Like other conspiracy theories it seems like people want to be in the special "in the know" club by eschewing what most people believe and latching on to what the quacks say. It's sad that access to the internet, which should make us smarter tends to make so many people believe in nonsense.
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Found Out My Friend is a Flat Earther Today...
- Thread starter Pinko Marx
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Actually, yes. A fisheye lens was used.
But that's only because he wasn't high enough and they wanted to exaggerate the effect. The earth is huge on human scales and you need to be higher to see the curve. Same idea being on the top of a mountain on a clear 50 mile visibility day.
Vermillion
Banned
Nah, religion is genuinely interesting even if you don't believe in it. Flat Earth? That's actually terrible. "Difference in opinion?" Nahhhh
Every time I hear somebody say something that is a fact is just a difference of opinion, I want to punch them in the face and say assault i just a difference of opinion.
ultratruman
Banned
This reminds me of a weird thing in arguments about evolution. Anti-evolution people often accept that small changes can occur to species (breeding dogs etc), but refuse to go to the end and accept that many small changes, over time, results in large changes.
If you accept that the earth is not flat but curved, what's so hard to believe about curving it a little bit more so the edges touch?
Yeah it's pretty clear with thing like :
Probably did it to make it more impressive, as high as it was, the curve it shows at times is actually more important than what people see from the ISS.
Since we are speaking about how we have clear examples which prove the earth isn't flat, we might as well use good ones ( and there is tons of them, heck someone could probably test it himself during sunset/sunrise by quickly taking an elevator if the building is tall enough ).
chillybright
Banned
Nahh. They are dull organized scams.
Cut him out of your life. People who reject reality need to be ostracized from society. There needs to be consequences to these beliefs or people will never change. Facts don't matter, making them realize they are a tiny group of people among billions of reasonable people might just do the trick to shock them out of their stupidity. Continuing to be friends with him normalizes his beliefs and sends the message its ok to be an idiot.
Captain Smoker
Member
So it's daytime in Los Angeles (3 am) and Moscow (1 pm) at the same time.You need to go deeper
genius.jpg
And moon should be illuminated always the same.
Vermillion
Banned
The philosophy and history of it is kinda awesome, actually.
Pie and Beans
Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
Hound him until he changes his 'beliefs'.
This is your mission OP. Do not, under the guise of "politeness" or an easy life, let it go. You can save this man that thinks you have calming cat energy.
This is your mission OP. Do not, under the guise of "politeness" or an easy life, let it go. You can save this man that thinks you have calming cat energy.
Apparently Eric Dubay is making money
He even has sick flat earth rhymes on sound cloud.
I wish I was kidding
Well flat earthers, the earth is curved but take solace in that the universe is flat!
http://www.space.com/34928-the-universe-is-flat-now-what.html
http://www.space.com/34928-the-universe-is-flat-now-what.html
hmmmdonuts
Neo Member
Ask your friend to get on a mountain at midnight and bring along a telescope, assuming he's in the US.
At midnight in the US, ask him if he can see the sun in the distance, shining over Australia.
At midnight in the US, ask him if he can see the sun in the distance, shining over Australia.
OfTheOverflow
Member
I thought people who say they're 'flat earthers' are just taking the piss? I guess when there's so many people, and leaders of the world, who don't believe in man-made climate change then nothing is off the table...
chillybright
Banned
Good for you then. I honestly find the "philosophy" to be way less entertaining mental gymnastics compared to flat/hollow earthers', as they barely have updated themselves for thousands of years and literally have receded into "god works in mysterious ways", while conspiracy nut jobs are always looking for latest "evidence" to validate themselves. Both are super dumb but one is hilarious.
Chuckie
Member
Yeah....how does the shadow on the moon change according to flath-earthers?
Also why do we have less light in the winter in Europe? Does the sun turn faster?
And why doesn't it have an effect round the equator... where the hours the sun shine stay about the same all year long?
...I take it you've never studied religion then?
