# What is the point to flat earth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 31, 2017, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748 "2017-05-31T00:57:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![CheaderHeddar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@CheaderHeddar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheaderHeddar)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/121 "2017-06-06T16:05:25Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Recently, I read of a guy who triumphantly proved that the Earth is flat by taking a carpenter’s level on a plane flight to show that cruising was always level: if the Earth were not flat, the pilot would have to keep changing the attitude (dip the nose) to adjust for the curvature, which should show up on the level. What I don’t get is that the carpenter wouldn’t need a plane to see this, a carpenter’s level on a car or a boat would show the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![bikerdruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@bikerdruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bikerdruid)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/122 "2017-06-06T16:07:34Z")
NO point at all. The very idea of a flat earth is stupid. Really. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/123 "2017-06-07T18:30:25Z")
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos would [beg to differ](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-schlarmann/betsy-devos-orders-immediate-flattening-of-all-school-globes_b_14639376.html) with us. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/124 "2017-06-07T18:48:36Z")
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**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/125 "2017-06-08T07:18:13Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos would [beg to differ](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-schlarmann/betsy-devos-orders-immediate-flattening-of-all-school-globes_b_14639376.html) with us. There was a time when such a story would, without even the tiniest fraction of a doubt, have been an obvious spoof. These days, there’s just this tiny little skerrick of a moment where I have to think “wait, that isn’t real is it?” ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/126 "2017-06-08T17:46:11Z")
I don’t get why this is a thing now, in 2017. I remember 20 years ago reading about the Flat Earth Society, which consisted of an old guy, his wife, a printing press, and a newspaper with subscribers in the low dozens. Now Flat Earthers are back, for some reason? WTF? FWIW, Creationist != Flat Earther. I know a few dozen devout creationists. Not a one of them believes that the Earth is flat. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/127 "2017-06-08T19:06:04Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > Have to remember that the ship thing was noticed back in the day of tall ships with great masts and sails. It may not be as noticeable today with a ship with a flatter profile. In lieu of a tall ship, we can use the Chicago skyline, [which tops out at 1450 feet.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Tower) Get on your speedboat at Navy Pier, head toward the Michigan shore, and watch as the Willis Tower sinks into the waves. Disregarding atmospheric refraction, the top of the antenna masts should finally disappear when you’re about 47 miles out. Even including refraction, the massive height of the tower should make the effect obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/128 "2017-06-08T22:55:46Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I don’t get why this is a thing now, in 2017. I remember 20 years ago reading about the Flat Earth Society, which consisted of an old guy, his wife, a printing press, and a newspaper with subscribers in the low dozens. Now Flat Earthers are back, for some reason? WTF? The internet ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/129 "2017-06-08T23:03:35Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > In lieu of a tall ship, we can use the Chicago skyline, [which tops out at 1450 feet.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Tower) Get on your speedboat at Navy Pier, head toward the Michigan shore, and watch as the Willis Tower sinks into the waves. Disregarding atmospheric refraction, the top of the antenna masts should finally disappear when you’re about 47 miles out. Even including refraction, the massive height of the tower should make the effect obvious. Disregard refraction? To a flat earther it’s all refraction, including the optical illusion of sunset. This is also why the laser ideas above won’t work. Refraction! Just because it looks straight doesn’t mean it is! Of course this undermines the “You can just look at things and see that the Earth is flat!” argument. ---
**Author:** ![ruh-roh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ruh-roh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruh-roh)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/130 "2017-06-28T20:51:11Z")
Two from my favorite quotes list, both of which I think apply to all of the Flat Earthers, Moon Hoaxers, etc. One of “Beady’s Laws of Social Harmonics” (from when I used to lurk around the Usenet sci.space.history… #6. “Never try to reason a man out of a position he did not reach through reason.” the other I have no attributed authorship for… “Some people are like slinkies. Not really good for anything but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.” ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2017, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/131 "2017-06-29T17:31:57Z")
