Flat Earth one line debunks

[RayD]

2 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

They all laughed at Christopher Columbus when he said the World was round.

Dave

Reminds me of the Bob Monkhouse joke, "when I told my family I was going to be a Comedian they all laughed; well they're not laughing now" 

[Stub Mandrel]

16 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

They all laughed at Christopher Columbus when he said the World was round.

Dave

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_flat_Earth

[Ouroboros]

On 31 March 2018 at 21:57, Stub Mandrel said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_flat_Earth

I was going to make the same point that belief in a flat earth in pre-modern times has been exaggerated. 

[JohnSadlerAstro]

On the subject of Christopher Columbus and the globe, I always laugh when people say he proved the earth was round. Actually, what he accomplished would have been just as easy on a flat earth--unfortunately North America was in the way of him proving the earth was round.

I have heard it suggested that the "ignorance of the ancients" has been exaggerated in the last hundred years or so, possibly some of this came about through the Romanticised view of the middle ages in the mid 1800's?

[Whistlin Bob]

On 31/03/2018 at 11:54, Ouroboros said:

Part of me rather celebrates the fact that flat Earthers exist. I don't feel threatened by them at all. It's all part of the eccentricity of human existence. It would be a pity if such thinking were purged to the extent that only the consensus view was acceptable.

Likewise! And I think that's the core of this. To wander off into a different bit of science, we are not rational beings. We've evolved an especially big brain because it gave us an advantage in survival and as a by product we've developed the ability to observe, measure and communicate our surroundings to a far greater degree then other animals.

But we are still animals, and, at our core, our behaviour is driven by the same compulsions around food, mating, tribes and status as other apes.

The earth doesn't look round to me. It used to be mostly flat when I grew up in East Anglia, it's a bit lumpier now I live in the midlands, but it doesn't look a bit round. By saying it's flat I can find some like minded friends and by being rude about it to those outside our flat earth tribe I can gain kudos with the others in my tribe. And re-assure them that they are not alone.

Because, as a social animal, there is nothing worse than being alone.

How puny and unnatural is rationalism when compared with love and social acceptance?

[Pig]

Not sure about how love and social acceptance sneaks into it .... the earth is not flat and it has nothing to do with rationalism, it simply is not flat?

[Mr Spock]

The Earth is an oblate spheroid; a fact proven by numerous different methods.

These facts exist whether or not you choose to believe in them. If you choose not to believe them, that gives us all we need to know about your intellect and grasp of simple physics.

[Macavity]

I now discover it is all down to "Island Memetics"! Hey it sounded good?

As a kid, before the internet, even if my parents did not have "an education"
they likely KNEW that the earth was not flat? Whatever, I sense I had other
adults... teachers... who knew? (Popular TV programs... Books maybe...) 

Simply, I'd've had to go a LONG way to find someone with "weird" beliefs!
These days, whatever I *imagine* to be true, someone (many people) can 
be found with similar beliefs / conferences  -- A mere mouse click away!

These days there are also scientists (computer programmers, "hackers",
psychologists) who, for whatever reason, LIKE to "mess with our heads"? 
They flood the cyber world with random / plausible... nonsense. Judging
what is TRUE (signal) against background (noise) could be a challenge. 

[Thalestris24]

It was probably a spoof but a recent Flat Earth Society promo said it had 'members across the globe' haha

Louise

[rushy]

if the earth was flat i wouldnt have to put folded up beer mats under the table leg in the pub to stop it rocking!

[Whistlin Bob]

3 hours ago, Pig said:

Not sure about how love and social acceptance sneaks into it .... the earth is not flat and it has nothing to do with rationalism, it simply is not flat?

Obviously ?! 

But if you go back to the OP the question was about how you persuade people about this. As others have observed, you really can't because someone claiming to believe in a flat earth isn't doing so as a result of a careful and balanced consideration of facts and evidence, they're doing so to signal an identity and a mindset.

[Peter Drew]

We had a "FE" here a few months ago. He started his usual conversation with a teenage young lady who was here as part of a D-of-E Award scheme. Obviously an easy target. What he didn't know beforehand was that she is an exceptionally intelligent, and vocal student about to start an astrophysics degree. We've not seen him since!.     

[IanL]

7 hours ago, Macavity said:

These days there are also scientists (computer programmers, "hackers",

psychologists) who, for whatever reason, LIKE to "mess with our heads"? 
They flood the cyber world with random / plausible... nonsense. Judging
what is TRUE (signal) against background (noise) could be a challenge. 

Yeah they do it to increase tinfoil hat sales, but I'm guessing you already have one?

