{"id":269,"date":"2017-11-13T22:48:31","date_gmt":"2017-11-13T22:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/johneriksen.net\/blog\/?p=269"},"modified":"2019-08-14T00:08:20","modified_gmt":"2019-08-14T00:08:20","slug":"who-is-flat-earther-elliot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/johneriksen.net\/blog\/who-is-flat-earther-elliot\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is Flat-Earther Elliot?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Deeper Look at the Protagonist in the play:
\nThe Strange Case of Flat-Earther Elliot: A Modern Day Flat-Earther on Trial<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Only a year ago Flat-Earther Elliot was an aspiring engineer, working at a civil service job in a rural central Florida county. He was happy and engaged in his new job. Shortly after starting his job, he made an offer on a small farm house not far from his workplace. He planned to invest in a colony of honey bees because he liked bees and he heard it could bring a supplemental income without much work. His future looked bright.<\/p>\n

Things are different today. The world is different, all because Flat-Earther Elliot made a trip to Tennessee and slipped down the flat earth rabbit hole. Over the last year since that trip, his immersion into the flat earth perspective took him on many paths: scientific, philosophical, even spiritual. His view of life and the people around him has become forever altered.<\/p>\n

When Elliot first fell for the flat earth theory, he descended with all the other flat-earthers into a melting pot of personalities ranging from level-headed intellectuals to wild emotional ranters touting foul language and rhetoric supreme. But Elliot always focused on the factual evidence not the hype. He concentrated on scientific facts, and cautiously discarded simple declarative sentences rooted in untested assumptions. He always asked, \u201cwhy?\u201d \u201cwho said so?\u201d \u201cwhere is that written?\u201d or \u201cwhere\u2019s the evidence for that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Many people spoke out. Some were set in their ways, but some were open-minded and willing to listen. The most notable to Elliot of the people who spoke out for or against, were Brian Mullins, Rob Skiba, Glenn Hall, Zen Garcia, Carolyn Hamlett, B.o.B, Joe Rogan, Steve Quayle, Stan Deyo, Mark Sargent, Eric Dubay, and Neil Tyson. There were many others, some for and some against, and some curiously ignorant of the flat earth.<\/p>\n

Elliot listened carefully to what both camps said and often wondered why some were willing to listen to new ideas while other refused to ponder any alternatives. He wondered if the new flat-earthers were starting a scientific revolution, a revolution just like Thomas Kuhn talked about in his classic 1962 book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
Copernicus Supposed the World to be a Globe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Did not Copernicus create a scientific revolution in 1543 with his strange Heliocentric supposition? That fact attests to the possibility that established order can once again change, but of course change takes time. It took 100 years before the Copernican theory took hold in scientific circles. Personalities and politics do not change easily or quickly, if at all.<\/p>\n

As Elliot progressed along his mind-changing educational journey, his new avocation slowly became his new vocation. His graduation came one night while examining the writing of Gerrard Hickson\u2019s 1922 book, Kings Dethroned.<\/a><\/em> Elliot\u2019s door was suddenly smashed in by unknown authorities who boxed up and removed his computer and miscellaneous papers. He was drugged and committed to a mental ward to satisfy the state\u2019s Baker Act.<\/p>\n

With time to ponder his situation, he reflected on the fact that all of this would have never happened if he had not taken that long week-end off just over a year ago, a weekend to hike the Appalachian Trail. He liked to hike, but also knew a certain young lady frequently hiked along his favorite section of the AT.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So late last fall in hopes of striking up a long-distance friendship, he drove to the little town of Unicoi in eastern Tennessee. He followed route 107 to an access point leading to the trail. It was September and the through-hikers were long gone. After four hours of hiking uphill, he found the trail empty and no dream girl about. Crossing a creek, he studied a snapping turtle beneath the small bridge. Suddenly somebody in the forest said, \u201cyou better eat him before he eats you!\u201d<\/p>\n

He was surprised to see an old hermit in drab clothing sitting like a ghost on a tree stump. At first glance, Elliot thought this was a mental case.<\/p>\n

