The theory follows from a mode of thought called the "Zetetic Method," an alternative to the scientific method, developed by a 19th-century flat-earther, in which sensory observations reign supreme. "Broadly, the method places a lot of emphasis on reconciling empiricism and rationalism, and making logical deductions based on empirical data," Flat Earth Society vice president Michael Wilmore, an Irishman, told Life's Little Mysteries. In Zetetic astronomy, the perception that Earth is flat leads to the deduction that it must actually be flat; the antimoon, NASA conspiracy and all the rest of it are just rationalizations for how that might work in practice. At its core, the flat earth theory can not be proved by science, because the theory itself is developed in an un-scientific method, being based around the idea that because something feels flat; then by extension it must be flat.

Even the most cursory historical survey shows that the idea that the Earth is flat has been a notion shared by an extraordinarily wide range of cultures and tied to vastly different metaphysical systems and cosmologies. However, from at least the 6th century BCE, the theory of the flat Earth began to fall out of favour. By the time we get to Aristotle in the 4th century BCE, the idea of a spherical Earth is commonplace, at least among the educated classes. And by the 1st Century BCE it is considered an uncontroversial truth. Having said that, the theory of a flat Earth has continued as a minor tradition in thought, like a handful of theories in science, such as Lamarckianism and vitalism.

Aristotle (who made quite a lot of observations about the spherical nature of the Earth) noticed that during lunar eclipses (when the Earth’s orbit places it directly between the Sun and the Moon, creating a shadow in the process), the shadow on the Moon’s surface is round. This shadow is the Earth’s, and it’s a great clue on the spherical shape of the Earth. Since the earth is rotating (see the “Foucault Pendulum” experiment for a definite proof, if you are doubtful), the consistent oval-shadow it produces in each and every lunar eclipse proves that the earth is not only round but spherical – absolutely, utterly, beyond a shadow of a doubt not flat. Furthermore, Aristotle noted after returning from a trip to Egypt, that “there are stars seen in Egypt and…Cyprus which are not seen in the northerly regions.” This phenomenon can only be explained if humans were viewing the stars from a round surface. Aristotle continued and claimed that the sphere of the Earth is “of no great size, for otherwise the effect of so slight a change of place would not be quickly apparent.” (De caelo, 298a2-10) The farther you go from the equator, the farther the ‘known’ constellations go towards the horizon, and are replaced by different stars. This would not have happened if the world was flat.

One of the counter arguments that flat earthers make in regards to the idea that the earth is a sphere, is that it that it's pretty well impossible to build anything in a straight line without accounting for the curvature. Now, we can clearly see from maps that, particularly in America, roads tend to follow strict, straight grid patterns, so how do round-earthers explain that if the ground isn't flat? Either surveyors, architects, cartographers and town planners are all in on the joke, or they're being brainwashed by their snooty "university educations".

Generally speaking, the curvature of the Earth isn't taken into account in most engineering projects, because the Earth is so large that the errors caused by it are so miniscule as to be negligible for the most part. Add to this the fact that structures that do cover a massive amount of ground, such as the highways that spread across the United States, don't actually trace a perfectly straight line for miles and miles, but are forced to make adjustments to account for geographical features and topography. This aside for a second, the most absurd thing about the argument that there are a few cases in which the curvature of the Earth is taken into account. The hero that brought us all proof of gravitational waves, LIGO, has arms so long that concrete had to be poured to very exact measurements to account for the curve (as complete accuracy here was far more important than the building of a road), and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was designed with this in mind because the curvature cause the tops of its towers to be 41.275 mm farther apart at the top than the bottom. Though flat-earthers would have you believe that they threw in those measurements just to throw off people.

So, the question remains, is there any scientific proof the earth is a sphere? Short answer yes. Long answer, oh my god it's math. Math makes my brain hurt, but it's there.

Many flat-earthers incorrectly cite the 8″ drop per mile squared formula, as supposed proof of the flat earth.

http://christianitybeliefs.org/end-times-deceptions/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/fe-arc-proof.gif

(note weird source, but the math checks out.)

