A Revolution Brewing, or Just Plain Anarchy?
If you listen carefully, you may hear small snaps, crackles and pops. It’s happening all around the globe. A growing number of flat-earthers are burning the books of Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton. More and more people are becoming aware of it. Traditional news outlets are making it known. YouTube is awash in it. The question of “why” is always foremost. How could it be that more and more presumably normal people are reverting back to ancient beliefs?
Most people have no time for what appears to be yet another culturally subdividing movement. But others, the inherently curious, would like some answers. Google says they are finding at least a few answers; their search engine reports finding 9,190,000 results for the keywords “flat earth” as of October 2017.
The Gleason Map is a Flat-Earther Map
Who are these “Flat-Earther People?”
Many online articles inaccurately describe “flat Earthers” as if they all belonged to the “Flat Earth Society.” This is shallow research. There are a number of Flat Earth Societies, not all with the same beliefs. Additionally, there are those who refuse to join any group and remain independent researchers. The bottom line is that there is no such thing as “the flat Earth people.”
A closer look at this recent trend reveals that the members of this congregation cannot be lumped into a single camp. They are as different as the religious denominations of Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian and Mennonite.
What they do have in common is a fundamental distrust of established science. That is to say, they are open-minded. They look for alternative viewpoints. They ask questions. Too many questions, many would say. That’s how revolutions start, but division and distrust does not often lead to success.
Diversity in Flat Earth Groups
| Name | Members | Date Formed | URL |
| International Flat Earth Society | 3500 | 1956-1997 | |
| The Flat Earth Society | 11,980 | 2007 | https://theflatearthsociety.org/home/ |
| Flat Earth Society (.org) | FaceBook group | 2017? | http://flatearthsociety.org/ |
| The Flat Earth Society | 500? | 2004 (URL-2013) | https://www.tfes.org/ |
| International Flat Earth Research Society | 3060 | 2015 | http://ifers.123.st/ |
The are various flat earth societies, all with similar (or the same) names. They have ebbed and flowed over the years, losing and then regaining members.
Mental Cases All?
Now statistics dictate that there are probably certifiable mental cases within this new flat earth movement, just as there are probably occasional mental cases within all movements and groups. So, to be fair, we should look at their ideas, logic and evidence and not the personalities associated with the flat earth concept.
Even so, many cannot escape the urge to focus on the psychological component. Some psychologists see the “flat Earth” mentality as a serious concern, suggesting it is a mental disorder stemming from a deep distrust of the conventional world. The problem with getting to the answer of “is this a new mental disorder or a scientific revolution?” is that the topic appears to create emotional distress on both sides. As a result, debaters for and against the flat earth often start with general put-downs and end up in profane yelling matches.
A Case Could Be Made
Perhaps the best way to bring a civil tone to the discussion and to really understand where these people are coming from is to present the issue before a judge and jury. Yes, a civil court proceeding is what is needed!
Bring the Evidence
Once in court, it is possible to discuss all the facts for and against the two theories: Heliocentric Model v. Geocentric Model (or specifically the flat and stationary model).
It may be a surprise to learn that this debate is not new. It has ebbed and flowed over the last 150 years! A man named Samual Rowbothum is one of the first to clearly specify evidence for a flat and stationary earth. His book, Zetetic Astronomy, is in the public domain. Other authors followed during the late 1800s. A 1922 book by Gerrald Hickson, Kings Dethroned, exposes some very convincing details on the fundamental flaws in the Copernican theory we now accept as fact. Unbeknownst to the general public, there have been many other books, scientific articles, and experiments that lend support to the flat earth model.
Who has the preponderance of evidence?
To get to the truth of the matter, it is necessary to clear away the personality and philosophical factors of the individual advocates, and look strictly at the evidence, both for and against the flat earth theory.
[]> Globe Theorists Focus on Mathematical Theory
[]> Advocates of the conventional Heliocentric model, almost always start their argument by pointing to the ancient experiment of Eratosthenes. However, that experiment was inherently flawed. (See the table below.)
Next, they explain how Copernicus enlightened the world with his Heliocentric model. Yet that model was pure theory in 1543 and has never been experimentally verified to this day. Even Einstein said there is no way optically to experimentally prove that the earth moves. The bottom line is that theoretical math proves the Heliocentric model can work to explain what we see around us, but it does not prove it actually exists and operates as claimed.
Did Eratosthenes Forget to Test all Variables?
| *** Assumptions built into the experiment *** Only one set can be tested at a time. |
||
| The Sun’s Distance: | Close? | ignored |
| Far away? | Eratosthenes picked this one | |
| Sun’s rays: | Straight/parallel? | Eratosthenes picked this one |
| Curved? | ignored | |
| Converging? | ignored | |
| Earth’s shape: | Flat? | ignored |
| Sphere concave? | ignored | |
| Sphere convex? | Eratosthenes picked this one | |
Flat-Earthers Focus on Observations
From the Flat-Earthers’ viewpoint, they depend on their first-hand observations. Insomuch as observation is a vital component of the scientific method, they observe and feel no motion under their feet. They see no curve, whether at 100,000 feet or at sea level. They test their observations with various lenses.
We Must Weigh the Evidence
Both cosmological models appear to have some convincing points. Einstein said as much when he stated,
“The two sentences: ‘the sun is a rest and the Earth moves, and the sun moves and the Earth is a rest,’ would simply mean two different conventions using two different coordinate systems.”
This statement is one straw the Flat-Earthers have latched onto. In addition, statements from other well-known physicists, such as the quote below by Edwin Hubble, give further inspiration to those supporting the re-emerging flat theory, to wit:
“Thus the density of the nebular distribution increases outwards, symmetrically in all directions, leaving the observer in a unique position. Such a favoured position, of course, is intolerable; moreover, it represents a discrepancy with the theory, because the theory postulates homogeneity.”
The evidence for and against both theories is complex, but worthy of examination. A court case is the ideal place to lay out the facts and that has been done in:
The Strange Case of Flat-Earther Elliot: A Modern Day Flat-Earther on Trial.
In this fictional court transcript Flat-Earther Elliot is accused of starting a scientific revolution after posting hundreds of YouTube videos on flat earth theory. He is arrested and committed to a mental ward for an unspecified mental disorder. In this short novel, find out how his defense attorney defends his client’s bizarre viewpoint.
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