The Final Experiment: proving the earth is flat (or a globe)

viz

So a guy named Will Duffy is funding an all-expenses-paid expedition to Antarctica, for 1 renowned globe-earther and 1 renowned flat-earther (to be selected by viewer poll), to verify whether or not there's a 24-hour sun during the southern-hemisphere summer. In addition, he's asking an additional 23 others from each side to join, but they will have to pay their way. It's $31K each for the expedition for 4 days in December. I expect some of them will try and get crowd funding.

I really hope that they will manage to get a few from each side. Both sides have stated categorically that if there is a 24 hour sun, then the earth's a globe. And if there isn't, then it's flat. How amazing is that! I am beyond excited!

Currently two globe-earthers have signed up; no flat-earthers yet, but I hope they will join in.

https://www.the-final-experiment.com/

RaymondLin

The problem I have with this is I know the flat earthers will invent a excuse when they get there, if they ever get there. 

Supportact

Well it will be nice to finally have that one solved. 

CavemanGrogg

One of the benefits of the flat earther belief that the earth is flat, is that it implies that there is an edge that we can push the flat earthers off.

robgilmo

It wont be solved, they will just say the expedition was a lie, like NASA have lied, scientists have lied, every globe earther is lying, you cannot reason with them.

ewal

It's a publicity and money making stunt.

TeleMaster

I don't care what experiment these idiots do or say, it's not flat and that's it. Imagine wasting your life with this nonsense. 

Here we have some flat earthers proving the earth is not flat. 

dazzajl

robgilmo said:

…….., you cannot reason with them.

Nope but you can have almost endless fun reading the comments on Facebook groups 

RocknRollDave

If it transpires the Earth is flat, can we just plug it in and recharge it?

robgilmo

dazzajl said:

robgilmo said:

…….., you cannot reason with them.

Nope but you can have almost endless fun reading the comments on Facebook groups 

I get triggered too easily.

TTony

You've posted this in the wrong section.  

Please move it so Sir Axeman can book his trip.

ToneControl

Tim Harford did a great podcast on why people who have joined these cults will just double down on any contrary evidence.

Worth a try though.

Kurtis

RaymondLin said:

The problem I have with this is I know the flat earthers will invent a excuse when they get there, if they ever get there. 

Yeah, that's the problem 

Grumpyrocker

There aren't two sides here. There's just the truth and some nutjobs. 

Evidence isn't going to work. They didn't evidence their way into this stupidity.

VimFuego

Grumpyrocker said:

There aren't two sides here. There's just the truth and some nutjobs. 

Evidence isn't going to work. They didn't evidence their way into this stupidity.

the irony being if the earth was flat there would be two sides. 

digitalscream

That's going to be a very long, very awkward walk.

Haych

Grumpyrocker said:

There aren't two sides here. There's just the truth and some nutjobs. 

Evidence isn't going to work. They didn't evidence their way into this stupidity.

Evidence won't work because most of them already know the earth isn't flat.  I reckon 10% of them are crazy and genuinely believe NASA is a bunch of lizard people who are lying to the world and that the earth is flat.

40% of them are trolls who claim the earth is flat (but know it isn't) because it's funny to wind people up on the internet.

The other 50% are the outcasts from society who would otherwise go through life unnoticed and unappreciated.  Claiming the earth is flat has suddenly given them a voice, a belonging and some sort of validation.  They probably know the earth isn't flat but won't ever admit it because doing so would remove their credibility among their peers.

"Proving" the earth is flat is thus important.

Pizza, however, is flat.  

RaymondLin

Will the flat earthers be carrying guns?  Don't they believe the poles are defended by Penguins with automatic weapons? 

ToneControl

After the lengthy flat earth thread, there was some discussion and learning about what drives people to conspiracy theories


here's some links:

Why some people are willing to believe conspiracy theories (apa.org)

People Drawn to Conspiracy Theories Share a Cluster of Psychological Features | Scientific American

Who Is Likely to Believe in Conspiracy Theories? | Office for Science and Society - McGill University

Three tendencies were strongly correlated with conspiracy ideation, which is the inclination to endorse conspiracy theories. They were: 

perceiving threat and danger; 

relying on intuition and having odd beliefs and experiences; and 

being antagonistic and feeling superior. 

You can think of each as a pillar that supports conspiracy ideation and/or is nurtured by it, and each pillar can be looked at in more detail.

CavemanGrogg

ewal said:

It's a publicity and money making stunt.

Only if we charge people for tickets to watch idiots flat earthers being pushed over the edge, and that's only if and it a fucking huge if, they're right, otherwise it's considered a public service.

jmf1928

What do flat earthers think about the sun and the moon? Are they flat too? Are they real or more like The Truman Show?