Flat Earth Nonsense

[Laurens]

Okay so I have the unfortunate circumstance of having a good friend of mine turn around and start spouting flat earth stuff at me.

The thing is, to me the earth being round is such a given that I don't even know how to refute the flat earther arguments. One thing I did say though is that it makes no sense, why would the government go to great lengths to cover up a flat earth when it makes pretty much no difference to our political circumstances or day to day lives. If somehow someone did come along and say 'The world is actually cuboid' I'd probably be shocked for a bit and then get on with my life. At least other conspiracies have some kind of motive behind them.

So what do you say to refute someone who insists that the world is flat? Bearing in mind that Nasa photographs are not good enough apparently.

Edited for clarity

 

[WarK]

Strap them to a rocket.

CoolHardLogic did a series of vids debunking geocentrism. He shows what the consequences of geocentric system would be and how our observations would differ from what we actually observe. Not sure how well it'd be suited for refuting flat earth, though.

Here's a link to the playlist on YT:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmWeueTF8l82THrHwihtcmhQdjcBQBXjT

 

[Deleted member 619]

131 pages of comedy goodness, interspersed with static/flat earth wibble, moon-landing wibble, and much good debunking:

http://www.rationalskepticism.org/creationism/does-the-earth-spin-rotate-about-it-s-axis-t18861.html

 

[Visaki]

Martymer81 also did a few videos debunking Flat Earth which I thought were worth watching.

But all in all I'd just like to use this: The number of people required for the Flat Earth conspiracy to work is in the millions, even tens of millions easily. Just think of all the professions where everyone would have to in on it. Astronomers, of course, geologists, physicists, meteorogists, oceanologists, etc. That's just in science not counthing whole industries like air lines, satellite tracking, mobile phone, radio, TV, mining, space and all the others but the list goes on and on and on and on. We are talking about lots and LOTS of people that are lieing to the whole population of the planet for... what was the reason again?

 

[Laurens]

I did mention about there being different constellations in the northern and southern hemisphere, as well as the moon being flipped in the different hemispheres.

I've not had a reply for a while :lol:

 

[Dragan Glas]

Greetings,

You could point him to Eratosthenes, what he discovered, and how - and then get him to repeat the experiment.

You could also suggest he go on a world cruise - and watch lands (and harbours) slowly "sink" as they disappears over the ("non-existent") horizon.

Or, if he can't afford cruises, just suggest he visit a harbour or port and watch as the ships "sink" as they disappear over the horizon.

Kindest regards,

James

 

[Collecemall]

Does eyewitness testimony count? I've been around it.

 

[Laurens]

Does eyewitness testimony count? I've been around it.

How much were you paid by the freemasons to say that?

 

[Visaki]

How much were you paid by the freemasons to say that?

Not as much as they used to. I blame it on all these new youtube disinformation agents... I mean debunkers. They've driven the prices really low.

 

[Grumpy Santa]

If the only argument you have is conspiracy, then you have no argument. It's really that simple. I've noticed with flat-earthers that every time you point out evidence it's either photo-shopped or faked by some other means. (I was even told once that photos of the earth from the moon were photo-shopped.) You basically can't argue with them. Reason departed that station a long time ago.

 

[Laurens]

If the only argument you have is conspiracy, then you have no argument. It's really that simple. I've noticed with flat-earthers that every time you point out evidence it's either photo-shopped or faked by some other means. (I was even told once that photos of the earth from the moon were photo-shopped.) You basically can't argue with them. Reason departed that station a long time ago.

Yeah pretty much all lines of argument I've used have gone to 'yeah but that's not true'.

When I pointed out the constellations he went quiet for a bit and hasn't brought it up for a while. Hopefully that's his way of admitting he's wrong. It's a shame to see such a nice guy spouting such bollocks

 

[Grumpy Santa]

If the only argument you have is conspiracy, then you have no argument. It's really that simple. I've noticed with flat-earthers that every time you point out evidence it's either photo-shopped or faked by some other means. (I was even told once that photos of the earth from the moon were photo-shopped.) You basically can't argue with them. Reason departed that station a long time ago.

Yeah pretty much all lines of argument I've used have gone to 'yeah but that's not true'.

When I pointed out the constellations he went quiet for a bit and hasn't brought it up for a while. Hopefully that's his way of admitting he's wrong. It's a shame to see such a nice guy spouting such bollocks

Did you mention we have people on the ISS actually looking at the round earth, watching it spin beneath them? (There is no ISS, it's a hoax.)
Another one tied with the flat earthers is their claim that there is no gravity. It's all electromagnetic force or some crap.
Also the alleged dome above the earth. (This is why the ISS is impossible.) Look on YouTube, there's a video of a model rocket allegedly hitting the dome just hundreds of feet up. Brace for facepalm.

Welcome to the age of anti-intellectualism in the U.S.

 

[Collecemall]

I'm pretty sure there is a 24/7 cam on the ISS that streams.

EDIT: I think this is it. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/17074538

 

[ldmitruk]

Bill Nye has a response regarding the shape of the earth.
[showmore=Hey Bill Nye How Do We Know the Earth Is Round][/showmore]

 

[Visaki]

Did you mention we have people on the ISS actually looking at the round earth, watching it spin beneath them? (There is no ISS, it's a hoax.)
Another one tied with the flat earthers is their claim that there is no gravity. It's all electromagnetic force or some crap.
Also the alleged dome above the earth. (This is why the ISS is impossible.) Look on YouTube, there's a video of a model rocket allegedly hitting the dome just hundreds of feet up. Brace for facepalm.

Welcome to the age of anti-intellectualism in the U.S.

Well the numbers of conspirators just went up by freaking everyone that has ever been in a flying airplane.

 

[ldmitruk]

Did you mention we have people on the ISS actually looking at the round earth, watching it spin beneath them? (There is no ISS, it's a hoax.)
Another one tied with the flat earthers is their claim that there is no gravity. It's all electromagnetic force or some crap.
Also the alleged dome above the earth. (This is why the ISS is impossible.) Look on YouTube, there's a video of a model rocket allegedly hitting the dome just hundreds of feet up. Brace for facepalm.

Welcome to the age of anti-intellectualism in the U.S.

Well the numbers of conspirators just went up by freaking everyone that has ever been in a flying airplane.

I figure the conspiracy has been going on for a few centuries at least, propagated by a conspiracy of cartographers.

 

[Dragan Glas]

Greetings,

Although this is an old thread, it's an important topic due to the difficulty of addressing both Flat Earthers and Geo-centrists, since they refuse to accept evidence from modern technology - photos/videos from space, lasers bounced off a mirror on the Moon (no Moon landings!), etc.

So, all that one's left with is the naked eye and thinking.

Prof Dave has done a number of videos debunking these and other pseudo-scientific claims.

Here are a series of four videos he did to disprove a flat Earth without using science.

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Kindest regards,

James

 

[Mythtaken]

So what do you say to refute someone who insists that the world is flat?

You can't refute a flat earther, nor should you try. The only correct response to one is "prove it" and leave him to sputter. Their entire argument relies on their denial of any proof for the globe.

 

[We are Borg]

Most flat earthers have issues with the concept of a 3d world.

 

[Dragan Glas]

Greetings,

Flat-Earthers aren't an homogenous group.

Some are so due to being Creationists: believing that the biblical account - with its geocentrist cosmology - is literally true.

Others have a considerable distrust of the government, and take anything as evidence that the government is lying - a composite photo is not an actual photo, for example.

You can see this in the following discussion:



I think Prof Dave;s approach above is best.

Kindest regards,

James