Do Some People Really Believe the Earth Is Flat?

[Mayerling]

They used to have a lot more members, but some have fallen off

There used to be a "hollow earth" group too. John Symmes was one of the proponents of the belief there were inhabitable places under the crust of the planet, and that it was peopled. His book about this area (entitled, like the book, "Symmesonia", had some literary influence. It's entrance and exit spots were supposed to be the North and South Pole Edgar Allan Poe set the stage for it's appearance in the South Pole in his only, unfinished novel, "The Narrative of A. Gordon Pym", and it laid the foundation for the plot of Jules Verne's "A Journey to the Center of the Earth." Martin Gilbert has a chapter on this belief and Symmes (as well as the "flat earthers" and their egomaniac leader Rev. Wilbur Voliva) in his book "In the Name of Science" which Dover Publications used to print. It's a fun book to read - he also talks about the "Atlantis and Mu" theories, and a wide variety of other theories (Velakofsky and his "mad" comet theories, "Bridey Murphy", etc.).

Jeff

[Sam Flynn]

There used to be a "hollow earth" group too. John Symmes was one of the proponents of the belief there were inhabitable places under the crust of the planet, and that it was peopled

A similar theory was championed in the latter half of the 20th Century by the eccentric Earl of Clancarty, who published a huge number of Flat/Hollow Earth, UFO, Atlantis and other "New-Agey" books under the name of Brinsley Le Poer Trench. I bought quite a few of them as a kid; completely bonkers, but a fun read for a 10 year-old nonetheless.

[Harry D]

I used to visit the FES forum for kicks. I'm convinced most of the members on there are trolls but there's probably a few genuine crackpots within their ranks.

[Svensson]

(apparently) well known rapper BoB is crowdfunding research to find proof that the earth is flat. I also like the BBC's spoiler alert here:

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-41399164

[John G]

Even in the Middle Ages people realised the earth was spherical. There's also the myth that Columbus thought the earth was flat; he didn't, however, he was concerned he might run out of food during his Atlantic voyage , due to a miscalculation of the size of the earth: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...=.a6f4fe3dc6f9

[GUT]

(apparently) well known rapper BoB is crowdfunding research to find proof that the earth is flat. I also like the BBC's spoiler alert here:

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-41399164

And I wonder how much will go into research and how much into pockets

[YomRippur]

There have been plenty of Youtube videos (such as this one) showing unedited captures by home-made rockets flying out to space and showing the round earth.

[Abby Normal]

I guess when they see something like a ship or building coming over the horizon they think its actually rising out of the earth? lol

[Karl]

There have been plenty of Youtube videos (such as this one) showing unedited captures by home-made rockets flying out to space and showing the round earth.

The curvature in that video is an optical illusion from the camera lens, though. Works with the lens of the eye as well: When you are on top of a mountain and gaze out on the horizon, it appears curved - even at very low altitudes. This is just an optical effect of the lens; it is not the actual curvature of the earth you see.

[Ginger]

(apparently) well known rapper BoB is crowdfunding research to find proof that the earth is flat. I also like the BBC's spoiler alert here:

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-41399164

So, how does he think his satellite is going to orbit a flat earth?

[Ginger]

Even in the Middle Ages people realised the earth was spherical.

Eratosthenes measured the circumference of the earth, it's orbital tilt, and calculated the distance to the sun about 2200 years ago.

[Svensson]

There have been plenty of Youtube videos (such as this one) showing unedited captures by home-made rockets flying out to space and showing the round earth.

Wow, must have cost at least $200,000, lol

[Svensson]

Eratosthenes measured the circumference of the earth, it's orbital tilt, and calculated the distance to the sun about 2200 years ago.

Just read the Wiki entry for this guy. He measured the earth's circumference (pretty accurately) using a stick and a dried up well

Who needs satellites and super-computers?

Or $200k....

[Abby Normal]

Eratosthenes measured the circumference of the earth, it's orbital tilt, and calculated the distance to the sun about 2200 years ago.

yup. he was a very smart dude.

[Svensson]

Okay, I have found definitive proof that the Earth is not flat. This is because the earth is actually hollow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3RSwtNbELM

Since a two dimensional object (i.e. a flat object), can not be hollow (a definite three-dimensional requirement), this prooves that the earth is not flat.

#suckitflatearthers