You can read about how geodesy proves the globe earth in these free PDF’s:

https://archive.org/stream/geodesy00unkngoog#page/n12/mode/2up

https://archive.org/stream/ahistorydetermi00buttgoog#page/n172/mode/2up

You're welcome. I'm the resident skeptic here on the sub, and while many don't like me for it, in the case of things like this I think my research helps.

Brian Mullin is awesome. He is a structural engineer and his videos discussing the Flat Earth Theory are very thought provoking. For the skeptics who think that the Flat Earth Theory is nonsense, you need to take some time and do some serious research. You will be shocked at what you will learn.

I find it absolutely hilarious how expert astronomers will announce that they have discovered a planet 150,000 light years away, and they know more about the "new" planet than they do their own. (btw, I have a Physics Minor and Brian's math is correct)

.... annnnnnnnnnnd its flat

Would you like to open account with international geography? Okay let me just...

No, but i can prove(ide Evidence) we indeed have seen our spherical globe many many times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLl7oqdm_B8&t=243s

Note no fish eye, no CG(cmon, if you call CG on this you are done for the week) no cuts in film. Fuck these people "thought experimenting" you into mind numbness. Do research. Learn shit. Whats wrong with you? Sorry, didnt mean to get agressive there, just cmon dude, Flat earth is dumb, your heart knows it, your brain has been a bit, altered.

Kinda harsh on someone simply seeking truth for themselves, you haven't provided any evidence.

Harsh, severe, WTF ever, how much time and patience do you have for this shit? Its fucking dumb, you literally have to be sub human to not see this at first glance and go, dumb. Im not here to be PC or nice. This shit is simply distracting from workable problems on this planet right now. Then you got fkng rtrds saying the earth is flat, the sun is a cube and the hydrogen is actually antihydrogen. Fuck do you mean by harsh?@?

how much time and patience do you have for this shit? Its fucking dumb, you literally have to be sub human to not see this at first glance and go, dumb. Im not here to be PC or nice.

Well I am in the conspiracy sub. Where people discuss conspiracy and seek truth, some are on lower stages than others. There is no reason to be as harsh as you are with this hatred you have towards someone who is simply questioning what he's been taught to believe. I believe the only one who can have a pass at doing so is those who have been in outer space and viewed with their eyes the earth. I'm guessing your not one of them, they usually use people who are in control of their emotions for missions like that - or at least I would hope.

This shit is simply distracting from workable problems on this planet right now.

I would be very curious to hear what you think are "problems" on this planet.

Then you got fkng rtrds saying the earth is flat, the sun is a cube and the hydrogen is actually antihydrogen.

Then you have geniuses in the world of quantum physics considering our existence is a simulation or a holographic creation. Name call all you want, the greatest discoveries were done by the ridiculed.

Everyone is ridiculed at some point especially nowadays.

3#Lol Dont take Quantum physics at face value, it happens to be "whats In" right now and will be polished, scrutinized or collapsed over the next few decades. Theres alot of popularity keeping this field in the public eye, you know like katy perry. New born field, welcome to the info frontier of the interwebs.(P.S. big fan of the field, just a pragmatic observer)

2 Dont worry about my problems.

1 Flat FKNG ERTH... stages of growth? as in Cherynoble style genetic mutations? Some cats gotta be sent with the bad eggs to the furnace, though i think furnace three only fires on sundays...

Lol Dont take Quantum physics at face value

At this point I believe the wisest route for myself is to avoid taking advice from you.

Dont worry about my problems.

I DO.

Flat FKNG ERTH... stages of growth? as in Cherynoble style genetic mutations?

Again. What in the hell does this have to do with disproving flat earth?

1 Cute

2 Novel

3 Disprove? Disprove santa clause. A child may have a hard time with this, so please, take your time.

Disprove? Disprove santa clause. A child may have a hard time with this, so please, take your time.

Your the only one here trying to disprove something - the flat earth theory. So disprove it then? It shouldn't be that hard I know you got some good ideas but:

stages of growth? as in Cherynoble style genetic mutations

Isn't one of them

Why are my letters jumbo?

Your typing a pound symbol before the letters. On reddit that makes sentences big and bold.