(And I'm an atheist before anyone assumes otherwise)
Wolfgunblood Garopa
Member
The rapid spread in the belief in bizarre conspiracy theories is mostly a phenomenon of the internet. Individuals who do not understand the world around them, or have difficulty in understanding the nature of the world around them, look to alternatives to the understood world. This gives them a perceived upper hand over those who understand reality as it is understood through centuries of accepted knowledge. Believing in a conspiracy theory allows one to get the rush of being controversial on top of the feeling of superiority to the status quo.
The internet essentially provides the means to introduce and reinforce of all manner of bizarre ideas. Who better to prove a crazy idea than an anonymous online persona, who seems to have the same kind of authority as any other online persona. Ideas are on a level playing field. This phenomenon has changed the world, and now conspiracy theory peddlers on the internet have risen to become influential figures on the world stage, helping to elect a believer of conspiracy theories as President of the US.
The solution to this growing problem isn't going to be easy. Conspiracy theorists should not be given a forum to be debated alongside legitimate science and knowledge. The internet has shown that there is no exposing a crazy idea through debate- it only gains exposure to those who are looking for an intellectual retreat. It's a net positive for ignorance and anti-science.
It's like quicksand- the more you struggle against it, the deeper you sink. Debating crazy conspiracy nuts is like intentionally walking into the quicksand thinking you can just walk through it, proving the inadequacy of the quicksand.
The internet essentially provides the means to introduce and reinforce of all manner of bizarre ideas. Who better to prove a crazy idea than an anonymous online persona, who seems to have the same kind of authority as any other online persona. Ideas are on a level playing field. This phenomenon has changed the world, and now conspiracy theory peddlers on the internet have risen to become influential figures on the world stage, helping to elect a believer of conspiracy theories as President of the US.
The solution to this growing problem isn't going to be easy. Conspiracy theorists should not be given a forum to be debated alongside legitimate science and knowledge. The internet has shown that there is no exposing a crazy idea through debate- it only gains exposure to those who are looking for an intellectual retreat. It's a net positive for ignorance and anti-science.
It's like quicksand- the more you struggle against it, the deeper you sink. Debating crazy conspiracy nuts is like intentionally walking into the quicksand thinking you can just walk through it, proving the inadequacy of the quicksand.
Saint Gregory
Member
I always assumed this was some kind of troll belief movement, like the Pastafarians. How can anyo me seriously believe this? You don't even have to leave the Earth to see that it's round. Have these people never flown in a plane before?
That stuff would work in the flat earth pizza model too, though.
And those lines aren't mathematically parallel are they?
I mean they are basically longitudes.
Longitudes in contrast are parallel, hence it is a synonym for them.
nekkid
It doesn't matter who we are, what matters is our plan.
So is it also square?
The thing I don't understand is the reason people think any major science organisations would lie about the shape of the Earth. What's the point? What's in it for them?
evilromero
Member
I really do think it's connected to a larger issue inherent with the modern male identity crisis (aka masculinity in crisis). There's commonalities between these contrarian attitudes and other irrational, unreasonable beliefs or behaviors by men who may feel they are less and less able to express their male identity and as a substitute opt to assert themselves with highly disruptive ideologies.
I once broke up with a lady I was dating for a month because she admitted that she didn't believe in evolution. After an argument about it, I had to drop her.
But my career is in the biochem field, so it made no sense to stay with her. It's like if an astronaut's wife was a Flat Earther.
LordKasual
Banned
I think this is what happens when people are given access to too much information without knowing enough about the scientific method (or critical thinking, or whatever it is) to learn how to filter it correctly.
The key flaw in the way conspiracy theorists think is that they give equal creditability to everything...if it sounds convincing, they'll buy it wholesale and, ironically, at pretty much face value.
The key flaw in the way conspiracy theorists think is that they give equal creditability to everything...if it sounds convincing, they'll buy it wholesale and, ironically, at pretty much face value.
travisbickle
Member
â Narayan
Member
That video is absolutely amazing, by the way.
