Flat Earth easily debunked
I don't understand. I get that complex math equations are viewed by some as being clearly too complicated for the average person to understand. And I can understand how the incredibly dim might then see that as a potential hoax or conspiracy. But the problem is this; the near spherical nature of the Earth can be proven with INCREDIBLY simple tests as well. Ones which require no fancy mathematics.
One I read in a book for children (which I was reading to my 3 year old, not for myself) made a great case. While, before the discovery that the Earth was round, it was common to believe it to be flat, there were, nonetheless questions and observations. One which a flat Earth didn't support was that as ships sailed over the horizon, they disappeared from the bottom up, rather than simply shrinking uniformly until they were too small to see. Similarly, when ships returned, the sails became visible before the hull.
If the Earth were flat, as observers expected, ships should just appear to shrink until they become too small to see. And, through the use of things like telescopes and binoculars, it should be possible (given sufficient clarity) to see any ship, at any distance, which isn't obstructed by something like an island. The ONLY VIABLE explanation is that the surface of the Earth is curved.
Why is this the only viable answer? Take a container with an irregular shaped bottom and fill it with water. Despite the fact that the bottom is irregularly shaped, the water on the top is "flat". The ocean is, of course, the same. Because it is filled with water. Therefore we know that there aren't "pits" in the water for the ships to go deeper into and disappear bottom-up over the horizon.
The most viable explanation is gravity combined with a spherical surface. Gravity pulls the water evenly towards the center of gravity creating a spherical ocean.
Another example is time zones. Like the boats on the horizon, if all the world were flat, we would experience day time and night time at the same time globally. Sure, under such a system, it might be brighter and hotter at different times of the day depending on the supposed distance of the sun from the surface, but the sun should be more or less visible to everyone on Earth at the same time.
So, find someone you trust. Perhaps another Flat Earth believer and have one drive as far West and one as far East as possible. Then have a Skype call when one is experiencing night and the other day. Say.... 9PM Eastern in the fall. You'll have video proof that the person on the East coast, whom you also trust is experiencing night, while you are on the West coast experiencing late day time sun. At 6PM Pacific time, the sun should be MORE than high enough in the sky to quash any arguments that mountains are obstructing it. And that is just across 3 major time zones.
I've experienced this with my wife by the way. We live in Ontario (Eastern Time) and I've Skyped her from California (Western Time) after I finished work. This was not a test, it was just something I did while working by the way. It just happens to serve as a good personal example. I've also Skyped back home from Manchester. Trust me.
There is no tough math which "no one can understand". These are simple, observable tests with easy to understand results. I know not everyone lives near the ocean and that not everyone has bothered confirming time zone differences with friends or family who are distant. But surely... SURELY... everyone knows someone who can confirm these things for them.
One I read in a book for children (which I was reading to my 3 year old, not for myself) made a great case. While, before the discovery that the Earth was round, it was common to believe it to be flat, there were, nonetheless questions and observations. One which a flat Earth didn't support was that as ships sailed over the horizon, they disappeared from the bottom up, rather than simply shrinking uniformly until they were too small to see. Similarly, when ships returned, the sails became visible before the hull.
If the Earth were flat, as observers expected, ships should just appear to shrink until they become too small to see. And, through the use of things like telescopes and binoculars, it should be possible (given sufficient clarity) to see any ship, at any distance, which isn't obstructed by something like an island. The ONLY VIABLE explanation is that the surface of the Earth is curved.
Why is this the only viable answer? Take a container with an irregular shaped bottom and fill it with water. Despite the fact that the bottom is irregularly shaped, the water on the top is "flat". The ocean is, of course, the same. Because it is filled with water. Therefore we know that there aren't "pits" in the water for the ships to go deeper into and disappear bottom-up over the horizon.
The most viable explanation is gravity combined with a spherical surface. Gravity pulls the water evenly towards the center of gravity creating a spherical ocean.
Another example is time zones. Like the boats on the horizon, if all the world were flat, we would experience day time and night time at the same time globally. Sure, under such a system, it might be brighter and hotter at different times of the day depending on the supposed distance of the sun from the surface, but the sun should be more or less visible to everyone on Earth at the same time.
So, find someone you trust. Perhaps another Flat Earth believer and have one drive as far West and one as far East as possible. Then have a Skype call when one is experiencing night and the other day. Say.... 9PM Eastern in the fall. You'll have video proof that the person on the East coast, whom you also trust is experiencing night, while you are on the West coast experiencing late day time sun. At 6PM Pacific time, the sun should be MORE than high enough in the sky to quash any arguments that mountains are obstructing it. And that is just across 3 major time zones.
I've experienced this with my wife by the way. We live in Ontario (Eastern Time) and I've Skyped her from California (Western Time) after I finished work. This was not a test, it was just something I did while working by the way. It just happens to serve as a good personal example. I've also Skyped back home from Manchester. Trust me.
There is no tough math which "no one can understand". These are simple, observable tests with easy to understand results. I know not everyone lives near the ocean and that not everyone has bothered confirming time zone differences with friends or family who are distant. But surely... SURELY... everyone knows someone who can confirm these things for them.
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