The old-timer looked up and said, \u201cwelcome, flat-Earther! I\u2019m Apostle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flat-Earther,<\/em> Elliot thought. He knew he had assumed correctly. This was a loose nut alone in the woods. In any case, he tried to be polite.<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Apostle, I\u2019m Elliot,\u201d he replied, out of breath from the steep hike up an incline they call Iron Mountain<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The old man seemed friendly and started a conversation spontaneously. \u201cHey flat-Earther, where would I go if I fell over the edge?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t fall off,\u201d Elliot laughed. \u201cYou\u2019re on a globe with gravity!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut even if I\u2019m on a globe, I should be falling off right now, or at least falling down due to the spin of the Earth,\u201d the old man replied.<\/p>\n

Elliot didn\u2019t know what to say. He thought the old geezer was kidding.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not kidding you,\u201d Apostle said. \u201cUnfortunately, we\u2019ve been conditioned to dismiss any talk of our earth\u2019s shape. You even mention flat earth and people laugh. But it\u2019s not really funny. It\u2019s sad, because all it takes to condition people are spherical images, complicated math, and a steady flow of indoctrination with classroom globes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Apostle pointed down the trail where he had a cabin close to the AT. \u201cCome on, since you\u2019re here I\u2019ll show you my place, it\u2019s a cabin just uphill over the curve.\u201d He laughed at his play on words.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

They passed a clearing created for wild edibles, such as ginseng, ramps, wild onions and wild spinach. Upon entering the so-called cabin, Elliot was shocked at the sparseness of it, not much more than a shack smelling of raw hardwood and drying herbs.<\/p>\n

Elliot removed his pack and found a seat in one of two large rocking chairs. A wood stove stood in one corner and was still warm from the night\u2019s fire. Apostle went to the stove and poured two cups of barley tea and gave one to Elliot.\u00a0A diploma beside the front window proclaimed the old man\u2019s real name, William Burt Carley, with the words:\u00a0Doctor of Philosophy in Physics<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Elliot\u2019s thoughts quickened. He had met a real eccentric. For thousands of years people thought the Earth was flat. But those people never flew to space and discovered the curvature of the Earth. Their misperceptions were understandable, but how could anyone today continue to think the earth was flat?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Apostle sipped his tea carefully. \u201cI have an interest in deception,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cThe system has its secrets. Our duty is to\u00a0test our beliefs and speak the truth as we see it \u2014 observe, make notes, devise simple tests, repeat, discuss, and also build consensus with the thoughts and tests of others. Here\u2019s my hypothesis: the Earth is flat!\u201d<\/p>\n

Elliot was also a student of physics and so he had to ask, \u201cWhat makes you believe your hypothesis is correct?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBelieve it\u2019s correct? I can prove it\u2019s correct,\u201d Apostle said, then added, \u201cor at least make a darn good case for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elliot had to challenge him. \u201cWhat about the satellite phones and cell phones and GPS that depend on satellites that orbit the earth?\u201d<\/p>\n

Apostle shook his head. \u201cLORAN is an old ground-based technology using triangulation that started us off with long-distance communication. I call it LORAN with the GPS brand<\/a>. Bell<\/a> already had a good multi-carrier, long-distance system with coaxial and microwave back in the forties! \u00a0Now underwater fiber optic cables, cell towers and aircraft using the same triangulation can give us what we need. GPS is all ground-based<\/a>. Of course, it can bounce off things higher up–AWACS, balloons, and such but it\u2019s all been ground-based since the early 1900s<\/a>. Yes, there could be a few temporary satellites, but they are only fairly low gas balloons, no way are they at 22,000 miles out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo disrespect,\u201d Elliot said, \u201cbut what about science? Science proves we live on a spinning globe tilted at 23 degrees! We\u2019ve got the seasons, day and night!\u201d<\/p>\n

Apostle shook his head again. \u201cActually, there is hidden scientific evidence that we do not live on a globe! Read up on George Airy, also the Morley and Michelson experiments. Much of their work is never taught in universities, never even mentioned.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you explain the work of Copernicus? The globe has been around for centuries!\u201d<\/p>\n

The old man replied, \u201cActually we have an even longer history of ancient maps of the flat earth. Even today the USGS uses the Azimuthal Equidistant map \u2014 the same map that is displayed on the United Nations flag and in their auditorium, a flat-earth map, an ancient map.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if the Earth is flat, then where\u2019s the edge? Why don\u2019t we fall off at some point?\u201d Elliot asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody can fall off. The continent of Antarctica surrounds the edge with a 200 foot wall of ice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elliot was momentarily speechless. \u201cOK, but we\u2019ve got airplanes. Someone would have found the edge by now!\u201d<\/p>\n