Oppo
Member
this is my favourite one. and the curved shadow of an eclipse.
and the reason most of humankind knew the earth was round for most of history.
Wait what? If the two people are a distance apart on the equator and walk towards one point, the north pole, aren't they making a triangle (however curved)? This would also work for the flat earth. There are more compelling arguments...
I like how this one part of the North Pole is 24/7 in the sun. Must be why the ice caps are melting #conspiracy
All Possible Ways
Member
It can't be any old line, but rather a line that is shortest distance between two points (the technical term is a geodesic). In a sphere these are segments along the lagest possible circles, like those along meridians or the equator. If two of these start parallel but then later cross, then the curvature is positive.
The thing is that on the (round) Earth, those lines start out parallel, but end up crossing. In the flat Earth they never are parallel. Or, if you want, it is also true that the triangle on the Flat Earth has internal angles adding up to 180 degrees, while on the curved Earth the internal angles will add up to more than 180 degrees.
People who subscribe to these kind of beliefs are openly promoting extreme ignorance and the rejection of every day facts. It's usually tied in directly with other "globalists" conspiracy theories that are born from heavy racism and bigotry. I don't think it's amusing. Anyone who believes the Earth is flat can get fucked.
Gravy Boat
Member
I couldn't be friends with someone who believed in a flat earth. It'd be like being friends with someone who doesn't believe in maths. If they believe in a flat earth, I'm sure theres no shortage of other nonsense they believe in that would come up too often for me to just ignore (see the OP, the same friend that believes in a flat earth also believes that cats can look like and have the same 'energy' as people).
blu
Wants the largest console games publisher to avoid Nintendo's platforms.
At their reproductive age? No-no-no-no-no-no.
Their answer is that there is a third completely dark object in the sky that partially blocks the moon and sun at times
Exactly. If everyone knew the earth was flat then they would know global warming is a myth.
The problem with this argument is you can't actually draw these lines to demonstrate it, so you're essentially saying "these parallel lines will meet because the earth is curved, and since they meet that proves the earth is curved".
Ok, so non-Euclidian geometry, which funny enough is what they cite as being the mathematical basis for the flat earth...
Hypothesis: Gravity isn't real
Experiment:
1. Have him walk to the street and hold his cell phone (preferably with no case on) in front his face and let go.
2. Observe
3. Analyze
4. Revisit (and if necessary) modify hypothesis
Experiment:
1. Have him walk to the street and hold his cell phone (preferably with no case on) in front his face and let go.
2. Observe
3. Analyze
4. Revisit (and if necessary) modify hypothesis
Took some time to look this up. Apparently the antarctic surrounds the outer rim and keeps the oceans in and no one's ever returned from going over the edge.
Gravy Boat
Member
Do you actually believe in a flat earth? If so can you explain how different climates work? Like, why is the only part of the earth that seemingly gets 24/7 sun exposure (according to that gif) a frozen wasteland? Why does the planet get hotter towards the middle, then cooler again towards the edge?
And the people who claim to have been and came back are all government shills who are in on the conspiracy. This is why it's such a frustrating belief, because any evidence that goes against it is faked by the government, and any scientist or person knowledgeable on the subject who speaks out against a flat earth is on the government pay roll. Literally anything that doesn't confirm their beliefs is dismissed as 'The government'.
Eh?
I know how you feel. Someone on my Facebook is constantly posting flat earth shit. I'm not sure what theory he believes though. He either thinks that there are ice walls at the edges of the Earth with government personnel stationed there to stop people getting to close to them, or he thinks that there is a giant dome surrounding the Earth that has never been penetrated, thus there are no satellites and we've never been to space, all the footage of astronauts on the ISS is fake and it's actually just people in water tanks. Yeah this is what he thinks I'm pretty sure:
Chmpocalypse
Blizzard
There is a tremendous amount of absolute stupidity in your post. My recommendation is to get educated, like yesterday.
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