My homespun theory is that biblical literalists are a mirror-image of Nietzschean nihilism: “If there is no God then there’s no referee of truth anyway, so who cares if our beliefs are illogical?”. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/132 "2017-07-08T02:46:54Z")
Distance to horizon for someone about 6 feet tall is about 3 miles. > **[Horizon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon)** > > The horizon is the apparent curve that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This curve divides all viewing directions based on whether it intersects the relevant body's surface or not. > The true horizon is a theoretical line, which can only be observed to any degree of accuracy when it lies along a relatively smooth surface such as that of Earth's oceans. At many locations, this line is ... I’d figure, if the Earth didn’t curve downward and simply stretched out flat a couple thousand miles, the horizon would be…higher. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2017, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/133 "2017-07-08T16:26:35Z")
> [@Enola\_Straight](#): > > Distance to horizon for someone about 6 feet tall is about 3 miles. > > [Horizon - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon) > > I’d figure, if the Earth didn’t curve downward and simply stretched out flat a couple thousand miles, the horizon would be…higher. Refraction 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ccd318/32.png) [@Rama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rama)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/134 "2017-07-10T10:17:10Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > In lieu of a tall ship, we can use the Chicago skyline, [which tops out at 1450 feet.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Tower) Get on your speedboat at Navy Pier, head toward the Michigan shore, and watch as the Willis Tower sinks into the waves. Disregarding atmospheric refraction, the top of the antenna masts should finally disappear when you’re about 47 miles out. Even including refraction, the massive height of the tower should make the effect obvious. Ironically, YouTube is full of videos of exactly this that ‘‘prove’’ the earth is flat. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/135 "2017-07-10T15:19:57Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I don’t get why this is a thing now, in 2017. I remember 20 years ago reading about the Flat Earth Society, which consisted of an old guy, his wife, a printing press, and a newspaper with subscribers in the low dozens. Now Flat Earthers are back, for some reason? WTF? > > FWIW, Creationist != Flat Earther. I know a few dozen devout creationists. Not a one of them believes that the Earth is flat. All the flat earthers I’ve run into are crazy CTers. I’ve never run into any that are creationists. Not saying there aren’t any but I don’t think it’s prevalent. To be a flat earther you have to believe every world government is in on it. NASA has been lying forever. Every scientist is in on it. The government has troops to keep people from traveling to the edge. There are a lot of moving parts other than just God. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/136 "2017-09-26T19:38:04Z")
Some rapper called B.o.B has apparently [begun an effort](http://www.kcra.com/article/rapper-bob-wants-to-send-satellites-as-far-into-space-as-he-can-to-find-earths-curve/12465488) on the gimme-money site to fund a rocket launch to prove his FECT. Highly successful, he has apparently raise over $200, almost 0.1% of his goal. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/137 "2017-09-26T22:51:50Z")
Just out of curiosity, is that “four corners of the earth” in the original, or is it a figment of the translation? Of course, they probably believe the bible was written in English anyway. But “four corners of the earth” sounds an awful lot like a language dependent figure. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/138 "2017-09-26T23:07:51Z")
The expression originates in the Hebrew text of the bible. It came into English from the bible. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_lining](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Silver\_lining](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_lining)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/139 "2017-09-26T23:46:25Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Recently, I read of a guy who triumphantly proved that the Earth is flat by taking a carpenter’s level on a plane flight to show that cruising was always level: if the Earth were not flat, the pilot would have to keep changing the attitude (dip the nose) to adjust for the curvature, which should show up on the level. > > Now that you have finished cleaning beverages from you screen/keyboard, what I want to know is “so what?” For a picosecond, imagine that the FEs were correct, that the Earth is indeed some sort of flat thing: what then? What do they hope to gain or change by proving a flat Earth? Does turtle soup become a sin? I mean, I am just not understanding the why. If the earth were flat everyone would see the same stars, but there are different stars in the northern and southern hemisphere because the earth is round. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748/140 "2017-09-27T00:14:07Z")
The reason you all accept a Ball Earth is because you believe in the [fraud that is gravity](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU-eoPUTTvA&feature=youtu.be). Best part quote starts at 5:24. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-to-flat-earth/787748.md?page=8)