Apostle paused and then admitted, \u201cSomeone may have, but they make it difficult for all of us. The U.S. military enforces a no trespassing policy on most of Antarctica. No air travel is allowed, except to a small tourist destination just below Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands.”<\/p>\n

He sipped his tea and went on, “It\u2019s funny because back in 1954 Admiral Byrd claimed Antarctica was bigger than the U.S. and loaded with natural resources, but look now . . . no single country claims it or uses it. It makes no sense \u2014 until you think \u201cflat earth\u201d boundary, a portal to the unknown.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"1696<\/a>
1696 Planisphere French Map<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cOK, assuming Antarctica is the edge of the earth, it\u2019s off limits, that would be natural, but explorers . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Apostle interjected, \u201cAnd why do you suppose planes can\u2019t fly direct routes in the southern hemisphere? For example, from Sidney directly to Santiago? They say they do have some planes scheduled for non-stop routes, but actually there are no such direct \u201cglobal\u201d flights within the southern hemisphere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo how to planes get from Sidney to Santiago?\u201d Elliot asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at the flat map of the United Nations,\u201d Apostle said. \u201cSidney is on the opposite side of the earth from Santiago, so a plane would pass near Los Angles on its way. The most direct routes are actually the routes they take. They go over Los Angles, or stop there or Canada, because North America is between Sidney and Santiago.\u201d He studied Elliot\u2019s reaction and then said, \u201cthe globe is not an accurate depiction of the Earth–the Earth is flat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elliot wanted to change the subject.\u00a0Looking out the small cabin window, he thought of the time he flew to Ft. Lauderdale for spring break. Lounging on the beach, he remembered seeing huge cruise liners moving out to sea, toward the Bahamas, eventually disappearing over the horizon. That\u2019s the proof, he thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cShips disappear below the horizon!\u201d he exclaimed to Apostle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s your proof of a globe?\u201d Apostle laughed. \u201cHave you heard of the vanishing point?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, so?\u201d Elliot answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s in your human perception that things vanish at infinity. Compounded by the fact that multiple layers of waves and sea spray accumulate with distance, a ship seems to sink below the horizon to the naked eye. Yet it does not. Take an inexpensive telescope, or a 10x zoom on your iPhone \u2014 you\u2019ll see the whole ship again. It\u2019s the same with lighthouses. Their lights are seen over a hundred miles out to sea, but according to Pythagorean theory no lighthouse should be visible at those distances.\u201d<\/p>\n

Apostle sipped his tea and smiled. \u201cHere\u2019s a globe experiment for you. You observe that it\u2019s 12 noon on 1 September of any given year and it is indeed daytime. You set a clock and wait exactly 6 months. At the same time of 12 noon, you observe that it daytime. From your experiment, it should be dark and midnight. Why is it daytime and not midnight?<\/p>\n

\u201cThat seems obvious to me,\u201d Elliot said. \u201cBecause if you wait exactly 6 months, that\u2019s 180 days. 180 x 24 hours will be a lot of hours but end up being the same hour of the day six months later, 12 noon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou forgot one thing,\u201d Apostle countered. \u201cOn your globe, after 6 months you\u2019re on the opposite side of the Sun. . . so now you\u2019re facing away from the Sun at 12 noon, as your rotations were 360 degrees 180 times. Obviously you will be facing space, away from the Sun. It will be dark. Try the experiment with your own body as the Earth and revolve and rotate around an imaginary Sun. This should be a simple proof that we are not on a globe, but people don\u2019t think that far out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elliot agreed to try the experiment later. Then Apostle motioned him to come to the back of the cabin. They went out the back door and entered another cabin. Between the cabins, a brown pit dog was chained to a post. \u201cThis is my kitchen. Try some of my Kennebecs and black beans,\u201d Apostle offered.<\/p>\n

