Flat Earth: The Final Experiment

[Mythtaken]

For those who have a life and don't spend time reading or thinking about flat earth nonsense, There is an upcoming event called The Final Experiment. There's a link to the site below, but for the TLDR summary...

For a long time, one thing both Flat Earthers and normal people have agreed on is Antarctica holds the answers to the question of the shape of the earth. (Well, answers that Flat Earthers would accept, anyway). The main question is about the sun.

If the earth is a sphere, then the sun will remain visible above the horizon for 24hrs in the southern summer, just as it does in the Arctic. However, if the earth is a flat plain, with Antarctica being an ice wall surrounding it, then the sun will always appear to rise and set (It's all just perspective, according to flerfs). This has been widely accepted by Flat Earthers as final and clinching proof, because they have been confident in their belief that no one is allowed to go to Antarctica.

Now, a man from Colorado by the name of Will Duffy, has decided to do something about it. He has planned and funded an expedition to Antarctica this December to observe the sun and record what happens. He is inviting 24 Flat Earthers and 24 globe proponents to join him on the trip. Additionally, he is fully funding the trip for one Flat Earther and one globe proponent (at a cost of $31.000 per person).

You can read all the details at his site here: https://www.the-final-experiment.com/

There has been overwhelming support among globe proponents, and corresponding pandemonium in the flat earth camp. Flerfs are lining up to call out Mr. Duffy and his expedition as a fraud. Not one of them has agreed to accept the free trip and any of them who are mentioned as possible candidates are immediately discredited as "globe earth shills." Some are bending over backwards to come up with reasons why they now "expect" a 24hr sun in the Antarctic summer and how it will only prove the flat earth. Some are questioning the actual destination of the expedition, while others are questioning the very idea of a "sunset."

YouTube and TikTok are ablaze with entertaining flerfs trying to "reason" their way out of the problem without losing any of that money from their supporters. It's the best thing on TV these days.

 

[*SD*]

I haven't done a whole lot with the flerf vs globe debate, just dabbled a little over the years. Of the debates I've seen on the subject, the flerf side mainly consists of dumbassery of the highest order. Knee slappers like "Look! This water I'm pouring on this basketball won't stick to it! See! That's why the Earth is flat! If it were round like this basketball the water would fall off!"

Err, yeah water doesn't stick to most things regardless of shape. Water has adhesive properties but not to that degree, plus, for lack of a better way of putting it, the water is too "busy" being attracted to the fucking gigantic sphere you're STANDING ON rather than your tiny by comparison basketball.

Then you have, as you touched upon, the whole "If only we could go to Antarctica! That'll learn ya ya globetards!!" It's my (albeit limited) understanding that one can go to Antarctica, it's just that from memory there are some complications with doing so. I forget what they are now.

First I've heard of this new experiment you're speaking of but I hope it goes ahead. Not that it will change any flerfers mind of course. As you note, they're already getting their excuses in early. I think most of them are trolls anyway tbh.

 

[Mythtaken]

Yes, at one time, there were some restrictions on going to Antarctica, mostly to ensure the travelers were not going to do anything to destroy the ecosystem or hunt penguins, etc. Also they didn't want idiots that would need rescuing. Now, however, anyone can book a tour through a travel agent. It's fairly expensive, but many have gone.

There are still quite a few flat earthers who take the traditional "it looks flat to me" approach. However there is a move towards more investigative flerfing by a small number of them. One of the most famous was the late Bob Nodel who managed to procure a ring-laser gyroscope to demonstrate the reality of the flat earth. Unfortunately, despite all efforts on his part, the device insisted on registering a constant 15 degree per hour drift. Others include "Jeranism", who has conducted a number of experiments with lasers and lights, none of which managed to prove the expected flatness. And, of course, we now have my fellow countryman in Mikey Smith, who has performed many experiments, such as strapping a 1-metre level to a tripod and seeing no appreciable curve, or taking the temperature of the sun with a hand-held infra-red thermometer.

The latest flat-earth counter to the Final Experiment is that there will be a 24 hour sun because the globe proponents, along with NASA, will employ a sun simulator to fool onlookers. Apparently, some flerf happened on the mention of a "solar simulator" (a piece of lab equipment) and the story was born. No one can accuse flat earthers of not have an imagination.

 

[*SD*]

@Mythtaken - hehe! Check this out

 

[Mythtaken]

Dave McKeegan is awesome. I love his channel. He is the normal person (i.e., globe proponent) getting the free trip for the Final Experiment. A good choice, I think, as he is a professional photographer and can verify that all the photo/video work done there is legitimate. Of course flat earthers will never accept the results, but it's one more thing to help the uninformed from falling down that rabbit hole.

 

[*SD*]

I'd never heard of him until that video popped up in my YT feed, reminded me of this thread.

Like I said previously, it's not a topic I've spent a lot of time on, I'm generally more preoccupied with other subjects during my online time. Main reason being, I don't perceive that flerfers are taken seriously in the main, it's almost a niche topic that almost no one cares about. Flerfers will attract other flerfers, that's the way it goes, but I don't think they're any serious or credible threat to anything I would consider important.