[Gina]

We shouldn't try to silence those who disagree with our science or beliefs or we could end up like people in George Orwel's 1984!!

[saac]

I bet it is entirely possible to live a happy and productive life without knowing or caring what shape the Earth is. I'd also hazard a guess that most of those who post on the internet re flat earth are doing so to be deliberately provocative; I think it's an anti-establishment thing similar to moon landing denial etc.  Good luck to them, I'm never sufficiently motivated to debate the issue with them,it just doesn't exercise me enough.

Jim 

[Alien 13]

I am happy with a flat earth or any other form, my TV screen is flat yet can still project 3D images, I am one of those that think that the whole universe is only a projection/hologram or some huge 3D game.

Alan

P.S. I am not a flat Earther just someone who believes that we dont have a clue as yet.

[saac]

Must admit Alan, I frequently find myself without a clue  

Jim 

[Stub Mandrel]

Flat earthers?

Push them off the edge, I say...

[Peter Drew]

Oooh, that's a bit unkind, they might get trampled by an elephant. 

[Demonperformer]

7 hours ago, Alien 13 said:

my TV screen is flat yet can still project 3D images

What amazes me is that so many people think the earth is 3D. Doesn't string theory require that it is at least 11-dimensional? [sorry to try to introduce the idea of 'science' to a thread about flat-earth]

[Macavity]

6 hours ago, IanL said:

Yeah they do it to increase tinfoil hat sales, but I'm guessing you already have one?

No "enemy" to fight, Ian? Kick the Cat? Just ideas for reasons  re. "Flat Earthers". 
So leave out the snarking! (NO "Tinfoil Hat", just regret re. getting involved?) 
One used to be able to avoid such nonsense in "Science" fora. Now it has spread 
to the Astro Lounge? Such threads never end well... or am I missing something?

If someone WANTS to troll Youtube trollers, go ahead and DO IT?! lol. I suppose
it might make one feel more "virtuous" (heroic even) to tell us all about it? Took
me all of 20 sec to do a Google Search and find *pages* of one-liners. In fairness,
I suppose, if only a ONE liner, one hasn't wasted too much of one's own time? 

P.S. In truth, without "clinical diagnostic abilities" (?) and direct experience of a
person involved, I have no TRUE idea what makes folks do / think stuff! Internet
discussions of such topics need us ALL to care: "Not with us, you're against us"!
Nope? You have reminded me that (now & 100%): "I DON'T CARE"! Thanks.

[bingevader]

11 hours ago, saac said:

I bet it is entirely possible to live a happy and productive life without knowing or caring what shape the Earth is.

Jim 

True.

When my wife worked in Birmingham (now this isn't a knock at Brummies, just an anecdote because it's a little way from the sea!  ), there were people who'd never left the city and a ward trip was organised each year to Barry Island in South Wales because it was the closest beach.

[Stub Mandrel]

5 hours ago, bingevader said:

When my wife worked in Birmingham (now this isn't a knock at Brummies, just an anecdote because it's a little way from the sea!  ), there were people who'd never left the city and a ward trip was organised each year to Barry Island in South Wales because it was the closest beach.

Poor deluded fools chasing another illusion... Borth is the closest beach to Brum.

(Barry born, married to Brummie, used to live a few miles from Borth...)

I knew a chap who wrote a song in the 8os - "Day Tripping in Dyfed":

We wandered further north, and ended up in Borth.

The place was full of Brummies, with round and hairy tummies.

[Jkulin]

On 3/30/2018 at 11:30, JohnSadlerAstro said:

Not many, i reckon. Imagine putting that on your personal statement! "I was a member of the flat earth society for several years!"

I noticed on the BBC a few days ago a vid of a guy who wants to see the world look round, so he is building a steam rocket. Unfortunately, his retired back (and weight! ) seemed to cause some issues when he landed. The rocket only got up to a coupla thousand feet anyway. He escaped serous injury but no golfing for a while.

Here is the link tot he news story, I howled when I watched his take off: -

https://news.sky.com/story/daredevil-mad-mike-hughes-blasts-off-in-homemade-steam-rocket-11303681

I can just imagine him being gobsmacked that it actually took off and then thinking, "Bloody Hell I never thought about landing the thing"

I have to work with a lot of red necks in the US every day and when I talk to them they really believe stuff like this

[ollypenrice]

If I ever I meet a flat earther I shall applaud their assertions, extol the virtues of the ancient wisdom and urge them to try such old remedies as purging themselves with mercury and having themselves trepanned.

Mods please note: since mercury attacks the central nervous system and trepanning exposes the brain, neither of these interventions would be harmful to a flat earther and SGL would be safe from prosecution...

Olly