Hello everyone. I'm new to this forum and I have a few friendly questions. Thanks to anyone for taking the time to answer.
For the record, I have read thoroughly through the FAQ and have browsed through old postings. I'm asking this question here because I could not find an answer to it elsewhere.
I have a number of technical objections to the flat earth hypothesis, almost all of which I'm sure have been raised at one time or another. But I have a more fundamental question before I would even begin on those. My question is:
** As a believer in a flat earth theory, what, if anything, would convince you that the earth is not in fact flat?
If my question sounds insulting it is not meant to be. As a believer in a spherical earth, I would concede that there are reasons for believing the earth is flat, for example:
1) from a local perspective, it looks flat
2) humanity more or less collectively believed for thousands of years that the earth was flat
3) certain experiments claim to have offered support to the hypothesis that the earth is flat
These and others have been cited in the FAQ as evidence for the hypothesis that the earth is flat. I don't deny this... when I look down, I see a flat earth, and if I didn't have anything else to go on, experiments done by such and such a person purporting to show the earth to be flat would be of great interest to me. But that is not what is at issue.
What is at issue is, what would convince you that the earth was NOT flat? This is a fundamental characteristic, in my opinion, of any scientific theory worth studying or ascribing to, that it could in principle be falsified with the right experiment. What, in your view, would constitute a disproof of the hypothesis that the earth is flat? What experiment could be devised, and what outcome could be observed to cause you to come to the conclusion that earth is not flat?
For example, I believe in a spherical earth. I do so because it seems to me a more reasonable explanation for the existing evidence (photographs, videos, first hand accounts by astronauts, GPS, satellite television, astronomical calculations, accounts of people travelling around the globe) than does the massive conspiracy theory being supported by people on this website. However, this does NOT mean I could never be convinced that the earth was in fact flat instead of round. Any of the following would serve to inch me toward abandoning the hypothesis of a spherical earth:
1) a ride on a space shuttle that allowed me to look out the window and see a flat earth
2) a trip on an airplane that allowed me to see an ice wall, and a black void of space beyond it
3) several high ranking, respected, and mentally healthy public officials going public with the confession that the earth is flat and that they had been lying to us all along.
So, that is my question. What would, or could, convince you that the earth was not flat?
Thanks to anyone for taking the time to respond.