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Author Topic:   Flat Earth
Mission for Truth
Inactive Member


Message 1 of 19 (129358)
08-01-2004 4:52 PM


When people claim they believe the Earth is flat do they mean 'square' or 'circle' flat?
If they think it's square and has corners then wouldn't just looking up at the moon and seeing that it's at least round prove them wrong? Why do people still believe the Earth is flat??
I know a guy who is actually quite smart and he constantly beats me in chess (arghghhhh...) and despite his obvious wit he still thinks the Earth is flat and that we never went to the moon! Am I missing something or is he?
That is a rhetorical question by the way, I know I'm right. lol. But still, what the hell?!

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by Tony650, posted 08-01-2004 7:17 PM Mission for Truth has replied
 Message 5 by Rand Al'Thor, posted 08-01-2004 11:24 PM Mission for Truth has not replied
 Message 6 by NosyNed, posted 08-01-2004 11:45 PM Mission for Truth has not replied

  
Tony650
Member (Idle past 4032 days)
Posts: 450
From: Australia
Joined: 01-30-2004


Message 2 of 19 (129393)
08-01-2004 7:17 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Mission for Truth
08-01-2004 4:52 PM


Hey Mission!
I have always assumed that they would think it to be a circle, but then I can't really say I've ever given this specific question a lot of thought so...
I must say, I'm surprised to hear about your friend (acquaintance?); I thought the flat-earthers were pretty much extinct. I know the moon-hoax crowd are for real but are you sure this guy is serious about the Earth being flat?
Is he a member of the Flat Earth Society? I've been told that the only people in it now are there as a joke. I don't know if this is true, of course, but that's what I've heard.
In fact, it was some time back in this thread as I recall. If memory serves, I believe Sylas said that the last confirmed flat-earther was Charles K. Johnson, who was president of the society until his death.
Mission for Truth writes:
That is a rhetorical question by the way, I know I'm right.
Oh listen to the arrogance! You don't know any such thing you closed minded...Heh, just kidding.
Seriously though, are you sure this guy is for real? I'm not saying he isn't, I'm actually asking. I've never come across a flat-earther as far as I know so I wouldn't really know how to tell if they were sincere or not. It seems pretty unbelievable but as I said in the other thread, when it comes to what some people will believe, I stopped saying "never" a long time ago.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Mission for Truth, posted 08-01-2004 4:52 PM Mission for Truth has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 3 by coffee_addict, posted 08-01-2004 10:49 PM Tony650 has replied
 Message 12 by Mission for Truth, posted 08-02-2004 3:33 PM Tony650 has not replied

  
coffee_addict
Member (Idle past 477 days)
Posts: 3645
From: Indianapolis, IN
Joined: 03-29-2004


Message 3 of 19 (129436)
08-01-2004 10:49 PM
Reply to: Message 2 by Tony650
08-01-2004 7:17 PM


Desdamona was one of them, even though she tried to deny it after realizing how silly it was to the rest of us.

The Laminator
For goodness's sake, please vote Democrat this November!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by Tony650, posted 08-01-2004 7:17 PM Tony650 has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 4 by Tony650, posted 08-01-2004 11:14 PM coffee_addict has not replied

  
Tony650
Member (Idle past 4032 days)
Posts: 450
From: Australia
Joined: 01-30-2004


Message 4 of 19 (129444)
08-01-2004 11:14 PM
Reply to: Message 3 by coffee_addict
08-01-2004 10:49 PM


Des was a flat-earther? Seriously?
Well, I know she had some...uh...interesting perspectives on things but I must admit I missed that one. Perhaps by that stage I'd simply become numb to her posts and didn't take it in.
What did I say about never dismissing anything when it comes to the things that some people will believe?
Well, there you go; that's two of them...Anyone else?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 3 by coffee_addict, posted 08-01-2004 10:49 PM coffee_addict has not replied

  
Rand Al'Thor
Inactive Member


Message 5 of 19 (129448)
08-01-2004 11:24 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Mission for Truth
08-01-2004 4:52 PM


