Earth ain’t flat!

Let me start out by saying unequivocally, Earth is a sphere.

It’s hard enough to write a blog about the geocentric arrangement of our solar system without being labeled a “flat earther”, so when demonstrably false conceptions come across my radar screen I have to call them out.

If you want to read the post for yourself, go here.

This from the post:

Under the pseudonym Parallax, Mr. Roebotham performed experiments to prove the Earth is flat. What I found fascinating is how simplistic his experiments were - this is stuff anyone could do.

I like the fact that he includes the phrase, “stuff anyone can do” because what I am about to do, anyone can do.

Let’s see the premise of the post:

So, based on the size of the earth, the curvature in one statute mile is eight inches - this is a well-established “fact,” this is not something Mr. Roebotham decided upon. Three statute miles are six feet (1.8288 meters) of curve, 20 statute miles are 266 feet (81.0768 m) of curve, and so on.

He links to a site that calculates Earth’s curvature.

Let’s look at the formula that the site uses:

Explanation:

The Earth’s radius (r) is 6371 km or 3959 miles, based on numbers from Wikipedia,
which gives a circumference (c)of c = 2 * π * r = 40 030 km

We wish to find the height (h) which is the drop in curvature over the distance (d)

Using the circumference we find that 1 kilometer has the angle
360° / 40 030 km = 0.009°. The angle (a) is then a = 0.009° * distance (d)

The derived formula h = r * (1 - cos a) is accurate for any distance (d)

Now we return to the post:

Let’s check out one of Roebotham’s, aka Parallax’s, experiments: This experiment was only six miles apart, which would mean there has to be 24 feet of curve in these six miles. Because there are 24 feet of curve, someone at point A should not be able to see someone at point B:

But the results of the experiment proved they could be seen in a straight line of sight without any curve between.

FALSE

The premise of the experiment is misrepresented.

A sphere is a curve.

It is impossible to go 5 miles in one direction and have the entire amount of drop all happen on one side as the top graphic would have you believe. As soon as you begin walking away from the starting point on a curved surface, a new midpoint is created with every step you take, which is the highest point between you and the starting point.

Therefore the drop grows equally in both directions from that midpoint. The drop is always measured relative to the straight line between the endpoints, so it is symmetrically distributed around that midpoint.

The depiction of all the rise accruing to the 5 mile side from the starting point is geometrically impossible.

The highest elevation due to curvature between two points 6 miles apart would be the midpoint, or 3 miles.

Which is exactly what is depicted in the second “experiment”.

He put the theodolite directly between two points, with three miles on each side. The assumption was that, due to six feet of curve of the earth on each side…

So the so-called second experiment shows the correct setup for the first one.

Let’s used the linked website to confirm the drop:

So there is not a 24’ drop over 6 miles, there is only a 6’ drop. A tall person standing up will see over the Earth’s curvature at 3 miles. The midpoint would be the highest elevation between two people 6 miles apart. So the conclusion of 24 feet of drop is 4X too large. This does not even consider refraction, which will further increase the viewable distance.

Given the fact the second experiment is actually the correct representation of the first one, it seems it could be simply a joke by the author at the expense of the reader. And honestly, if Roebotham has been made up, whole cloth recently, it would not surprise me at all.

The flat earth concept is largely a recent psyop, probably promulgated by the usual suspects and heavily promoted all over the internet. Never censored at all as some like to claim. Anyone who sails, installs solar panels, farms or occasionally goes outdoors can easily debunk the FE nonsense. It’s a shame so many people let themselves get duped for lack of a working knowledge of geometry.