • "Flat Earth Discussion Boards" -> untick "Zetetic Council Board"
  • "Other Discussion Boards" -> untick everything, except "Science & Alternative Science"
  
  
  
  ...Are you a paid/hired/volunteered shil btw?? What are you doing here, and what's your "mission"? Why are you "pushing" specific questions?...I'm asking, in case. 

[Skyx026]

To answer your question, I did lurk.  And I checked the wiki.  And I tried to answer my questions by lurking before I made my post.  Unfortunately, the questions I've asked are not actually answered anywhere, and based on the responses I've been getting I believe that's because you guys don't have any answers.  Some of these topics are touched on, but with no definitive or even plausible answers.  You can't even agree with each other on different aspects of this "theory".

I would LOVE to be a paid shill in this endeavor, because that would mean I'm getting paid.  My "mission" here, as I stated, is to understand why you believe in a flat earth, because I actually cannot comprehend it.  Even my basic education in the physical sciences has given me a solid understanding of the "round earth".  Everything I've read in flat earth theory makes absolutely no sense when you scratch even a little beneath the surface.  But as I said, I'm not here to change your minds.  I only want to know what makes you guys choose to believe in a flat earth rather than a more rational viewpoint.  I came here with the thought that you guys would be able to explain to me something I missed in my research that would lend more credibility to your claims.

I really did come with an open mind.  But based on the responses thus far and the borderline paranoid reaction I've received, I shall simply leave you alone and continue to have to wonder what draws you guys to this way of thinking.

Cheers