Why do people still believe the Earth is flat??
The same reason people still believe that evolution is false. Refusal to acknowledge reality and evidence that doesn't support their views.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Mission for Truth, posted 08-01-2004 4:52 PM Mission for Truth has not replied

  
NosyNed
Member
Posts: 8996
From: Canada
Joined: 04-04-2003


Message 6 of 19 (129456)
08-01-2004 11:45 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Mission for Truth
08-01-2004 4:52 PM


Reasons for being a flat earther
I'd bet that most if not all are simply trying to stick out a bit. This is an intellectual tattoo is all (though tattoos are a bit mainstream now I guess). They don't want to be in the mainstream. They want people to argue with them.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Mission for Truth, posted 08-01-2004 4:52 PM Mission for Truth has not replied

Replies to this message:
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coffee_addict
Member (Idle past 477 days)
Posts: 3645
From: Indianapolis, IN
Joined: 03-29-2004


Message 7 of 19 (129460)
08-02-2004 12:27 AM
Reply to: Message 6 by NosyNed
08-01-2004 11:45 PM


Re: Reasons for being a flat earther
I agree with Ned. There are only 3 reasons why you should think the Earth is flat:
1) You believe in the bible so much that even the description of the Earth being a "circle" overrides centuries of scientific progress in the matter.
2) You are an idiot.
3) You just want to attract some attention.

The Laminator
For goodness's sake, please vote Democrat this November!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 6 by NosyNed, posted 08-01-2004 11:45 PM NosyNed has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 8 by Andya Primanda, posted 08-02-2004 5:17 AM coffee_addict has replied
 Message 9 by Tony650, posted 08-02-2004 11:58 AM coffee_addict has not replied

  
Andya Primanda
Inactive Member


Message 8 of 19 (129485)
08-02-2004 5:17 AM
Reply to: Message 7 by coffee_addict
08-02-2004 12:27 AM


Re: Reasons for being a flat earther
Actually I have a net-acquaintance, a physicist, that said the earth IS flat, if we consider not just 3 dimensions but 4 (plus time). Now I don't know if he's committed to flat-earth because of some ideology or he really speaks the truth, but what do you think?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 7 by coffee_addict, posted 08-02-2004 12:27 AM coffee_addict has replied

Replies to this message:
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Tony650
Member (Idle past 4032 days)
Posts: 450
From: Australia
Joined: 01-30-2004


Message 9 of 19 (129546)
08-02-2004 11:58 AM
Reply to: Message 7 by coffee_addict
08-02-2004 12:27 AM


Re: Reasons for being a flat earther
Lam writes:
1) You believe in the bible so much that even the description of the Earth being a "circle" overrides centuries of scientific progress in the matter.
2) You are an idiot.
3) You just want to attract some attention.
Me: I'll lock in option number 2.
Host: Is that your final answer?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 7 by coffee_addict, posted 08-02-2004 12:27 AM coffee_addict has not replied

  
Tony650
Member (Idle past 4032 days)
Posts: 450
From: Australia
Joined: 01-30-2004


Message 10 of 19 (129550)
08-02-2004 12:07 PM
Reply to: Message 8 by Andya Primanda
08-02-2004 5:17 AM


Re: Reasons for being a flat earther
Andya Primanda writes:
Actually I have a net-acquaintance, a physicist, that said the earth IS flat, if we consider not just 3 dimensions but 4 (plus time). Now I don't know if he's committed to flat-earth because of some ideology or he really speaks the truth, but what do you think?
If you take into account more than our four dimensions of spacetime, then yes, the Earth is flat along the axis of the extra dimension (or dimensions). Excluding time for the sake of simplicity, the Earth is three dimensional. As such, it has zero size along the fourth dimensional axis and is therefore flat in that direction. Of course we have no perception of this flatness because we are unable to step out of the 3D confines of our space.
The way to understand higher dimensions is to come down a level. Instead of trying to imagine a 3D object's flatness in 4D space, visualize a 2D object's flatness in 3D space. The principle is exactly the same.
Two dimensional beings living in a 2D universe would have no perception of 3D space. Their planet would be two dimensional (a circle) but since they could only perceive their own space, they would only see the round part (the edge-on view) of their planet.
We however can see that their planet is flat in three dimensions by simply looking down on it from outside of their plane of existence. We can see it from a perspective that they never can. It has length and width but it lacks a third axis; it has zero size along the third perpendicular axis and is therefore flat in that direction even though the beings who live there are unable to comprehend it.
So it is with our planet.
We are confined to the three spatial dimensions of our universe. Therefore we can only see the round part of our three dimensional planet, which in four dimensions of space, is the edge-on view.
However four dimensional beings could see that our planet is flat in 4D space by simply looking "down" on it from outside of its three dimensional confines. They could see it from a perspective that we never can. It has length, width, and height but it lacks a fourth axis; it has zero size along the fourth perpendicular axis and is therefore flat in that direction even though the beings who live here (us ) are unable to comprehend it.
Hope this helps.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 8 by Andya Primanda, posted 08-02-2004 5:17 AM Andya Primanda has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 13 by Mission for Truth, posted 08-02-2004 3:37 PM Tony650 has replied