Elliot sat down at the kitchen table. “Okay, I’ll give you a clue to the globe problem,” Apostle continued. \u201cIt’s a problem because the 24 hour day doesn’t fit nicely within the annual calendar we use. With the 24 hour day we are always out of sync with the overall calendar. That’s why you would realize by the experiment that noon turns into midnight in the experiment. So to explain this little slip up, they made up an ad hoc theory that the real day is a sidereal day of 23 hours and 56 minutes. This seems to correct the problem because 180 days of missing 4 minutes per day equals 12 hours after six months. So everything looks hunky dory, until you figure you’re going to end up with 366 days each year…and that’s not how our calendar works. See the system is broken. We\u2019re obviously not in a heliocentric system.”<\/p>\n

\"\"“Looks like the devil’s in the details,” Elliot said.<\/p>\n

Elliot continued to sample his hot bowl of beans and potatoes. He was curious to know if NASA\u2019s long history of space travel would stump Apostle. \u201cI\u2019m guessing you do not believe the U.S. landed men on the moon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot likely, Apostle replied. \u201cNASA is not what you think it is. I worked for government contractors back in the 70s \u2014 everything was SCI, secret compartmentalized information projects. Knowledge is subdivided and people are under oaths of secrecy. They don\u2019t connect the dots to see the overall mission. Compartmentalization is their way to keep secrets,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why would they fake the moon landings?\u201d Elliot demanded.<\/p>\n

Apostle explained, \u201cIf the Earth is flat, then the solar system is not the system they say it is. The moon resides inside the firmament much closer to Earth than they tell us. Is it an operational base? Who knows? But it does not reflect any light. It creates its own light based on harmonics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s pretty far out!\u201d Elliot said, trying not to laugh.<\/p>\n

The brown dog started barking outside. Apostle reached over and picked up a shotgun leaning near the back door. He yanked back on the fore grip and chambered a round, then stood silently watching the dog crawl under the porch. \u201cI\u2019m the police chief, fire chief and doctor around here. That dog\u2019s got a good ear, but he doesn\u2019t know a green hiker from a crazy hillbilly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Apostle put the shotgun back in its place and continued his thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a sad fact, but the moon landing pictures are faked. Everyone\u2019s seen the LEM sitting on the moon. Why is there no crater or disturbance below it from the LEM\u2019s engines? Why no dust on any part of the LEM, but plenty of astronaut footprints in the loose soil? he quizzed.<\/p>\n

He continued, \u201cIf you read the book Who Built the Moon<\/em> you\u2019ll learn that the moon is an artificial structure. Why do you think it never rotates? It\u2019s a powerful electromagnetic computer, a mediating and monitoring device in the sky, a perpetual clock.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t deny NASA has lots of photos of Earth from space,\u201d Elliot offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, NASA makes a lot of videos and graphics. None are actual photography and they admit that. NASA is like a movie studio when you think of it. They shoot rockets into low circular paths, and make animated graphics. They never show the actual flight path of the entire flight, except via studio graphics.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re saying all NASA photos are fake?\u201d Elliot asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYep, if you tell a lie, you\u2019re best off if you tell a big one. I\u2019m not saying they don\u2019t shoot rockets, or take real pictures of Earth from high altitude aircraft. I\u2019m saying they fake photos with different techniques. Fish-eye or wide angle lenses will put a curve on the otherwise flat horizon. Photoshop can do wonders for dressing up graphics or creating them from scratch,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK, there\u2019s probably some truth to that, but Buzz Aldrin says he\u2019s been to the moon,\u201d Elliot stressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, what else can he say, but he\u2019s got no proof. Even NASA won\u2019t stand behind him, having destroyed all technical records of the Saturn 5 rocket,\u201d Apostle said, smiling.<\/p>\n

Apostle continued with many fascinating insights on the delicacies of the Copernican model,l the moon missions and the lack of hard evidence thereof, then said flatly, “Yes, there are assumptive proofs of the Heliocentric model, but no, there are no conclusive scientific tests in the history of science that prove the Earth rotates or revolves around the sun.<\/p>\n

Was the old man crazy? Elliot had to find out. As a consequence, a year later Elliot was being held<\/a> for incompetence and being a threat to public safety.<\/p>\n

On to the trial:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Strange Case of Flat-Earther Elliot : A Modern Day Flat-Earther on Trial<\/a>
\nby John Eriksen<\/p>\n