I'm also aware that the minority are very vocal, and some have spent their entire career dedicated to or against the idea that Earth is flat. I just cringe (a word I rarely use in this context) when it steps into territory like "Antarctica!!!" and then subsequently smile when a challenge such as this is issued. I really hope it goes ahead, although for me it's mostly for the amusement it will bring.

 

[Mythtaken]

You're correct. Flat earthers are not taken seriously. I enjoy them for the laughs as well, but there is a more serious side to it that I think we should be worried about.

Flat earth is very much like the bottom tier of conspiracy theories. Flerfs are also, by necessity, space and science deniers. However, nearly all of them also believe in chemtrails and are anti-vaxxers (a few died for that belief). There are some who also believe in the mud flood theory and the efficacy of drinking and using urine for "health". Many of them are creationists and most have a general distrust for any sort of government or authority. There have been a few former flat earthers who have spoken about the depth of that conspiracy hole and how it ruined their lives and relationships with friends and family.

There's also something to the fact that some of what they spout actually sounds reasonable to the average person. There's really nothing wrong with a lot of the questions they ask about the earth and solar system, or about science in general. The problem comes in their inability to understand the answers to those questions. And that is an issue shared by a great many these days. Science has come so far, and has become so complex, that many feel unable to fully trust what they're told. It isn't helped much by the constant stream of "research" that pops up in the news, constantly changing what is or isn't good for us, or the sensationalised stories of distant worlds and possible alien life, base entirely on a line or two from a paper proposal or early findings.

This is the feeding ground for conspiracies like flat earth and it's getting far too easy for lay people to be caught up in it.

Scientist says to journalist, "All of my experiments are meaningless when you journalists take the information and data our of context."
Journalist writes, "Scientist claims all experiments are meanigless."

 

[*SD*]

general distrust for any sort of government or authority

With this, I can sympathise. But of course this isn't directly a consequence of being a flat earther, it just happens to coincide with it. Unless of course the reason they have a distrust for the Government is because the Government is generally not comprised of flat earthers

The problem comes in their inability to understand the answers to those questions.

I'm becoming very cynical as my years increase at an alarming rate. It's difficult for me to understand how someone can hold a position which has been categorically disproven, to them, for them, and still claim to maintain that position in the face of that disproof or falsification. I realise some people simply don't care what is true and what is not, but having observed the debate-bro variety of flat earthers off and on, I'd be more inclined to word it as an unwillingness rather than an inability to understand. Or perhaps even just feigning misunderstanding for the lolz. I know speculating on the intentions of others is dangerous, because motivation is notoriously difficult to prove in some cases, but I'm willing to say it anyway, there's a lot of overlap with, say, presuppers - to them it's just a game which, for some reason, they enjoy playing.

It isn't helped much by the constant stream of "research" that pops up in the news, constantly changing what is or isn't good for us

Yes, this is quite the problem.
Mondays headline - "Butter makes you live forever and cures cancer!"
Tuesdays headline - "Butter is toxic and will kill you INSTANTLY if you're even in the same room as some butter!"

I'm exaggerating somewhat, obviously, but probably not by such a hefty margin as someone unfamiliar with the problem might think.

 

[Mythtaken]

With this, I can sympathise.

I think most rational people have a healthy distrust of our elected professional politicians. Flat earthers go a bit farther, though. For them, the government is a willing participant in a massive psi-op designed to indoctrinate us and to perpetuate the idea of a globe earth, with NASA and the scientific community (which many have said is an extension of NASA) leading the way. When asked, none of them can articulate a rational purpose for this deception. Some have claimed it's to hide the huge tracts of fertile land beyond the Antarctic ice wall, and others believe it is to keep us from learning god is real.

It's difficult for me to understand how someone can hold a position which has been categorically disproven, to them, for them, and still claim to maintain that position in the face of that disproof or falsification.

I've struggled with that as well. I've come to the realization that flat earth isn't just about the shape of the planet. It is an entire belief system that forms the foundation of these people's lives and feeds a need to be special; to have access to this secret knowledge only given to a chosen few. It is a cult-like belief that cannot easily be shaken by fact or evidence.

Even some of the more rational flat earthers are coming to see this:

 

[he_who_is_nobody]

Flat earth is very much like the bottom tier of conspiracy theories. Flerfs are also, by necessity, space and science deniers. However, nearly all of them also believe in chemtrails and are anti-vaxxers (a few died for that belief). There are some who also believe in the mud flood theory and the efficacy of drinking and using urine for "health". Many of them are creationists and most have a general distrust for any sort of government or authority. There have been a few former flat earthers who have spoken about the depth of that conspiracy hole and how it ruined their lives and relationships with friends and family.

I've struggled with that as well. I've come to the realization that flat earth isn't just about the shape of the planet. It is an entire belief system that forms the foundation of these people's lives and feeds a need to be special; to have access to this secret knowledge only given to a chosen few. It is a cult-like belief that cannot easily be shaken by fact or evidence.

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