  
coffee_addict
Member (Idle past 477 days)
Posts: 3645
From: Indianapolis, IN
Joined: 03-29-2004


Message 11 of 19 (129819)
08-02-2004 2:30 PM
Reply to: Message 8 by Andya Primanda
08-02-2004 5:17 AM


Re: Reasons for being a flat earther
Yes, he is technically correct along that line. However, it depends on what you define "flat" as. The current generally accepted definition is something that only has 2 dimensions or a 3-D model that represents 2-D. For example, a piece of paper is a 3-D object but it figuratively represents a 2 dimensional object.
Your friend physicist was just playing around the definition of "flat".

The Laminator
For goodness's sake, please vote Democrat this November!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 8 by Andya Primanda, posted 08-02-2004 5:17 AM Andya Primanda has not replied

Replies to this message:
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Mission for Truth
Inactive Member


Message 12 of 19 (129829)
08-02-2004 3:33 PM
Reply to: Message 2 by Tony650
08-01-2004 7:17 PM


Yeah! He really is a flat-earther. He's a real person too, lol, not one of the internet. He smokes a lot of weed though so that may contribute to some kind of controversy-paranoia thing he has.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 2 by Tony650, posted 08-01-2004 7:17 PM Tony650 has not replied

  
Mission for Truth
Inactive Member


Message 13 of 19 (129830)
08-02-2004 3:37 PM
Reply to: Message 10 by Tony650
08-02-2004 12:07 PM


Re: Reasons for being a flat earther
That's a great explanation, thanks! Although, my friend isn't taking higher dimensions into account. He still thinks we haven't been to space so I have to give my proof with nothing that includes NASA or satillites.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 10 by Tony650, posted 08-02-2004 12:07 PM Tony650 has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 14 by jar, posted 08-02-2004 3:49 PM Mission for Truth has not replied
 Message 15 by sidelined, posted 08-02-2004 4:25 PM Mission for Truth has not replied
 Message 17 by Tony650, posted 08-02-2004 4:49 PM Mission for Truth has not replied
 Message 18 by Coragyps, posted 08-02-2004 5:00 PM Mission for Truth has not replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 394 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 14 of 19 (129833)
08-02-2004 3:49 PM
Reply to: Message 13 by Mission for Truth
08-02-2004 3:37 PM


Re: Reasons for being a flat earther
He might want to check out the retroreflectors that were left on the moon and are still being used today. IIRC, three US ones as well as some from France and Russia were left and at least one is still in daily use.
See here for some information
and here

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 13 by Mission for Truth, posted 08-02-2004 3:37 PM Mission for Truth has not replied

  
sidelined
Member (Idle past 5908 days)
Posts: 3435
From: Edmonton Alberta Canada
Joined: 08-30-2003


Message 15 of 19 (129839)
08-02-2004 4:25 PM
Reply to: Message 13 by Mission for Truth
08-02-2004 3:37 PM


Re: Reasons for being a flat earther
MTW
Does he have explanations for the deaths of astronauts aboared the shuttle and just where they were all the time they were in space?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 13 by Mission for Truth, posted 08-02-2004 3:37 PM Mission for Truth has not replied

  
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