TIL.

p.s. Why did my text get massive like that? I swear i havent been doping...

Well said. I'm so sick of this nonsense. Like fat shaming works. Lets start Flatshaming

I listen to a popular conspiracy podcast and the host is constantly almost every other episode bringing up flat earthers and saying how stupid they are and then he says: "alright now back to reptilian aliens and their agenda." Really is a downer to see people in fringe topic and open-minded social forums ridicule, judge, and attack these fellow truth seekers in a divisive way

Sorry, but I have engaged in serious research and discussion on this topic before but the logic and arguments are so flawed that everyone is becoming tired of it now.

And those who claim to seek real truth, don't see to care about the real harm this nonsense does to this forums reputation and credibility. Especially for newcomers.

Agree on lizards tho. Same problem

what are your thoughts on the holocaust?

how many died? 6 million? 10m? 2m?

how many jews?

Agreed.

I just try to make people laugh, too lol

FYI:

10 16:55-17:03 Wow look at that distant Column of Launch smoke still remaining in a Vacuum and what is that rocketing across the sky?

Atmosphere doesn't just "end". It kinda peters out the higher you get.

By an altitude of 20 kilometers, we have left behind nearly all of the clouds and weather systems we commonly experience, and are at the boundary of the ozone layer. We have left about 99 percent of our atmosphere behind by the time we reach this altitude. Above the tropopause-ozone layer boundary, we enter what was previously just called the 'stratosphere', but is actually a very complex physical environment. At 50 kilometers, the density of the atmosphere is a million times less than at the surface, and solar ultraviolet and x-rays can penetrate deeply to ionize and heat-up the oxygen and nitrogen atoms there. The inner edge of the ionospheric 'D-layer' is at this altitude, as is, too, the emission from the deepest-penetrating auroral displays. The density of free electrons continues to increase to 1 million electrons/cc by the time you reach 200 kilometers which marks the top edge of the ionospheric F2 layer, and the typical altitude of common auroral displays. At 200 km, the density of the atmosphere itself is 10 billion atoms/cc so it is a long way from the conditions we associate with interplanetary space at 10 - 100 atoms/cc!

Whatever the case, it's reasonable for a smoke (it's mostly water vapor, with the way rocket boosters work) to be visible there since you're still well below where the atmosphere has thinned.

Flat earth is dumb,

Actually, it is not dumb. There is more evidence proving that we don't live on a "spinning ball" than we do. But, everybody reacts like you have just done when first hearing about a "flat Earth". It sounds preposterous because we have been brainwashed to believe from the time we were born that we live on a spinning ball. Yet, there is no proof by any astronomer that we live on a spinning ball. It is nothing but a theory that is accepted as fact.

What is it you FE mongoloids think can be done about this? Say yes, the earth is not a planet, planets don't exist, there is no sun, no stars and no solar system. Then what? A telescope is a simple tool and does not lie to you. Buy one, look at the stars every night, and really think about what you are saying. Forget youtube and r/conspiracy. Use you eyes and amazing brains to figure the truth.

Planet Earth. This is only the accepted paradigm due to all the evidence. Everything is theory. You propose a theory with your evidence, then the theory is accepted by your peers and becomes accepted truth. Until another theory comes along.
There has to be an explanation for everything, not just a bit of it. So does this flat disc you believe in exist on the back of a magical space turtle?
Cause if its in anyway connected to religion, then this is nothing more than pathetic confirmation bias.

Flat Earthers should be euthanized.

Kill everyone who questions their reality. So kill science?

Radical Foolishness

what about ...

" dont kill people for thinking things"

i know it might be a nuts but think bout it...

If anyone has any questions KILL THEM!!!

" there are no stupid questions, there are just dead dissidents

radical is the correct word

what about 9/11-ers of the 'truth seeking' variety your honor ?

hopefully enough bullets to go around

Sorry, but I have engaged in serious research and discussion on this topic before but the logic and arguments are so flawed that everyone is becoming tired of it now.

And those who claim to seek real truth, don't see to care about the real harm this nonsense does to this forums reputation and credibility. Especially for newcomers.

Agree on lizards tho. Same problem